Writing Tips: Shorts

Shorts. Not the ones that some people wear. It's what I like to call short scenes using a character you already created with the purpose of defining their personality more.

I usually involve an common situation(common on the character's standards) and a small problem. The short shows how the character solves the issue, and how he or she gets along or works together with one or more characters, if there are any.

For example, let's say you had a character in a realistic fiction story called Joe.

An common situation for him might be this.

This is spilling coffee on a shirt.

You might write about his initial reaction, what he thinks, and what he feels. Then, you would write about how he deals with the situation.

It doesn't have to be a wrapped up and perfect story. The purpose for you is to understand your character, and once that is accomplished, the short served its purpose.

Writing shorts helps greatly. Even thinking about them does. But writing or typing forces you to solidify your thoughts!

Good luck writing shorts!

-The Nocturnal Writer