One writer's tips on making sure your short story has conflict

A prize-winning short-story author has shared some advice on the genre with Writer's Digest.

In it, writer Lisa Cupolo freely acknowledges that she has to make a conscious effort to keep the "trouble" of the story front and center, rather than getting lost in a character's back story.

So she keeps her five tips for creating trouble in a short story handy, whether it's something she catches as she's going or after the draft is complete.