Short Story Writing: How it has helped me get out of a writers block.

Earlier this year I decided that it was time for me to start writing — writing as in my first book. To this day, my book is still a work in progress but, I ran into so many bumps in the road making it difficult for me to write again. That is when I decided that I needed a change: I turned to writing short stories.

I wrote and published my first short story this summer, “Home Sweet Home,” where I told the story of a young girl inheriting a house from her aunt who passed. Not only did I write the story in the span of two weeks, it put be back into the mood to write again.

Short stories are simple on the surface but complex in the works. The idea of “Home Sweet Home” came from the movie Howl’s Moving Castle but I added my own personal twist. I wanted to tell a small snippet of this grand idea without having to write pages, among pages, and pages just to tell the story. Surprisingly, I managed to tell it in nine Google Doc pages (yes, I used Google Docs because Microsoft Word legit scares me).

Instagram has also changed my writing game, too. I follow accounts that post writing tips, information, and even short story ideas that I have jotted down in my notebooks. Being a part of the Instagram writing community has tremendously inspired me to not only write short stories but, to keep writing and working on my book.

Currently, I am working on another short story (no spoilers!). I wanted to take this story in a different turn and focus on drawing things from around me in my personal life. I usually draw from so many other ideas and topics but I haven't taken the time to write something from my own personal life.

I sat in class, thinking about my short story, only to realize to ponder about how I had a whole book that I have been working on (with well developed characters) that I haven’t even finished. I decided to get back to it until I opened the document, only to be faced with words that I had written in the late winter of 2024. I just stared at all of the words, scrolled through the document, and closed the tab while telling myself "I'll pick it back up tomorrow." While I am still trying to sift through the giant piece of writing that I have ever started in my life, I went back to my current short story and realized, this short story is helping me get out of my current writing slump.

Writing a book is a demanding task. Some may say, “It’s easy! You just tell a story!” But I’m here to tell you, my friend, it is not as easy as that. I have spent hours of my time, researching, reading, planning and brainstorming just how my main character is going to look, act, speak, and do. I tried so hard to flesh out the basic plot of the book, only for me to keep thinking of a new idea, a twist, a turn, and a change. That is where short stories have saved me.

With short stories, I am able to effectively write what I need to write in a manner that I am proud to complete. It has helped me come up with ideas to write longer stories or even potential book ideas about. I fall in love with the characters that I create, the locations that I envision, and the conversations that I listen in on (I’m not really listening in on them — I am making them). That is how short stories helped me get out of writing slump.

I still am working on my book, don’t get me wrong. I love my book and it is my first born child in the works. I cherish it but, short stories is what is helping me through my writing slump. I also started hand writing most of my drafting and translating it over to a Google Docs which drastically helped me with creativity and ways to make my stories flow better.

Seriously, if you ever need a break for your book, start writing a short story.