Joanne Taylor • Ajatar Editing

Want to write a novel, or several? Or just love short reads? Writing short stories to train your writing muscles can be a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to improve your writing craft. Whether you’re a beginner, a casual writer, or a serious author already, exploring short stories can give you a manageable way to experiment with different writing techniques, points of view, tenses, develop your voice, and receive feedback.

As a writer myself, writing short pieces, even more than just scenes from a larger piece of work, gave me freedom to experiment and expand my writing skillset. As one of the organizers and judges for World History Encyclopedia’s Ink of Ages Fiction Prize, I’ve seen the positive impact that short story writing can have for many writers. And the positives might not be what you think.

1. The benefits of writing short stories
2. Sharing your work, or not
3. Contest caution
4. Tips for crafting compelling short stories
   1. Emotional impact
   2. POV
   3. Trim enthusiastically
   4. Character
   5. Theme or message
   6. Finding the start
   7. Something happens
5. Example short story structures
6. Example contest: Ink of Ages Fiction Prize
   1. Advice for entrants
7. Conclusion
8. Call for volunteer submission reviewers

The benefits of writing short stories

It was several years ago now, but when I first started writing fiction I wrote a different piece of flash fiction every day for a month. This daily practice helped me get used to expressing character, stakes, tension, plot events, setting, tone, and point of view more effectively. What draws readers in when you only have a few hundred words? It’s a great way to experiment with different techniques without the pressure of a longer piece of writing. Plus, getting feedback is quicker and easier, which is helpful for improving quickly.

Setting a target to write a short story can help you start feeling like a writer, even if you don’t already. It’s more achievable than a novel and allows you to try all sorts of different things with characterization and other elements of writing craft. A deadline can give you a reason to actually finish a piece and can be really motivating for many writers, increasing discipline.

Adobe Firefly, trained on licensed images.

Writing short stories also encourages you to focus on key aspects of storytelling. You learn to develop tension, conflict, or unanswered questions quickly, establish characters efficiently, and convey emotions concisely. This form of writing pushes you to be even more thoughtful with your language, making every word count.

My flash pieces had to be under 400 words and still be worth reading! (Okay, maybe not all of them were worth reading, but they were all worth writing 😅) I found the shorter format allowed for more experimentation; you can chop and change quickly across different pieces and let your creativity take you in different directions. You can try out different genres, styles, and narrative techniques without having to write a whole novel that way. This flexibility can lead to surprising discoveries about your writing strengths and preferences.

Sharing your work, or not

Writing short stories is worth it even if you don’t share them with anybody because your writing will improve. But many writers do want to share work they’re proud of through writing prizes, literary magazines, or online platforms. These avenues can boost your confidence and help you build a portfolio of published work.

Submitting your work can boost your confidence as a writer, and your story being longlisted or shortlisted provides a feeling of validation that readers enjoyed your writing. Wins and placements are a nice extra to include in your author bio. Engaging with fellow short story writers, through social media, events, and communities, can be a source of support and camaraderie.

Contest caution

Not to spoil the fun, but some writing contests are not what they say they are. Do check carefully whether you’ll retain the rights to your story before submitting, and if the entry fees seem high, is there a reasonable reason for that, like being assured of personalized feedback from industry professionals? Are judges reputable and can you view past winners online? Some people find contests a futile exercise in vanity, or discouraging when you don’t place. But if you approach contests with the right mindset, the act of entering itself can improve your writing. Not getting longlisted is more often audience fit or sheer numbers rather than your piece “not being good enough.”

Tips for crafting compelling short stories

Here’s one of my favourite ever short stories: “The Kettledrum” by Siddique Alam, translated from Urdu by Musharraf Ali Farooqi. Have a read and see how or if you think it achieves any of the things listed below.

Emotional impact

Crafting a compelling short story involves focusing on a few key elements. For me, one of the most crucial aspects is the emotional impact. In a short story, you need to establish tension and resolution or a satisfying feeling quickly (even if the short story leaves you with a question at the end). Think about what you want your readers to feel. Whether it’s awe, amazement, laughter, or tears, the emotional impact is key.

POV

When I was writing flash fiction every day, one of the most beneficial improvements for me was experimenting with different points of view (POV). I could do things I’d never tried before like writing in first-person point of view, for instance, enhancing immersiveness and bringing settings to life with in-the-moment physical sensations. Or omniscient, having an external narrator telling the story, knowing things that the characters couldn’t know.

With short stories, you can take the pressure off and have fun with different perspectives. This freedom allows you to explore various narrative techniques and see which ones resonate most with your style and piece. Choose the POV that serves your short story the best. (I have a blog post on POV coming out soon-ish, email me if you need it already and I’ll boost it up my schedule).

Trim enthusiastically

Another essential tip is to focus on conciseness. When you have a word limit, especially a short one, your first draft will likely be over the limit. That’s okay. I recommend writing over the limit and then condensing your story down. Editing it back will make your writing tighter and more impactful, like creating a concentrated stock cube of your story (or … making Ribena in reverse?). This approach ensures every word serves a purpose and contributes to the overall story. This self-editing can make all the difference between a good piece and a great one.

