How To Write A Short Story, Get Published & Make Money: Short Story Writing Advice With Examples by Christopher Fielden (book review)

Books on how to write probably sell better than fiction. Everyone is familiar with the multimillionaire success stories of Stephen King, JK Rowling, and James Patterson, and many aspire to emulate their success. Someone with some knowledge, experience, and success in the trade writes the best books. In this long-titled tome, ‘How To Write A Short Story, Get Published & Make Money: Short Story Writing Advice With Examples’, Christopher Fielden combines advice on the craft with short stories that he has written to show how it’s done.

An editor somewhere has approved all the stories for publication, indicating their quality. Fielden also shares a bit of his life story, and his style is light-hearted and friendly throughout. This volume is not a heavy read. The advice on dialogue, point of view, building suspense and so on is the same that can be found on a thousand websites but is surely useful for beginners. The stories prove he can practice what he preaches. Here are three examples.

‘The Day My Prayers Were Answered’ starts with Dave Blake tied to a chair in a cellar in Bristol being questioned by Seth ‘Cannon’ Harris, so nicknamed because of his large gun. The plot features another supernatural being, and the writing is perhaps a little over the top. Of a smile: ‘Cruelty has opened up a corner shop on Lip Avenue, and the most regular customer is malice.’ But the story is enjoyable, like many others, partly because of the style.

I liked ‘Troll’s Head’, which has point of view switches in scenes between a female troll called Rage, who must fight in the arena, and Arbitrator Tiberius Horst, who is trying to organise a rebellion against cruel Potentate Maldras in the city of Seven Hills. Putting trolls into a Roman-style setting is a fantastic idea for a fantasy, and the story is well done.

‘Mr Kill’ is about a doctor with a mission who gets a visit from a fantasy being. The story is used as an example of dialogue carrying a tale, and it’s a good example. As usual, there is some black humour and a few neat twists. Fielden is smart and funny, and all the stories are entertaining reads but probably best taken in small doses. This is true of any collection. A short story is more intense than a novel. Like snacks, you would rather not consume them one after the other.

Fielden tends to submit to general fiction magazines or websites and is keen on contests, too. This is wise. While his fantasy tropes may seem commonplace to fantasy editors, they may stand out in other markets. Also, most people tend to assume there are thousands of entries for contests, and that isn’t always the case. It’s clear from the articles attached to the stories that Fielden will change things in response to editorial criticism, rewrite extensively, and, most importantly, resubmit to another market. This persistence pays off.

However, the return isn’t substantial. He’s not rich. It’s pleasing to win £100, but that’s eight hours’ pay at minimum wage for what may be much more than eight hours’ work. Then there’s all the fruitless labour in stories that never sell. Despite this, the small press, website, and competition market are teeming with numerous writers who are primarily driven by their passion for the form. When the anthology or magazine closes, the average reader will forget their names. Short stories just don’t stick in the mind very long. But to bring ten minutes of escapism, a new thought, or, perhaps best of all, a wry smile to another human is enough reward for many writers. If you’re interested in joining the fun, consider purchasing this book.

Fielden also has a website with information on markets and competitions. He runs courses and offers editing services because no one can make much money just writing short stories. Perhaps an exception would be Stephen King.

Eamonn Murphy

May 2025

(pub: Christopher Fielden. 366 page paperback. Price: £11.37 (UK). Kindle: 975kB. Price: £ 3.99 (UK). ASIN:‎ B012OXBW8Y).

check out website: www.christopherfielden.com/