Advantages and Strategies in Writing First Person Short Stories

The first person short story is popular but can be a hard sell. This does not mean we cannot sell our first person short stories; it means we have to be careful with them. This article will explore some strategies on writing a first person short story of any kind, from fantasy to literary; how to make them a sellable story; and what to avoid in writing.

A simple strategy for a first person story is to utilize your life experience. We all have a story to tell so let it out. Perhaps we write a story of grief for a lost love; one of a battle with drugs; or how we got through school and working a job. These are themes for stories, and they sound simple but can work in the 1^st person short form. Many short story markets, like Glimmer Train, want family drama. Some of the best stories we can come up with are true or partly true. The old adage is that real life can often be more complicated and interesting than fiction. If we choose to write a completely fictional story 1^st person story, we have to work harder. But some stories demand to be written. Acting up an idea is key for any writer whether the story is true or not. Perhaps one of the more popular markets for the first person story is the literary short story. Names like "The New Yorker," "Glimmer Train," "The Sun," "Harpers," and "The Atlantic" come to mind. These names may sound familiar; they pay the most.

This is not to say speculative fiction and other genres are not as good to write for, but, in terms of payment, literary short stories will pay the most. Literary first person stories are published regularly in these magazines, and hundreds of others.

The first person short story allows for a different approach to storytelling. Read one in "The New Yorker" and it might be absent of details; read one in "The Sun" and it could be full of every detail, from eating to sleeping. There is no right or wrong way to approach details in a first person short story, but how they are approached depends on the market.

A careful strategy of using details and adding drama can lead to a sale for the short story writer. We can explore our own past, or write one of a person living on Mars. That is the key advantage of the first person short story; just about anything is allowed.

Consider exploring the first person short story before you set out to write one. We should not steal ideas, but we can follow the simple approaches many writers in this field follow. The next time you want to write a short story, consider the advantages of writing one in the first person, and consider making it a literary story if you want a sale.