Tips for Stories 5000 Words and Under

[Priscilla_June]

Hey All, looking for some wisdom on how to execute stories under 5000 words. Obviously there is a time and place for longer works, I understanding that longer works often do better, but there are just some ideas not beholden to longer works.

Less words becomes challenging of course, having to tell a story worth while, at the same time engaging readers with the characters. But what should be my goals in developing such a story? What do I avoid doing (longer intros?) what do I need to add to make up for it?

Is there an audience for shorter material that perhaps simply is used for a quick gratification of the reader? Id have to believe some look for that of thing.

Id love to hear thoughts, experiences, or examples! Often times I have issue with these lead ups setting the scene that take some words but are worth it for longer stories. What can I get around not doing for the reader in a shorter story?

 

[Euphony]

It's not completely unforgiving but you need to be in a "nothing more than what's absolutely required" mindset.

Doesn't have to be quick gratification but if you want more expansive, you'll want to lean on some tropes (not necessarily Lit tropes) to do some of the work for you.

I would write epic, detailed character profiles for myself and refer back to it often. Essentially, I need to know the people so intimately, I can write only what supports who they are and use every trick in the book to let the readers do the reading between the lines/fill in the blanks (in ways that support the character's personality)

I'd *probably* tend towards big personalities too. No fun wiffle waffling, if they are X thing, they are WAY X thing (i.e. if a lawyer, tropey married to their career type, etc.)

Streamline narrative wants easily digested on moved on information. Careful not to do info dumps, but do be definitive in showing and use natural clusters of traits that would seem likely in a similar MC personality fingerprint.

Better you know your characters, easier it is to transfer their spirit to page with an economy of words.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Hey All, looking for some wisdom on how to execute stories under 5000 words. Obviously there is a time and place for longer works, I understanding that longer works often do better, but there are just some ideas not beholden to longer works.

Less words becomes challenging of course, having to tell a story worth while, at the same time engaging readers with the characters. But what should be my goals in developing such a story? What do I avoid doing (longer intros?) what do I need to add to make up for it?

Is there an audience for shorter material that perhaps simply is used for a quick gratification of the reader? Id have to believe some look for that of thing.

Id love to hear thoughts, experiences, or examples! Often times I have issue with these lead ups setting the scene that take some words but are worth it for longer stories. What can I get around not doing for the reader in a shorter story?

From what I've seen, what you've done so far as gotten good reviews and they are not that long - two to four Lit pages. I tempted to say: just write until it feels "done," whatever that means to you. You're not obligated to go shorter, unless you want to experiment with it. I'd be hard put to say how to write a shorter story just for the sake of brevity. We all do things differently; there is no formula. Possibly the page count itself is not that important. Sorry I can't think of more of how to do this right now.

 

[Ian_Snow]

I'll agree with the sentiment that the length of a story should always suit its needs, but I also like setting firm goals for myself in terms of word count sometimes just as a mental exercise.

I guess the biggest question to be asking yourself is what does this story need to be? A longer intro for something character based is great, but if you want hot thrills, maybe consider cutting that down to the "moment," or the heat, or whatever point the story truly begins. Context isn't always necessary. Neither is exposition. It's tough to decide what needs to go sometimes but you'll get the hang of it.

 

[SyleusSnow]

5K is plenty of space to tell a good story, and setting a target length like that is a worthwhile exercise. Ray Bradbury was a master of telling an incredible story and keeping it short. The Veldt for example is 4.6K words. The Man in the Rorschach Shirt, my favorite, is just under 4K.

As Euphony says, using well-known tropes helps. Familiar settings, too. Use what readers already are familiar with and you only have to paint broad strokes. They'll fill in their own details. Then you have space for the unique details, dialog and action that make up the meat of your story. Start as close to the inciting incident as possible (good advice for stories of any length, IMHO)

My shortest story (not counting 750 word ones) is Recall, originally written for a 5000-word contest on another site. It came in way under at 3,063 words and was a smash hit (er, on that other site... didn't get quite the same love here). One of my most favorited stories The Waif and the Wall is 5,248 words. So, it can be done and be more than a stroker.

