How to Start Your Short Story (When You’re Not Sure What It Will Be About)
FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2025
How to Start a Short Story (When You’re Not Sure What It Will Be About)
So… you are thinking about writing a short story.
But the blank page is staring at you smugly as though it knows something you don’t.
Good news: you don’t have to know the whole story to begin.
You just need a spark — and a little permission to fumble forward.
Start It With a Spark
Here are some great places to begin.
A character with some type of problem
A moment that juxtaposes dissimilar events or ideas.
An interesting line of dialogue you overheard in public.
A "what if?" that feels a little dangerous
A memory that you can’t forget.
An odd statement you heard anywhere.
Start there. Write a sentence. Then write the next.
If You’re Not Sure Where It’s Going, That’s Normal.
Short stories don’t need outlines.
They just need motion.
Let your character do something. Make a choice. Run into some problem. Start with the coffee shop and end in an argument, or a miracle.
Start with the result of a problem, for instance in a hospital or jail.
You can figure out the deeper meaning later.
Stories reveal themselves as you write, usually not before.
Tricks I Use All the Time
Start in the middle of something — action, conflict, or conversation
Give your character a small decision with big emotional stakes
Keep your setting simple so you can focus on what changes
Final Thoughts
Short stories don’t have to tie up neatly at the end.
They just need to feel finished, like a door gently closing, not slamming shut.
You don’t need to know the end to start writing the beginning.
You just need to start.
I’m Don, and I’ll be your author today.
Don’s a keen observer and prolific reporter of truth, common sense, humor, & life. He’s a WRITER and humorist, sometimes serious, sometimes tongue-in-cheek. He lives in Nashville, TN. He publishes every weekday morning. If you liked this stuff, become a part of his snooty inner circle by subscribing HERE!
Thanks for reading,
-don