What One Editor Looks for in A Short Story

One Story Magazine's Will Allison, Contributing Editor

“In my thirteen years as an editor at One Story, the question I’ve been asked most often by writers is, “What do you look for in a short story?” The answer could fill a book, but none of it really matters if a story doesn’t have the very first thing I look for: a beginning that makes me want to keep reading.

Writing a great beginning isn’t easy, though, and not surprisingly, the most common problems I’ve encountered involve beginnings: Stories that start too soon. Stories that start too late. Beginnings that try too hard to “hook” readers. Beginnings that lack signposts. Beginnings that confuse readers. Beginnings that move backwards instead of forward. Beginnings that in some way or another shut readers out of a story instead of inviting them in.”

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