Hands Which Cannot Write

10 Types of Short Stories

10 Types of Short Stories

— Bibhu Datta Rout via J. R. Agustin

What is a Short Story?

A short story, written usually in the form of a narrative prose is a part of brief literature—one that could be read within a brief span of time, and the one that is self-contained.

And although, short stories are quite often thought to be the future as it would replace novels with a briefer version of a story, novels would still be crowned as the quintessential face value of literature as a whole.

The effect of a short story and a novel are poles apart, even when they still share those literary components with which it is crafted—both having their charms…


Short stories mostly focus on one particular or specific incident and comprise a few cast of character.
Short stories are shorter in its breath and heartbeat—more like a story and take a lesser and shorter degree of lengthto its narration than a novel does.

10 Types of Short Stories that You Might Not Know:

Given below are 10 types of short stories that you could make use of while writing short stories:


   1. Anecdote:

An anecdote is a type of storytelling about a real person and/or incident.
This short account of something is interesting as well as amusing.

Often, anecdotes are used to illustrate or support a point in an essay, article, or chapter.

They are very short, but have no specific limits.


   2. Drabble:

The purpose of this type of storytelling is briefness.

Exceptionally short, they comprise 100 words.

Here an author’s writing skill is out to test, as he has to express himself meaningfully in a very confined space.

There are many drabble examples, by the lovely Matty available over at Sugar and Blood: Light as a feather.


   3. Fable:

It features anthropomorphic creatures (usually animals, but also mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature) telling a story with a moral.

Most popular among children stories, often the moral is revealed at the end.
The most well-known example of a fable would be any of the many told in Aesop’s Fables.


     4. Feghoot:

With humour form as the most essential part of its storytelling and short length enough to lead the piece with the pun, Feghootis a story pun or a poetic story joke—type of short story. One good example would be ‘The Buck of the Draw’.


   5. Flash Fiction:

This is an extremely short piece of literature.

It has no widely accepted length, but has a debated cap of between 300 and 1000 words.

One quintessential example would be One Last Night at the Carnival before The Stars Go Out.


     6. Frame Story:

Also known as a frame tale or a nested narrative, it is a technique of placing a story within a story, for the purpose of introducing or setting the stage for a main narrative or a series of short stories.

A few good example of a frame story would be a flashback within a larger piece or a quest within a larger game environment.


       7. Mini-saga:

If you can manage to tell a story in exactly 50 words you can call it a mini saga.

It is about saying a lot with a little.


      8.  Story Sequence:

When a group of short stories work together to form a longer piece—it is called a story sequence.

However, each story functions as a complete short story on its own.

It is also called a short story cycle or a composite novel.


    9. Sketch Story:

If you come across a description of a character or a location it can be referred to as sketch story.

The story is a shorter than average piece containing little or no plot.

Character sketches are common, and a good way to build a character that will eventually be part of a longer piece.


    10. Vignette:

And finally, we come to the vignette, which started this whole post in the first place!

A vignette is a short piece that focuses on a single scene, character, idea, setting, or object.

There is little emphasis on adhering to conventional theatrical or literary structure, or story development.

It can be a stand-alone piece or part of a larger work.