How to Edit to Create an Interesting Short Story

Cut Unnecessary Scenes and Description and Check for Continuity

Nov 16, 2008

After countless cups of coffee, bursts of inspiration, stubborn characters, and dead-end scenes, you've finished your short story! Or have you? Editing is vital.

With the excitement and adrenaline rush that comes with writing is the frustrating writer’s block and inability to see outside of the world you’ve created. Once you’ve “finished” your short story, relax for a while and be proud, for you’ve accomplished something great. Just realize you aren’t finished yet.

When You’re too Far in Your Story to See Out

The first thing you should do upon completion of a first or second draft is let the story rest. Often times, after spending so much time creating a fictitious story, the characters and their world become real to you. The plot and narration either seem perfect or like complete trash. Changing any part of the story seems impossible because the story has become part of you, or the entire thing feels like a joke because you’ve worked on it for so long.

Put the story away for a while, enough time to gain some objectivity. Sometimes this only takes thirty minutes; sometimes it takes a year. The goal is for you to pick up the story and see its flaws and its triumphs, to see it almost as you would any other short story you read.

Discover Your Story's Voice

Every story says something. After reading through your story once or twice with a fresh perspective, jot down the plot in three or four sentences. Next, follow these steps to help remove unnecessary weight from your story. Grab a pen and follow along with your story.

Mark Through Unrelated Scenes

Mark through any scene that does not directly relate to your plot description. This can be particularly difficult if there are strong metaphors and language, but remember that the extra baggage could ruin the story. Save the scene for another story or warm-up exercise on an off writing day. Reprint the story after cutting out the unnecessary scenes.

Cut Out all that Pretty Stuff

Highlight all descriptions and exposition. If there is a noticeably large amount of highlighted area on the page, cut, cut, cut! At least half of the story should be action as opposed to flowery language and explanation, which slow down the pace of the story and bore the reader.

Instead of describing a man from head to toe, pick two specific, unique things to describe; the reader will fill in the rest. Genre works should contain even less description than literary works, no more than 30 percent. After cutting out the pretty stuff, it’s once again time to print a fresh copy of your story.

Fill in the Missing Spots

After all that cutting, your story will no doubt be left with inconsistencies and abrupt transitions. Underline sentences where the phrasing sounds off, mark the places paragraphs or scenes need a smoother transition, and note any other inconsistencies of the overall story (Matt’s room located upstairs in the beginning but downstairs at the end).

Rewrite and rework scenes and transitions as needed. This part can be frustrating, but it will help to bring your entire story together. After you're satisfied with the story, read through it again, checking for the above listed issues.

Sometimes it can even be useful to keep your story idea and begin writing from the beginning now that you've discovered what your means. Though this might sound like a terrible idea, keep in mind that you aren't starting from scratch but just reworking another draft without the structure to hold you back.

Remember that editing is as important as the writing process itself, and keep in mind that most writers write numerous drafts before publishing.