The Long and the Short of It by Judy Penz Sheluk (And 3 Quick Tips to Get You There)

I’m delighted to welcome Judy Penz Sheluk to Miss Demeanors! Today she shares her best advice for writing short fiction.

Some authors will tell you it’s easier to write short fiction than it is to write a full-length novel.

I’m not one of those authors. Maybe it’s because I’m a pantser at heart, and writing long lets me dipsy doodle my way to the end. Or maybe it’s because, unlike a novel where you can take a deep dive into descriptive details, in short fiction, every word matters.

One thing I do know with certainty is that the more stories you read, the more you’ll understand (and appreciate) the form. Reading really is the best teacher. Even so, there are tricks of the short story trade.

My favorite? Cut your final word count by ten percent. Impossible, you say? Not if you follow these three quick tips:

1. Do an “ly” check

Enter ly into the search bar of your Word document. Adverbs like really, quickly, actually, etc., are an indication that the verb could be stronger. For example, “really big” could be replaced with “enormous,” while a word like “actually” may not even be necessary. This doesn’t mean you should never use a word ending in ly, but it will make you think about it.

2. Don’t state the obvious

This tip is from Michael Bracken, a multi-nominated short story writer and editor:

• Instead of (23 words):

                 The smile on her face…

                 He shrugged his shoulders.

                 She stepped on something under her foot.

                 He punched the goon with his fist.

• Cut down to (12 words)

                 Her smile…

                 He shrugged.

                 She stepped on something.

                 He punched the goon.

Because where else would her smile be (if not on her face)? What else would he shrug (if not his shoulders)? What else would she step on something with (if not her foot)? What else would he punch with (if not with his fist)?

3. Delete unnecessary words and dialogue tags

Not only do unnecessary words and tags pad the word count, they also slow the pace. There are various ways around this. Here’s an example:

• Version 1 (52 words)

                  “I’m not sure I want to go in there,” Shelly said and shivered.

                  “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Shane said.

                  “Easy for you to say,” Shelly said. “I’m not buying it.”

                  “I thought you trusted me.” Shane’s eyes narrowed into slits.

                  “I do,” Shelly said.

                 “Then act like it,” Shane said.

• Version 2: (38 words)

                  Shelly shivered. “I’m not sure I want to go in there.”

                 “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Shane said.

                 “Easy for you to say.”

                 Shane’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you trusted me.”

                 “I do.”

                 “Then act like it.”

In summary

I’ve edited five multi-author anthologies. The fourth, Larceny & Last Chances, was nominated for the 2025 Derringer Award for Best Anthology, as well as earning two nominations for Best Short Story (including one of mine!). The fifth, Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers, was released earlier this month.

Over the course of those five collections, I’ve read close to 500 submissions and accepted about 100. Did every story need to be reduced by ten percent? No. But every story did benefit from my three quick tips.

And now your short story can too.

Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 stories of Mystery & Suspense

Find out more about Judy Penz Sheluk at www.judypenzsheluk.com.