A practical guide to writing short stories that covers the market for short fiction, how to write beginnings and endings, the central conflict, illustration vs. explanation, premise and theme, structure (including pacing, flashbacks, and scenes), setting, characters, dialogue, editing, fact-checking...

A practical guide to writing short stories that covers the market for short fiction, how to write beginnings and endings, the central conflict, illustration vs. explanation, premise and theme, structure (including pacing, flashbacks, and scenes), setting, characters, dialogue, editing, fact-checking and legal issues, and marketing. The author, who manages an annual short story competition, offers advice on manuscript formatting, submission options, contest entry, and how to get the attention of a publisher or contest judge.