How to keep stories short?

[Earniel]

I've been wondering about that.

Each time I get a good idea for a story and I'm fleshing it out in my mind, I tend to expand it a lot. Given my little time to actually write things, and my habit of waiting with writing until I got most scenes figured out, the poor things are often so spun out that they tend to collapse on their own.

So how do you keep stories short and yet keep in the things you want to? And what do you do with the great ideas who look nice but only make the tale longer and longer?

The anthology was a great practise to keep within the wordlimit and yet pull the story together but I doubt a wordlimit is always effective for every kind of story. Any advice?

[Tessar]

Well first off, remember that you don't have to add everything you think of. Lots of things are GREAT ideas, but you shouldn't actually try to write them into the story.

It can actually be a part of that world, you just never get into it in the story. Then you're satisfied with it in your mind (hopefuly ;)) and you have a shorter story!

Also look for things that don't 'have' to be there. Little run-ons or maybe an extra paragraph.

Of course I'm a firm believer in letting the story come out however it likes sooo... ;)

[Lief Erikson]

Originally posted by Eärniel
The anthology was a great practise to keep within the wordlimit and yet pull the story together but I doubt a wordlimit is always effective for every kind of story. Any advice?
I generally make my short stories each only one scene. When done, that really keeps things pinned down.

I have written some longer short stories, though, that are more than one scene. I guess the way I keep those short is simply by not going beyond the initial idea.

[Finrod Felagund]

I have the same problem, I go to write a short story and it turns into a novel...literally!

[Starr Polish]

Leave some mystery in the story by leaving out some of the details (no matter how great they seem to be) and let the reader fill in bits with his or her imagination. I do this a lot. Example: In my story "Antigone's Confession" (which is very dark and will never see Entmoot) the main character's mother is gone, but I only imply this and never tell why. I have my own idea in my head as to what happened, but it's left to interpretation of the reader. Also, some descriptive details, like the history of a certain object treasured by a character, can be easily left out without hurting hte story. Ifyou really want to keep the ideas, simply write an accompanying history as things pop into your head. ::shrug::