Writing Short Fiction: Harlequin’s Online Reads

by Adrienne Macintosh, Associate Editor, and Karen Reid, Assistant Editor

Short fiction, once the runt of the litter, now finds itself the star in the pet-store window. And no wonder. In today’s digital universe, writing a short story makes a lot of sense. For new writers, it can be a foot in the door with publishers. It can also be a good way for an author to establish a reader base and a publicity platform, things that publishers are increasingly looking for from new writers. At Harlequin, we have several options for the writer who wants to write short, including Nocturne Cravings, Historical Undone as well as Carina Press, Harlequin’s digital-first imprint.

For established authors, writing a short piece is good exposure, a chance to grab new readers and, in the case of an anthology, the opportunity to work with other writers. Your editor can tell you about your options and point you in the right direction.

And all of this without the time commitment of a long novel! After all, once you’ve written a full-length book, 15,000 words should be a piece of cake. Right?

Not so fast. Here are few things to consider…

Short in Length, Long on Planning

A novella has to have all the same compelling aspects of a novel—great characters, meaty conflict, a well-developed plot and a satisfying conclusion—but with a tenth of the time to do it in. In a story of 30,000 words or less, the reader has to know very quickly who the characters are, what they want and what’s standing in the way of them getting it.

Which means you have to know these things before you even begin. And that means a little bit of planning is required.

CHARACTER — Before you begin writing, figure out what motivates your character—what does she want in this story, why is it important to her, and what is she going to do to get it? A character’s motivation is usually rooted in her back story—but the back story should not be a major part of your story. And it shouldn’t be dumped into the reader’s lap in the first chapter. Remember the old adage: show, don’t tell. Choose the most relevant details of your character’s life and weave them into the story at the most effective times. The reader does not need to know your heroine’s life story. Also keep in mind that the character may not be aware of the link between what happened in the past and their current actions. This could be something that the other character helps them to see and overcome.

Now do the same for the other main character, and even any secondary characters that crop up in your novella.

CONFLICT — What is standing in the way of the hero and heroine getting what they want? For character’s in a romance, it’s often each other! E.g. The heroine has to rob a bank (her goal) to pay kidnappers who are holding her child hostage (her motivation), but the hero, a cop whose wife died in a botched bank robbery (his motivation), is determined to stop her (his goal) and handcuffs himself to her (the conflict). The other thing you should consider when coming up with a conflict is not only it will force the characters apart, but how it will bring them together—physically and emotionally.

Also evaluate what the stakes are for your characters—how much do they stand to lose? Even though your story is short, if the stakes are ho-hum, your story will be, too. So if our heroine from the example above had to rob a bank because kidnappers were holding her cat hostage, though this might be sad for the kitty, it’s not quite as gripping as it would be if it were her child.

PLOT – Once you know your character and the conflict, plot the story out. What challenges is your heroine going to face on the road to achieving her goal? How do those challenges build to the climax? Pacing is everything in a short piece, so examine the development of your plot and ask yourself, are you devoting too much of the story to the setup? Does it take too long—or not long enough—to get to the climax? Did you give yourself enough time to resolve the conflict? Is the resolution of the conflict too easy or simple? Will it satisfy the reader? A romance reader wants a “happily ever after” for the characters. Is that believable based on what you’ve put them through? This is often why in a short romantic story, the hero and heroine will already know each other, as it’s a good shortcut to establishing a believable relationship.

FIT – As with a novel, when you submit a short story, you must know your series and your audience. What word length is the publisher looking for? What genres? Time periods? What’s the tone of the pieces in the program?

As with novels, the best way to figure this out is to read some of the already published works.

The Long and Short of It Is—Don’t Screw Around

When setting out to write a short story, remember that time and space is not a luxury that you have—make every word count. Perhaps even more so than with a full-length novel, you must be strict, exercise restraint and keep focus on the matter/conflict at hand.

Happy (short) writing!