Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Writing a compelling short story is harder than it looks. With such little space to work with, every sentence has to pull its weight. So how do you tell a complete story in only a few thousand words?

In this video, three Reedsy editors weigh in on what makes a short story memorable, including where to start a story, how to balance scene and summary, what to do when you're stuck, and how to build the "wow moment" that makes a story stick.

✒️ If you want to put these tips into practice, join our weekly short story contest here: reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:34 How to Start a Short Story
03:31 When to Zoom In
06:07 Make the Reader Care
08:51 Beyond Craft
09:34 Conclusion

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