Short Stories

Writing Your First Short Story

Write your first short story today! Find out more information about how to begin writing about your experience with cancer.

First Point of Information

Firstly, think about what story you would like to tell. Once you have your idea, start thinking about the narrative of your story. Think about the different parts of the story that will compromise the plot.

Think of a beginning, middle and end.

Some people find it useful to think of an introduction to their story, to indicate to your readers what to expect. Alternatively, sometimes you can start your story in the middle of the plot, or with a thought that you develop upon.

After your introduction, the middle section of your story should be the bulk. This is where you can go into detail about the events you want to retell in your own words.

Finally, your ending should form some type of conclusion to your writing. You can finish your story with a definitive outcome, if you would like to provide complete closure to your readers. You can also finish your story with a reflective thought, in which you reflect upon what you have written about and the significance/impact of what you have experienced upon your life. If you would like to, you can even end your story with a cliffhanger (in which you leave your reader in suspense without a definitive ending), this can be used to lead onto future stories.

While you are writing you can choose whether to write your events chronologically (in the order in which they happened) or in any order you like to enhance your narrative (the progression of the story).

Remember, you do not need to rush your short story. Write down a draft of your story and then re-read it, changing parts until it reads as you would like it to. We are a welcoming community and will support your writing through our feedback and our 'likes'.

See below for some examples on external websites of short stories for some inspiration.