 

[ElectricBlue]

5000 words is one and a half Lit pages, which is plenty of room for a short piece.

My suggestions - no introduction, no back story, start within the action, go backwards only if you think you must (but resist the temptation, because stories move forwards and, really, does yesterday matter?). Keep the cast small (two is ideal) and the locations sketched but not painted.

Have a look at some of the 750 Word stories to see what you can do with precision. This series, for example: Brooke Works at the Hardware Store is 4 x 750 = 3000, and tells a self-contained story from two points of view.

 

[Seadog777]

Hey All, looking for some wisdom on how to execute stories under 5000 words. Obviously there is a time and place for longer works, I understanding that longer works often do better, but there are just some ideas not beholden to longer works.

Less words becomes challenging of course, having to tell a story worth while, at the same time engaging readers with the characters. But what should be my goals in developing such a story? What do I avoid doing (longer intros?) what do I need to add to make up for it?

Is there an audience for shorter material that perhaps simply is used for a quick gratification of the reader? Id have to believe some look for that of thing.

Id love to hear thoughts, experiences, or examples! Often times I have issue with these lead ups setting the scene that take some words but are worth it for longer stories. What can I get around not doing for the reader in a shorter story?

I actually prefer "shorter works".
Usually if it's over 3 pages, I don't continue to read, unless it really captures my attention on that first page.
A long story broken down into chapters is far better.
Just my opinion of course.

 

[NotWise]

I first started giving stories to Laurel with the goal or writing them short and lean. That lasted through two stories when I learned that readers mostly don't want their stories short and lean. Since then my shortest stories have been about two Lit pages. Putting together a story in 5K words is challenging.

My second story, "That Little Bitch," is probably as good as I got at it. It's 1.9K words. It's in I/T, but it's an in-law relationship, not incest.

A short story needs a lean plot that gets you where you want to go without any extra baggage, and you need to compress all of the normal story components into a small space: intro, development, climax, and resolution all need to be there. You still need character, location, conflict and resolution.

Everything needs to be simple to fit: characters need to be easily understood. The location needs to be commonplace--the whole thing can be in a bedroom, for instance. You don't have room to hide the conflict. It has to be up front--two characters with different, clearly stated goals would be an example. Climax is usually sex, resolution might just be afterglow.

SamScribble writes lean and compact stories. His catalog would be a great place to look for examples.

 

[ronde]

One can save a lot of words by using well-know stereotypes to define characters. Words like "cowboy", "stripper", "biker", and "ballet dancer" tell a reader a lot about how a character looks and is probably going to act. One can also save some words in scene descriptions by using stereotypical words to describe scenes with which most readers will be familiar, like "beach", "carnival", "grocery store", and the like. The only further description needed is either something that doesn't fit the stereotype or something in the stereotype that need to be accented because of the story.

 

[Djmac1031]

All I write are "short" stories.

Most of mine average 3 Lit pages. Some as short as 1 or 2, some as long as 5 or 6.

My only real advice is: only write what's needed.

If the setting is at a characters job, let's say, we don't need every detail about the job. Just what they do in general and a brief description of where.

Keep character descriptions to a minimum. Don't need every physical detail. Or measurement.

Also, show, don't tell, things like personality.

If a character is outgoing, just have their words and actions demonstrate that, don't waste time having a narrator tell us.

Keep the plot simple. If you have two characters meeting for the first time, you need a simple and easy way to get things moving between them.

Because obviously the more complicated the scenario, the more time you need to set it up and flesh it out.

Just my simple suggestions.

 

[Duleigh]

Is there an audience for shorter material that perhaps simply is used for a quick gratification of the reader? Id have to believe some look for that of thing.

Oh yes! For Literotica, 5k words would probably be the average "stroker." Most of my early stories were of that design, no real back story, just a brief description of the characters and how they got to the point where the story opens and then let the fun begin!

