A short story is a representation of a brief fictional tale, the concept of short story writing is being observed from oral storytelling tradition and from the old Mediterranean legends. The question raises here is that, where did short story writing originate from? Like any other literature, short story originated from the ancient oral tradition. Aesop’s Fables is a good example of the collection of ancient short stories composed in the 4th century B.C.E, other than that “fairy tales” and “parables” are also considered as a useful contribution in the development of short story writing. Short story writing is an art itself, it is not something that we write in detail, it starts and ends abruptly, without any previous information, this includes only one plot and a specific word limit. As the time passed, several genres and short story writers came under the influence of short story writing.Short stories are usually short in length ranging from 1,600 to 20, 0000 words, written in prose. The subject of the short story is based on a specific subject or a theme. Due to the restrictions on genre, short story writing typically emphasizes one or few characters. One of the best examples of short stories is Anton Chekhov’s “Gooseberries” that was written in the late 1800s.Short-form storytelling has its roots in the mythology, folklore, and fables that have been passed down through generations in cultures all over the world. While many of these tales were passed down orally, some were documented in writing.Individual short tale collections didn't start to emerge more often in print until the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm fairy tales came out first, followed by Edgar Allen Poe's Gothic literature and finally, works by Anton Chekhov, who is sometimes cited as the father of the contemporary short story.Short stories became increasingly popular as print publications and journals proliferated. There is a desire for quick, broadly appealing narratives with a storyline since newspaper and magazine editors started publishing stories as entertainment. Early in the 20th century, publications like The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, and Harper's Magazine began to pay well for short stories. The modern short tale originated during that glory years of publication.

Success Behind The Best Short Story Writers

The success of short story writers is dependent on a variety of factors. These factors describe the attributes that enable authors to get to the top in their fields. Short story writing is not as simple as it appears; it needs a lot of consistent effort. Because the authors must present a story in a concise manner, they must get directly to the heart of the storyline; extended introductions or summaries are unnecessary; just the circumstances required for the story should be shown; remove the extraneous and be particular. Don't stuff artistic content into your tale, since artsy does not make art. The climax is the most important part of any story, and it must be effective; every word of your story should bring your reader closer to your climax; and the conclusion of the short story represents the context behind the purpose of the tale, and it must be written in an unambiguous and clear manner to the reader. All of these factors are kept in mind by masters of short story writing, allowing them to stand out from the crowd.

Top 5 Famous Short Story Writers of All Time

— John Updike

John Updike (1932 – 2009) an American poet, a famous short story writer and art critic, who published more than 20 novels and more than a dozen short story collections along with poetry and several books. He is well known for his literature and especially for his attention to the problems of Americans and Christian theology, his writing received widespread critical praise and appreciation, he is generally considered as one of the most famous short story writers of his era. The reason behind his popularity was his distinctive writing style, which incorporates an uncommon and occasionally obscure vocabulary as seen through the perspective of a knowledgeable poetic voice. He explores the physical world lavishly while being firmly rooted in realism tradition. His most famous work of creativity is the “Rabbit” which documents the life of the middle class man.

— Lee Child

British author James Dover Grant, often known by his pen name Lee Child, was born in 1954. He is the author of the well-known Jack Reacher book series, which follows the adventures of former American law enforcement and military personnel. The reason for his success was his thriller writing. His first book was released in 1997, which also contributed a lot to his fame. Lee's work was characterized as “commercial” and “hard-boiled.” This feature is also extremely noticeable in his book Jack Reacher, which was specifically created or engineered to make the most money possible. In addition to becoming a novelist, his career as a short story writer has been quite successful, and he gave fiction writing his all.

— Lorrie Moore

Marie Lorena an American fiction writer, born in 1957 known as ‘Lorrie Moore’ is one of the most famous short story writers and novelists, she’s famous for her tragic and humorous short stories. Being a creative writer, she depicted fiction with great humor. Some of her work in short stories include ‘Self-Help’, ‘Like Life’ and ‘Bark’. “You're Ugly, Too,” her first tale published in The New Yorker, was subsequently included in The Best American Short Stories of the Century.

— Stephen King

Stephen King, a horror, supernatural fiction novelist and short story writer known as the “King of Horror,” has made significant contributions to the field of writing. He has published more than 60 novels, his books have sold more than 350 million copies, and many of them have been adapted for television and film. He has published over 200 short tales and has earned various national and international honors for his contribution to literature. His writing method is simple, but it took a

lot of effort; he used to write 2000 words every day, without missing a day. Despite being an expert in horror, he was a master in fiction writing and art; his renowned short stories include 'One for the road,' 'I am the gateway,' and many more; his work has also achieved recognition in the film industry.

— Raymond Carver

Raymond Carver, one of the best short story writers of the 90s era was born on May 25, 1938, in Oregon, he contributed his role in revitalizing the American short story during the 1980s. He rejected more experimental fiction from the 60s and 70s, he established a revisionist realism that reshaped the American short story in the 1980s. Leading the pack of 'dirty realists' or 'K-mart realists,' as they are known. They are tales of ordinary lives that are turned on a seemingly unimportant element and are set in shopping centers and trailer parks. Similar to how Edward Hopper's paintings suddenly bring life into perspective. He was not just a master of the short story, but also a talented poet who published numerous highly regarded volumes. He contributed several articles there using aliases. The Furious Seasons, his debut short tale, was nonetheless released in 1960. Will You Please Be Quiet, please?, his debut collection of short tales, was released in 1976. The “Best American Short Stories Collection” featured his work from this anthology. Despite the collection's modest sales of 5,000 copies, it was nevertheless nominated for the National Book Award.

Final Thoughts  

Since the dawn of time, short stories have existed. Short stories are more narrowly focused on a single topic and are written with straightforward narratives and few characters. Writing short stories is an art form that offers a writer a distinctive identity and goes beyond simply laying out a scenario. The writers featured above each have something special to say about their craft and abilities. Our society depends on tales, and the authors who create these stories have made significant contributions to this field. As time goes on, we observe changes and new additions that are expanding the writing profession. A subset of that genre that allows the reader to learn more in less words is short story writing. It takes a lot of guts and work for short story writers to condense a plot without giving away any characters or scenes beforehand. The finest short story authors all employ various strategies and techniques to make their writing engaging for readers.

The famous short story writers like Hemingway, can conjure a scene with their words in a brief amount of time. Reading short tales could be a fantastic alternative for you if you enjoy reading books but don't have the time to read entire novels. The finest authors of all time have produced some excellent short story works as well. This kind of literature frequently appears in anthologies or collections of short stories.