Character

Developing memorable characters quickly is one of the challenges of short stories. But what makes characters memorable? They make us feel something as readers. Do we get insight into what they think and feel about the events unfolding around them. Do we empathize with them due to the situation they’re in? What does the situation mean to them? Characters should have something important at stake, or why should we care about them? Reflecting on these questions while developing your characters can make them more engaging and relatable to your readers.

Theme or message

You probably want your story to have a larger message or theme. One issue I sometimes see in submissions is stories that, while beautifully written, lack a deeper meaning or overall message (though it shouldn’t be heavy-handed!). A story just about a surface-level event might have lovely prose and interesting imagery, but without a deeper theme, it’s missing the chance to resonate with readers. What’s the answer to a reader saying, “So what?” Think about what your story is saying beyond the surface-level events. Does it subtly comment on a broader issue or theme?

Finding the start

Consider the opening of your story. While there’s no one right way to start, bringing the reader into a scene immediately is often effective. Whether through compelling action, thought-provoking dialogue, or an intriguing description, the opening should grab the reader’s attention and make them want to continue reading. Remember, there are many ways to approach this, and you don’t necessarily have to stick to conventional rules. Do whatever you want as long as it works for readers!

Something happens

For me, structure and plot events work along the same lines of “do whatever you want as long as it works” too. You can have a look at common short story structures, but bear in mind that many structures listed online are from Western-perspective writing conventions, which may or may not fit what you are trying to achieve. Below are some brief outlines of example structures to get you thinking.

Example short story structures

1. Five-part structure: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution.
2. In media res: begin in the action, flashback/background info, climax and resolution.
3. Twist ending: setup, development, unexpected twist.
4. Story within a frame: frame, main story within frame, return to frame maybe with a twist.
5. Circular: opening with image/event/idea, development, close by returning to opening image/event/idea.
6. Snapshot: Single moment or scene, depth over breadth, implies a larger story beyond the snapshot.
7. Parallel structure: two or more separate but related stories, interwoven until they converge in a meaningful way.
8. The epiphany: ordinary situation, builds to sudden realization, aftermath with new understanding or perspective.

Example contest: Ink of Ages Fiction Prize

When I suggested to our team at World History Encyclopedia (WHE) that we hold a fiction contest, I naively did not realize how many shoddy writing contests are out there, although there are good ones too! So we’re extra-determined to do things right for writers. After all, we started this to celebrate history, research, and imagination, and provide an opportunity for international history and mythology writers who might never have heard of World History Encyclopedia. Sometimes it’s nice to know others share your interests and passions.

The Ink of Ages logo and artwork prizes are created by the fantastically talented Simeon Netchev

Although we don’t offer big prize money [update for the 2026 Prize: US$1,000 cash prize will be awarded to the first place adult winner 🥳], we focus on creating a fun and supportive environment that celebrates our favourite genres: historical fiction and mythology-inspired fiction. If you’re wondering why mythology, World History Encyclopedia used to be Ancient History Encyclopedia, and mythology is something ancient peoples thought a lot about!

Even if you don’t win, making it onto the longlist or shortlist can be encouragement that your work has resonated with others. In our first year, one of our winners mentioned that the prizes of books and WHE goodies were lovely, but what they cherished most was the badge that made them feel fantastic. It provided validation and a confidence boost in the often-solitary journey of writing.

Advice for entrants

If you’re considering entering the Ink of Ages Fiction Prize, here are some tips to help you make the most of your submission:

1. Start early: Starting early with your ideas and drafting gives you time to develop your story, edit, and polish it before submission.
2. Write over, then condense: When you have a word limit, especially a short one, your first draft will likely be over the limit. That’s ideal: write over and then condense. Editing it back will make your writing tighter and more impactful. As one of our staff writers Joshua J. Mark says regarding short fiction: tighten, tighten, tighten!
3. Proofread carefully: Give yourself time to read through your finished story more than once. The reading team are less picky about accidental typos in an otherwise effective story, but the judging panel for the winners pays serious attention to the small details.
4. Focus on emotional impact: Think about what you want your readers to feel. Make us laugh, cry, feel awe, or something else! Make sure your story has an emotional core that resonates with the reader. I know first-hand that’s what our reading team is looking for.
5. Follow submission guidelines: Pay close attention to the submission guidelines. Simple errors like including your name on the story or exceeding the word limit can be easily avoided with careful preparation. Carefully following submission guidelines makes it easier for your work to be processed, read, and enjoyed.
6. Don’t take it personally: Reading is subjective. Just because you don’t place on the shortlist doesn’t mean we didn’t like your story! Tough decisions have to be made and sometimes it’s about “fit”, not a reflection of the quality of your writing. Maybe we just didn’t get it and a different panel would have.

You can find opportunities for contests and places to submit your writing of many kinds on Chill Subs. Many of their tools for writers are free and their emails make me laugh. Double win.

Conclusion

Writing short stories is a great way to experiment, develop your skills, and connect with others who share your interests. Whether you share your work or just write for fun, the key is to enjoy the process and keep honing your craft. Words you write are never wasted words.

Call for volunteer submission reviewers

We’re currently looking to expand our volunteer reading team for the Ink of Ages Fiction Prize! Do you love history and mythology-inspired short stories as much as we do? Could you help by reading as much or as little as you like? Join me and the World History Encyclopedia team when we read 2025/26 submissions September to December!

Email:

Sign up for a reading team invitation!

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