How to Edit a Short Story

Co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA

Last Updated: November 4, 2022

After a lot of hard work and creative energy, you have completed a short story that you feel good about. But you realize you still have not read it over and edited it to be as tight as it could be. You may struggle to edit a short story after you feel it is finished, especially if you are close to the material and have a hard time looking at it with a critical eye. To edit the story effectively, you can try revising the story on your own or show it to others to get valuable feedback on how to make it better.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Revising the Story on Your Own

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1
Come to the story with fresh eyes. To edit the story effectively, you need to try to read it with a fresh perspective. You may need to take a break and put the story away for a few days so you can think about other things or other stories. Then, after a few days, pull it out again and read it to yourself with fresh eyes. You may be surprised at how different it reads to you after you have not been staring at it for several hours straight.^{[1]
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- You may also try working on another piece of writing or doing a relaxing activity to get your mind off of the short story. Once you feel you have almost forgotten about the short story entirely, pull it out again and read it. This will help you see it from a fresh perspective and edit it from a fresh point of view.
2
Read the story out loud. You should read the short story aloud to hear how it sounds on the page. This can help you identify basic issues like misspelled words or grammatical errors. It can also allow you to listen to the story and make sure you are writing for the ear. A good story will sound as good when read out loud as it does on the page.^{[2]
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- You may read the story out loud several times to get a sense of how the voice and tone works in the piece. You may use a pen to mark down sections or moments that do not sound clear or strong when read out loud.
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3
Trim or remove any excess words. Tighten up your language so it feels intentional and strong. Read each sentence in the short story and remove any words that seem unnecessary or excessive. Often, you can remove adverbs or more than one adjective in a sentence to make it stronger. You may also try trimming down the words in each sentence so they are clear and easy to read.^{[3]
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- For example, you may have the following sentence in your story: "He raced through the crowded, bustling street to catch the smelly, congested number 1 bus." This sentence may be more effective if you cut out one to two adjectives. You may edit it to read: "He raced through the crowded street to catch the number 1 bus."
- You should also check for any sentences that are long winded or run on sentences. Often, if a sentence goes over three to four lines on a page, it is too long.
- You may need to balance the narrative voice of the short story with your edits. This means perhaps leaving in longer sentences if this is the style and voice of the piece. If you do leave in longer sentences, make sure they feel intentional and purposeful.
4
Replace cliche phrases with unique ones. Check that your short story is not littered with cliches, as this is often a sign the writing is not as strong as it could be. A cliche is a phrase that has become so familiar, it has lost its meaning. You should replace cliche phrases in your short story with descriptions that feel specific to your characters and your setting. Make sure all the details in your short story are unique, as this will make it that much stronger.^{[4]
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- For example, you may have the phrase “She was as smart as a whip” in your short story. This is a cliche phrase that does not tell the reader much about the character.
- You may replace the cliche phrase with a more unique phrase, such as, “She excelled in school and could size someone up right away.” The second phrase tells the reader that the character is smart by describing her specific qualities, rather than relying on a cliche.
5
Make sure your dialogue is clear and concise. If your short story contains dialogue, you should read it over and make sure it comes across as clear and concise. Confusing dialogue or dialogue that is too vague can weaken your story overall. Try reading the dialogue in your story out loud. Ask yourself, Does this dialogue feel true to the characters? Can I make this dialogue stronger and more engaging for the reader?^{[5]
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- When you are reviewing the dialogue in your story, make sure you are using “said” as a tag in the dialogue. For example, you may write, “'Where is he?' she said” or “'I'm out,' he said.”
- Avoid using verbs as dialogue tags in your story, as this can be confusing for the reader. For example, rather than write, “'I hate this place,' she scoffed”, you may write, “'I hate this place,' she said.”
6
Check that you are showing, not telling. You should read over your short story to make sure you are always showing the reader what is happening in the scene or in the moment. Avoid explaining or telling the reader what is going on, as this can deaden the emotional impact of the story. Instead, always describe the movements of the characters and include details of the scene as the characters move around in a space. This ensure your writing is engaging and compelling for the reader.^{[6]
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- For example, rather than write, “She hated the house. She wanted to move to New York,” you may show this detail instead. You may write, “The house had bad plumbing and a wet, rotting smell. New York will be better than this place, she thought to herself as she close the door behind her.”

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Getting Feedback From Others

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1
Show the story to a friend or colleague. If you struggle to edit your writing on your own, you may try showing it to a friend or a colleague to get their feedback. Choose a friend who will be critical of your writing but also offer constructive feedback and useful notes. You may also show the story to a colleague at school or at work who is interested in writing and reading.^{[7]
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- You may try reading the short story out loud to a friend or colleague in addition to giving them a hard copy. You may get more detailed feedback if you read the short story out loud to them, as they can tell you right away when a section does not sound right or as strong as it could be.
- Remember not to take any criticism you receive of your short story personally. You are getting your writing critiqued after all, and any feedback does not reflect on you as a person. Instead, try to view feedback as valuable and part of the revising process.
2
Bring the story to a writing group. You may also try bringing the story to a writing group in your local area or online. Submit the story to the writing group for critique. Then, sit back and listen to what the writers in the group have to say about the story. Take notes and try not to interrupt anyone when they are discussing your story. Listen and process the feedback you get from the group.^{[8]
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- You may also try taking a writing class where you can workshop your writing with other writers. You may find it useful to discuss the craft of writing and several different approaches to writing in the class, in addition to getting your short story edited by other writers.
3
Hire a professional editor. If you are still struggling to revise your short story, you may consider hiring a professional editor to help you tackle the issues in your story. You can hire a professional editor by searching for one online or by asking peers in your writing community for a reference to a good one.^{[9]
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- You may end up working with a professional editor if you submit the short story to a call for submissions at a literary magazine or a journal. The editor can help you adjust minor issues in the story so it is set for publication.