How to Tackle "Heavy" Material in a Short Story

Today I’m sharing a special guest post from Nick Bailey of Reedsy. I’ve been particularly intersted in writing about trauma in short form these days, so this post is very timely. Thanks, Nick!

The most powerful narratives often address important issues that may be tough to grapple with—in real life or fiction. Abuse, addiction, anxiety, assault… there’s no shortage of “heavy” material out there, and we haven’t even gotten past the letter “A”.

Needless to say, these topics will hit particularly close to home for certain readers, so it’s important to handle them with utmost care and understanding. Below, we’ll review some tried-and-true writing techniques to help you do exactly that.

1. Use subtext to engage your readers

Less is more in storytelling, and that’s especially true when working with a lower word count. You may have heard of Ernest Hemingway’s “iceberg theory,” meaning that much of a story’s substance — like a character’s backstory, emotions, and relationships — should remain “beneath the surface.” That is, you don’t need to spell out every little detail on the page.

Instead, you can hint at these things with the “protruding” part of the iceberg, i.e. your story. Using subtext, you might imply a character’s tragic backstory without explicitly stating what happened to them. For example, if a character flinches when someone raises their voice too loudly, readers don’t need pages of exposition to understand the implication. Indeed, the more you leave to the imagination (within reason), the more engaging your story will be.

And physical action is not the only method you can use to create subtext; a skilled writer can also pack their dialogue with double meanings and subtle implications. People are often reluctant to speak about their pain in real life, and that goes for fictional characters too. If the same character who flinches at a loud voice also swiftly changes the topic when their father is brought up, readers will be able to connect the dots themselves.

2. Ground abstract trauma in sensory details

We all know the age-old writing rule: show, don’t tell. Sensory language—that is, language that evokes one (or more) of the five senses—is a great tool to “show” emotions and experiences like grief, addiction, or abuse. Specificity is the name of the game here. If you want to express how empty a character’s house feels after the death of a family member, don’t just write, “After she passed away, the house was empty.” Instead, describe the now-deafening drone of the refrigerator in the once-bustling home, or the dust gathering on the furniture. Small sensory details like these are more poignant than any drawn-out exposition sequence could ever be.

Of course, you don’t want to overwhelm readers with sensory language in every single sentence. In that vein, it’s okay to counteract it with some “telling.” Use sensory details when you want to drive something home—like the sadness of that empty house—but surround the passage with more “standard” description to move the story forward. This balance will keep people interested without drowning them in potentially purple prose.

And speaking of balance, you can also…

3. Offset darkness with moments of lightheartedness

Just because you’re dealing with difficult subject matter, that doesn’t mean your story needs to be all doom and gloom. Maintaining a somber tone might seem appropriate, but again, you don’t want to overburden readers. A sprinkling of humor will go a long way toward giving your story some much-needed breathing room.

Still, knowing how much comic relief to include can be tricky. Lean too comedic and you might undermine your story’s tone and gravitas. A good rule of thumb is to try and let humor arise organically from whatever hardship your character might be facing.

For example, a woman might be struggling to cope with her husband’s dementia, but she can’t help cracking a smile after he insists that the mailman is trying to steal their newspaper. Or maybe your characters are attending a funeral and somebody’s plus-one is wearing a truly ridiculous hat. While you don’t want to spend too much time on these tangents, a few lighthearted lines will prevent readers from getting too dispirited to keep reading.

And lightheartedness isn’t just good for creating levity — it will also give your story more authenticity. Life doesn’t pause its everyday absurdities just because we’re going through a tough time. Your cat will knock things off the counter regardless of what’s happening in your life; your story should reflect this general spirit.

4. End with resonance, not resolution

If you’ve reached the end of your short story and are struggling to tie it all up… then don’t! It’s rare that “heavy” topics can be introduced, processed, and wrapped up in the space of a few thousand words. In fact, it’s more than rare—it’s unrealistic. There’s no magic wand in real life to wave our burdens away, so don’t feel like you must do the equivalent in your story.

Instead, try concluding on a poignant moment of acceptance or realization. Perhaps a recent widow works up the courage to visit her beloved’s grave, or someone who just lost their job decides to go back to school. A small act of bravery won’t solve all your character’s problems, but it will signal their willingness to engage with their struggle rather than run from it.

Alternatively, you could return to a particular moment or image from earlier in your narrative, now with new significance. If an anxious teen picks up a therapist’s business card in the opening, the story could end with them calling the number with shaking hands. This circular structure will indicate how your character’s relationship to their trauma has evolved — even if the trauma itself remains. This technique works especially well in short stories because your opening will be fresh in readers’ minds, allowing you to create a satisfying narrative arc without a grandiose plot.

This post (appropriately) may not have all the answers, but it should set you on the right path toward handling difficult subject matter with care and confidence. Keep these techniques in mind, and try penning a reflective story of your own that lets the subtext do the heavy lifting.

Thanks so much for this thoughtful post and these great tips, Nick!

Nick Bailey writes about everything in the realm of writing and self-publishing for Reedsy, a publishing platform that connects authors with editors, designers, and marketers. From honing your craft to navigating the world of self-publishing, Nick aims to provide valuable insights and practical tips to the Reedsy community in his blog posts. Aside from books, Nick enjoys hiking, electronic music, and filling up his personal cookbook with new recipes.

I’d love for you to check out my latest short story collection Storylight where I write about grief, alcoholism, and life as a middle-aged mom.