Now my introductions/expositional openings are longer than 5K, I really enjoy the story now, 110k words in two discworld fanfics with one sex scene in each and they're my highest rated stories.

 

[SimonDoom]

1. What do you really want to say? What is the real focus of the story? Concentrate on that.
2. Make every word count.
3. No long-winded intros or expository sections. Jump into things right away.
4. Accept that some people may like, or even insist on longer stories, and possibly downvote you for a short one. Don't measure your success by your score.
5. If it's a sex story, make sure you leave enough words for the sex scene.
6. If you're writing the story and seems like it's going to go over 5,000 words, let it. Don't be bound by an artificial limit. Save your 5K-limit story for another day.

 

[alohadave]

Hey All, looking for some wisdom on how to execute stories under 5000 words. Obviously there is a time and place for longer works, I understanding that longer works often do better, but there are just some ideas not beholden to longer works.

I have trouble writing longer stories. Only two of my stories are over 4000 words, and my nearly finished WIP is nearly 7000 words and that's adding up because I keep revising it. I'll still consider it short because I have several scenes in it that would be around 1000-1500 words if I broke them out separately.

Less words becomes challenging of course, having to tell a story worth while, at the same time engaging readers with the characters. But what should be my goals in developing such a story? What do I avoid doing (longer intros?) what do I need to add to make up for it?

Quick intro, start the scene quickly, stir relevant backstory in tidbits. Dialogue will be more direct, no long monologues or extensive back and forth. That's not to say that you should avoid dialogue, but every part has to drive the story forward. Minimal descriptions unless it's important to the scene. Time jumps move the story along.

Is there an audience for shorter material that perhaps simply is used for a quick gratification of the reader? Id have to believe some look for that of thing.

There's an audience for everything. I have no problem reading shorts. I'm interested in the premise and the story, not how long it is. I have stories in tabs that I queue up for when I have a block of time to read 10-20k words at a time, and I read the shorter stories before the longer ones.

Id love to hear thoughts, experiences, or examples! Often times I have issue with these lead ups setting the scene that take some words but are worth it for longer stories. What can I get around not doing for the reader in a shorter story?

Long descriptions aren't really needed. Instead of describing the room the scene is in, just say what it is, ie: bedroom, kitchen, backseat of the car. Readers will fill it in because everyone knows what those places look like and what they generally contain. If they are like me, they have default locations they imagine, no matter what the author describes for a location. Include relevant details as appropriate.

 

[Paul_Chance]

Depending on how you write (whether you use a plot or not):

1. Keep the story simple (but not simplistic).
2. Start with the rising action (don't waste words on the set-up).
3. Emphasis the conflict resolution (should be the majority of the story - conflict and resolution)
4. Write a strong ending, reinforcing the conflict resolution.

In a traditional three act structure:

1. Act 1 should be less than 500 words
2. Act 2 should eat up 4000 words
3. Act 3 should be less than 500 words

If you are a pantser and your natural style is longer - ruthlessly compact and edit Act 1 and Act 3. Think Cormac McCarthy level of ruthlessness with your own prose. If you've got an editor friend, have them ruthlessly edit the first draft for you.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Use a limited cast in a set location, works for me. Use more dialog to move the story along.
My shortest story is 5.5k and it was for the On The Job event. I think it was very successful.
https://literotica.com/s/conference-room-b-fuck-club

 

[HeyAll]

As someone who writes a lot of stories in that range, my advice is to sctrutinize every paragraph, sentence, and word. Cut, cut, cut. If it doesn't serve a purpose, cut it. Get straight to the point and choose words/phrases/descriptions which are efficient and get the job done.

 

[AlinaX]

Most of my stories are under 5000 words.

You don't really need to describe much about characters' appearance, unless you want to. You don't have to say anything about what their actual jobs are, or where they live, or anything really. What you do want to do is to convey their personalities and enough about them to provide motivations for the plot threads.

