Once, Xiao Ming's family of three went to the park to play. On the way, they chatted happily. At the park, Xiaoming's father saw a hotel and wanted to go for a drink. His mother advised him not to drink, but his father insisted. In the end, because they ran a red light, they were hit by a big truck and the whole family died.
Compelling. A short story needs to be compelling to hold the reader's interest in a relatively short amount of reading time. It should have a strong hook at the beginning. 'Intriguing' is another suitable word. The plot or the characters in a short story should be mysterious or interesting enough to make the reader want to know more. And 'poignant'. Some short stories can touch the reader's heart deeply, like those that deal with themes of loss or love in a very concise and impactful way.
There was a lonely old man who lived at the end of a long, winding lane. His only companion was his old dog, Rex. One day, Rex got lost. The old man was devastated. He searched everywhere but couldn't find Rex. Meanwhile, Rex had wandered into a neighboring town. A kind family found him and took him in. They noticed the collar with the old man's address. Instead of just bringing Rex back, they decided to throw a small party for the old man. They invited the whole neighborhood. When they brought Rex back to the old man, he was overjoyed. And through this event, the old man became friends with his neighbors and was no longer lonely.
A short story I love is 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry. It's about a young couple, Jim and Della. They are very poor but deeply in love. Della has long, beautiful hair which is her most precious possession. Jim has a gold watch that was passed down in his family. As Christmas approaches, they each want to buy a special gift for the other. Della sells her hair to buy a chain for Jim's watch. Jim, on the other hand, sells his watch to buy beautiful combs for Della's hair. In the end, they realize that their sacrifices for each other are the greatest gifts. This story shows the selfless love between two people and how material possessions are secondary to true love.
It can be. Generally, 2000 words is often within the range of what's considered a short story, but it depends on factors like the complexity of the plot and the depth of character development.
In many cases, 3000 words is considered a short story. But the definition can vary depending on factors like the complexity of the plot and the style of writing.
Definitely. A short story can be 900 words. It's all about how effectively you convey the story's core elements - plot, characters, and theme - in that limited space.