Trying to write a full-length novel can be daunting. This is why many writers begin their writing career by creating short stories. If you launch your career with short stories, it will highlight areas, obstacles, and questions you may have. If you are going to find character development and creating conflict in a short story a problem, can you imagine how much more difficult it is going to be if you are writing a novel? Many writers take years and use a huge amount of writing cliches before they finally master their writing style. Remember there is a difference between imitating your favorite novelist to emulating their writing techniques. Although you will learn a great deal by reading authors you admire, such as creating conflict and great characters, you want to create your own unique writing style.

So how long should a short story be? Here is a quick guide.
Traditional: 1,500-5000 words
Flash Fiction: 500-1,000 words
Micro Fiction: 5 to 350 words

How do you find short story ideas? Ideas for stories are all around you, the key is learning to spot them when they arise. Once you know the formula, you can compile your list of short story ideas and write them with confidence. 

This is the formula I use. The majority of fiction begins with a person, a fear, or a problem. Then you must use your imagination and ask the question What if? What is the worse that could happen? Let the creative juices flow. Once you have the basics of your story, now is the time to write all the key points down. Don't worry about grammatical errors, these can be ironed out later. Just focus on the main plot points for now.

The next task is to create your characters. When you are a new writer, write about people you know. Have you met a person that intrigued or interested you in your life? Or do you have a strange or weird relative? Now, list their unique personality traits, habits and characteristics. What do they look like? How do they speak? Do they have a certain accent? Does your character have a tic or bad habit? Now you have a rough plot and your list of characters, here comes the exciting part. It is time to start writing. 

How do you structure your story? The first thing you must do is throw your main character into a dilemma immediately. Give them a problem they have to solve. In a thriller or murder mystery, this would be placing them in a life or death situation. In a romance, maybe the character has to choose between two lovers. As the plot progresses, your character tries to solve the problem, but this only intensifies the situation. As they overcome one stumbling block, another one appears, only this one is more detrimental to their situation than the previous one. Your character's future looks bleak and hopeless. When all seems lost, your character will discover something about themselves that arms them with the answer to their dilemma. They now have the skills or insight to solve the problem. This structure will ensure your reader is engaged throughout. So what is your first short story going to be about?