How to Become a Short Story Writer

Writing short stories is one way to make a living as a writer. Like any type of writing, there are some basic steps that can help make it possible to achieve a degree of success and proficiency with the art form that ensure a long an lucrative career. Here are some things to keep in mind if you want to become a short story writer.

Things You'll Need

• Solid command of language and grammar
• Computer
• Internet connection
• Word processing program
• Dictionary
• Thesaurus
• Agent

Instructions

1. Have a working knowledge of grammar. This means knowing proper language and sentence structures, as well as being acquainted with such language constructs as colloquialisms, current slang and speech patterns common to various locations around the world. The ability to embellish your story line with indicators of time and place will make your writing more interesting and attractive to the average reader.

2. Set up your writing area and equipment. While the use of a pen and paper or perhaps a typewriter was sufficient in years past, that is no longer the case. You will need a computer with an Internet connection, and possibly a printer. Many publishers prefer electronic submissions today, and usually specify acceptable formats. For publishers that prefer to receive a hard copy, you can always print out your work and submit through traditional channels.

3. Learn how to craft a query. Queries are simply documents that alert a potential editor of your interest in submitting work for consideration. The exact format of the query will vary depending on the guidelines provided by the publisher or editor. However, it is safe to say the query will always include information about the general plot line and direction of your short story (see Resources below).

4. Submit queries or short stories to many different publications. Make use of both offline and online publications for exposure. Not only do you want to make money with your work; you also want to build up a solid resume that includes credits or clips that can be shown to other prospective clients (see Resources below).

5. Get an agent. Agents have a way of connecting clients with the right publishers at the right time. Keep in mind that you will need to provide samples of your work for evaluation. Your agent will go about the business of finding the best assignments at the best rate of pay (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t be discouraged by rejection slips or if your first stories do not sell for top dollar amounts. Even the greatest of authors have been rejected. As your work becomes more popular, you will find the demand for your stories will open the door to more lucrative assignments.

• Forget about any online writing “opportunities” that offer no pay but dangle the purported benefit of exposure. Online sites that ask you to write without receiving some type of compensation are not likely to inspire confidence in other prospective clients. Remember that you deserve to be compensated for your accepted work, so focus your attention on other and more realistic opportunities.

Resources

• Find agents and publishers, and learn how to write query letters on Writersmarket.com.