Learn to plot like a pro, master the art of suspense like Poe, craft captivating dialogue like Twain and - most crucially - get your short stories published. How to Write Short Stories and Get Them Published is the essential guide to writing short fiction. It helps the aspiring writer at all stages of their creative journey, from how to cultivate ideas and express them on the page through to potential outlets for publication and pitching proposals to publishers. Along the journey this guide considers the most important aspects of creative writing, such as character, plot, point of view, description and dialogue. All of these areas are illustrated with examples and are accompanied by exercises that will help every writer hone their natural skill and talent into the ability to craft compelling short stories.Ashley Lister is the author of more than fifty books and countless short stories. He has lectured in Creative Writing for more than a decade, writing and running a broad range of courses. He recently completed his PhD in Creative Writing where his thesis considers the relationship between plot and genre in short fiction.