Is your pacing even and controlled? Is your beginning engaging (or full of too much backstory)? Is your ending well developed? Does the action have well-controlled ups and downs?. Are secondary characters as well developed as main characters, even if their entire backstory doesn’t come across on the page? Have you taken care that your secondary characters aren’t more interesting than your main characters? Do secondary characters truly add to the short story, or can you cut them out?.Is the dialogue believable and effective, striking the right balance between efficiency and realism? Does the dialogue show that the characters are challenged? Is the tension illustrated in a way that is not always “flat and obvious?”.Are the characters unique and memorable-but believable at the same time? Are their motivations clear and are they well-rounded? Do your characters’ personalities complement each other in a way that makes the central conflict more pronounced?.Do you show rather than tell? Is there a sense of immediacy? Do you reveal and imply, rather than explain and state?.Does the relationship between dialogue and description support your short story’s goals? Is the description well-researched, accurate, and evocative?.Does your description advance your reader’s understanding of character and plot?.Do you ground your short story in a scene by appealing to the reader’s five senses?.Is the opening sentence (and opening paragraph) of your short story strong, enticing, and confident? Does it set the mood and tone of your entire short story? Is it overly “anything” (overly cute, overly obvious, overly clever), or does it have a hint of mystery?.If you’re trying to get your short prose published (as individual stories or as a collection of short stories), this short story checklist will help to increase the chances that your writing will be selected by editors for publication. However, many writers are unfamiliar with the literary strategies that are required when writing short stories for publication. Good characterization, dialogue, mood, tone, action, pacing, and plot development are some of the essential elements found in published short stories. There are various writing techniques that will help you get your short stories published.
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