Tips for Winning Short Stories Archives

The Competition Short Story by David Butler

Author David Butler on the ‘Competition Length’ Short Story and the ‘8 Cs’. As the

Why You Should Enter a Short Story Competition in 2025

Savannah Cordova of Reedsy with 4 reasons why you should enter that short story competition

The Short Story by Mary O’Donnell

Mary O’Donnell, author of Walking Ghosts, on the short story: how I approach it, and

Experimenting with Flash Fiction (With Prompts) by Claire Hennessy

Claire Hennessy, author of In the Movie of Her Life, with some key pointers in

My Short Story Writing Process by Aran Kelly

For me, writing short stories is a process of refinement, of putting together a story

Short Stories: Freeing Yourself from Idea Scarcity by Courtney Smyth

Once upon a time, I believed stories had one beginning, one middle, and one ending.

Writing Winning Short Stories by Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin

This is an updated version of a consistently popular article, featuring some expert tips for

Winning the Desperate Literature Prize during Lockdown by Angela Finn

I’m not a great baker, but during the lockdown, like many, I’ve been baking more

Short Story Writers: Perseverance is Key by Billy O’Callaghan

Over the years I have facilitated many creative writing workshops, almost always with a focus

How to Edit an Award-Winning Short Story by Mslexia

Ernest Hemingway once said ‘The only kind of writing is rewriting’, and if you’re planning

Writing Your First Short Stories by Orla McAlinden

My children were going to grow up without a grandfather. I’d never known my grandfathers

Writing Short Stories by Daragh Fleming

Short stories are fun. They’re little glimpses of some obscure off-shot of life. The great

Tips For Writing Short Stories: Really Useful Links by Paul Anthony Shortt

I’m not naturally inclined to writing short stories. Despite leaning towards shorter word counts on

A Reason, or Two, to Enter Competitions by Kathryn Burke

I write while I walk, a good way of getting oxygen and inspiration. I work

Kick Starting Your Writing Career

Entering writing competitions is a great way to get yourself writing. I’ve been a competition

Writing Short Stories (2) by Lane Ashfeldt

If you took a university writing course or even a short informal writing course, the

Writing Short Stories by Lane Ashfeldt

In my writing life so far I’ve worn out at least a couple of computer

How to Write a Brilliant Christmas Short Story for Children

This week Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin of writing.ie together with children’s book enthusiast Kim Harte and

Short Story Tips from A Master Storyteller: Donal Ryan

Last week news that Booker shortlisted Donal Ryan had won the hugely prestigious Guardian First

How Short Stories Can Lead to Bigger Things

For those with a few moments to spare, I’d like to share my ‘short story’