I wasn't sure where to post this, but I've been wanting for a while to write some short stories to post on here for some feedback. The problem with that is that I don't really do or understand how to do short stories. I do large exciting stories, people battling, fantasy kingdom, warring nations, men versus gods, the works. I think it would help me greatly to get some experience in some story fields I don't generally do, so if anyone has some short story ideas or plots I am all ears, and if someone can help me understand the basic differences between a short story and a full on novel, then I would appreciate it. I understand it's shorter, but can a short story be say 25 pages?
I'd suggest reading a lot of short stories to understand the format! Look up some anthologies in genre's you're interested in and try and figure out why they work.
Write a short story about an American boy who meets a girl in Berlin. They can't understand each other but yet they fall madly in love. He knows that once the sun rises, he will probably never see her again, but what happens that night changes him forever.
Take a novel, put it in the microwave for about 2-5 minutes (the longer ones take longer to cook), and when it is done it should have shrunk significantly. Joking aside. Short stories can be 25 pages or longer. I have read some in a collection of shorts that are 60 pages in length. The big thing is to keep things as simple as you can, while still keeping it engaging. By simple have say 3 plot/subplots max, or have a single complex plot that doesn't over stay it's welcome (that's how novels get written. You tell yourself this is a short story, and after you hit about page 30 with no conclusion in sight. You realize, hey I thought this was supposed to be a short.) So try to find plots that can be condensed into a smaller package, while still retaining the dynamics of a normal story-line. It will take some practice and time, but with those two I know you can do it. Good luck and practice, practice, what is the third one again? Oh yeah, practice. Also patience, getting frustrated is normal, but don't let it get to you. You got this, now go work on some shorts Like a Boss!
I second what @Topaztock said: read a lot of short stories to get a feel for them. Pay attention to what the writer focuses on and what he/she chose to leave out. That's important because of the relatively small word count.
I believe that one of the most important elements of a successful story is suspense, but are all suspenseful stories successful? My simple answer is no. That's because it has to have quality not quantity. A few word story can explain more than a big volume. Personally, I suggest writing stories that criticize the weak parts of our social situations for example, ignorance, love of money, sex, drugs, abortion, racism etc... We should write stories that show how bad habits damage our society, in that way readers will apprehend or realize their mistakes and will be obliged to do better by leaving bad habits.
I like stories like that. A moment in time that changes your life forever, even if it lasts only a night or a weekend. Could do this with any genre really. would be fun in sci fi maybe.
I think of short stories as a part of something bigger. A chapter in a book... An episode in a series. If done correctly, it should stand on its own.