Assuming there will be sex, don't dive straight in, but don't delay either. A few paragraphs leading into hot sex can make a nice Scene 1 of about 1000 words. (A 1000-word story always feels more like a scene than a story.) Even if there isn't a need or desire for sex at the start, a Scene 1 of about 1000 words tends to work nicely anyway, tying in perhaps to having that traditional three act structure.

 

[ElectricBlue]

If you are a pantser and your natural style is longer - ruthlessly compact and edit Act 1 and Act 3. Think Cormac McCarthy level of ruthlessness with your own prose. If you've got an editor friend, have them ruthlessly edit the first draft for you.

But that means editing, which for me defeats the point. I'd give up on a 5000 word target/limitation before I started cutting content. A pantser story is always the precise length for its purpose.

 

[AlinaX]

I'm a pantser, for the most part. I do some editing to change a word here or there, or I discard whole sections that go nowhere, but it's unusual to reduce length significantly through an editing pass.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I rarely manage <5k stories because I can't resist subplots and extra scenes/details and extra characterisation. And dialogue.

Characters won't shut up and fuck off - as opposed to shutting up and fucking, which they're quite good at. It's just they'll tell me all about it in very graphic detail.

Sometimes I re-read my stories and decide that while an extra kink or act might have made the story hotter to me when I wrote it, it might have been a better story without. Ah well, I get paid the same either way.

 

[Paul_Chance]

Subplots and supporting characters are an excellent place to trim your story, if you're a pantser and you don't want to lose them. Take them out and give them their own space. You don't have to lose those characters who pop up - just give them their own story.

 

[NoTalentHack]

Write it as a 100 word story first. There’s a thread in the writing exercises subforum at https://forum.literotica.com/threads/100-word-story-exactly-no-more-no-less.1587504/ that I jumped into for fun, but I found that it was also a great way to come up with the core of a larger story. Restricting yourself to 100 words means forcing tough choices about what matters.

Here are two examples that I plan to turn into longer stories eventually:

The bull fucks Ellen like an artist. He’s a consummate performer, dominating her and humiliating me, but always with a knowing wink. This is a game. A show. A fun time for all of us.

I’m a performer, too–a comedian–and I can appreciate someone who’s honed their craft: the time spent on his muscular physique, his sexual technique, his showmanship. He can give her something that I can’t. Except that I can; I’ve given him to her. Or her to him.

Oh god. I can’t help it; the words are out before I can stop them. “Take my wife, please.”

—----------------------------------------

“Do you mind?”

Irritated. She points to my bag on her seat.

“Do you mind?”

Friendly. Four hours traveling together has softened her attitude. I help with her luggage.

“Do you mind?”

Desperate. A reservation snafu left one room available.

“Do you mind?”

Embarrassed. Her zipper’s stuck, but I’m able to get it open.

“Do you mind?”

Flirtatious. I turn away so she can finish undressing.

“Do you mind?”

Wicked. Whispering in my ear, hot breath on my neck, hand caressing my groin.

“Glad to help.”

Enamored. I kneel between her legs, cock hard, ready to render aid all night.

—----------------------------------------

In each case, they’re full stories, albeit somewhat unfulfilling ones. You know exactly what’s going on, why, and (to an extent) who is involved.

Don’t try to chip down a 10K story to a 5K one. That’s too painful. Take a 100 word story and build it to a 5K.


One more, just because it’s silly and fun:

Sharon cries, “Please, Mike! I don’t want a divorce!”

I shake my head in disbelief. “You fucked three other guys!”

She reaches for me, but I flinch away. “I’m sorry, babe. I’m so, so sorry. But money’s been so tight since I lost my job, and the kids were starving! I did what I had to to make sure they could eat.”

My eyes narrow. An accusing finger jabs the air. “Bullshit. That explains the butcher and the baker, but the candlestick maker?”

Sharon bites her lip, expression somewhere between guilt and reminiscence.

“Yeah, okay. That one was for me.”