SESSION SIX – 04 May 2020 - Wycombe Sound Writing Clinic
Topic – Short Stories (Part One).

 REFERENCED ITEMS:

Lamb To The Slaughter by Roald Dahl, a 4000 word short story with murder at its heart. Read Roald Dahl here.

More Short Stories to Read by various writers but all competition winners. Read short stories here.

Markets for the Short Story – Guide to Length.

A short story can range from 100 words (that’s flash fiction) up to something like 12,000 words or more. I suggested that once you go over 20,000 words you are probably writing a Novella. There are no fixed rules.

Your decision about length is influenced by many factors. If you plan to enter a competition the rules will always specify a length – the most popular range is between 100 and 3000 words.

If you intend submitting to a magazine the length will be set by the editor- in popular magazines it is rarely more than 2000 words.

If you plan to publish a collection of your short stories, length often ranges from 5000 words up to 15,000 words each. The total length for your collection is up to you. I would suggest under 100,000 words, similar to a first novel.

Manuscript layout. Thislayout is a good style to stick to and suits most publishers and editors. In competitions, you will need to make the MS anonymous. The footer must be on every page but don’t repeat the title at the top.

LINKS

To hear this session again or to begin listening from day one, go to Wycombe Writers' Clinic.

For Wycombe Sound Short Story Week - (Short stories created and read by students from the Wycombe Sound Writing Workshop.)

CONTACTS:

Wycombe Sound website - 

Wycombe Sound -call the studio - 01494 449900