How to Write a Short Story in a Weekend

Finding time to write when you’re building a life in a new country is a challenge we know well. Between learning Dutch, figuring out where to buy decent bread, and keeping up with friends and family back home, the idea of sitting down to write a short story can feel like a luxury you can’t afford. But here’s the thing: you don’t need weeks or months. You need a weekend. We’ve put together a step-by-step plan that takes you from Friday evening spark to Sunday-night finished draft, designed specifically for writers juggling expat life in the Netherlands.

Why a Weekend Is Perfect for a Short Story

A short story typically ranges from 1,000 to 7,500 words, which means it’s entirely achievable in two focused days. Unlike a novel, a short story doesn’t demand months of sustained attention. It asks for one clear idea, a handful of characters, and a beginning, middle, and end. A weekend sprint gives you exactly that: a contained burst of creative energy with a built-in deadline.

There’s something almost rebellious about choosing to write when Dutch culture offers you niksen — the art of doing nothing. Niksen is a legitimate, celebrated way to spend an afternoon here: sitting by a window, watching the rain, letting your mind wander. And while we love niksen as much as anyone, we’ve found that a weekend of intentional writing can be just as restorative. The difference is that you end Sunday with something tangible: a story. Niksen refills the tank; writing a short story proves the tank still works.

The Expat Advantage: Limited Time, Rich Material

Expat life is a goldmine for fiction. Every awkward interaction at the gemeente office, every confusing Dutch directness moment, every train ride past windmills and flat green fields — it’s all material. When you’re living abroad, you notice things more sharply because nothing is quite normal yet. That heightened awareness is exactly what short fiction needs. You don’t have to invent a world; you’re already living in one that feels slightly off-kilter, which is perfect for storytelling.

Setting Realistic Word Count Goals

Before Friday night, decide on your target. For a weekend draft, we recommend aiming for 1,500 to 2,500 words. That’s a complete short story — not a novel excerpt, not a fragment. Here’s a simple breakdown:

Friday: 0 words (planning only)
Saturday morning: 500–800 words
Saturday afternoon: 500–800 words
Saturday evening: 300–500 words
Sunday: Revision and polish

This keeps the pressure low and the momentum high. You’re not trying to write War and Peace in 48 hours; you’re writing one small, complete thing.

Friday Night: Prep and Plan Your Story

Spend one to two hours on Friday evening — no more — outlining your story. This is the secret weapon of the weekend plan. When you sit down Saturday morning, you won’t waste precious creative energy wondering what happens next. You’ll already know.

Choose a Premise from Everyday Expat Life

Your premise doesn’t need to be dramatic. It needs to be specific. Think about the moments that have stuck with you since moving here: the first time you cycled through Amsterdam’s Vondelpark in the rain, a misunderstanding at a Rotterdam market stall, the neighbour who explained a Dutch tradition you’d never heard of. Use writing prompts from our blog if you’re stuck — they’re designed to spark exactly this kind of story.

Consider setting your story in a real Dutch location. Amsterdam and Rotterdam offer endless possibilities: canal-side apartments, crowded trams, the stark beauty of the port. But smaller towns work too. The point is to ground your fiction in a place you can see clearly in your mind.

Outline with the Three-Act Structure

Keep it simple. Write three sentences:

Act One: Who is your main character, and what do they want?
Act Two: What obstacle or complication gets in their way?
Act Three: How do they change or what do they realise by the end?

That’s your outline. One paragraph. It doesn’t need to be perfect — it just needs to exist so Saturday-you has a map.

Saturday: Drafting Your Short Story

Saturday is your drafting day. The goal is simple: get words on the page. Not good words. Not perfect words. Just words.

Morning: Fast Draft Without Editing

Start with a 15-minute warm-up. Write a piece of flash fiction — something under 300 words — just to get your brain into storytelling mode. Then move into your first 90-minute writing block. Use the Pomodoro Technique if it helps: 25 minutes of writing, 5 minutes of break. During breaks, make yourself a proper cup of koffie. Dutch coffee culture is a gift to writers: the ritual of grinding beans, waiting for the pot, pouring a small, strong cup. It slows you down in the best way and gives your subconscious time to solve story problems.

Do not edit during this block. If you don’t know a word, write “SOMETHING” and keep going. If a scene isn’t working, skip to the next one. Momentum matters more than perfection on Saturday morning.

Afternoon: Push Through the Middle

The middle of a short story is where most writers stall. The initial excitement has faded, but the ending isn’t in sight yet. This is normal. Push through it. Use your three-act outline as a guide, and if you get stuck, ask yourself: what’s the worst thing that could happen to my character right now? Then write that.

Take a real break in the afternoon — a walk around the block, a trip to the supermarket, ten minutes of staring out the window practising niksen. Your brain will keep working even when you’re not at the desk.

Evening: Finish the First Draft

After dinner, do one final 60-minute block. Your only goal is to reach the end of the story. It doesn’t have to be good. It just has to be finished. When you type the last sentence, stop. Close the laptop. Celebrate with something small — a piece of stroopwafel, a glass of wine, an episode of your favourite show. You’ve earned it.

Sunday: Revise and Polish

Sunday is for revision. This is where your draft becomes a story. Approach it with Dutch directness in mind — doe maar normaal, just act normal. That phrase isn’t about being boring; it’s about being honest and unpretentious. Apply that same mindset to your own work. Don’t flatter yourself. Don’t protect weak sentences. Just look at what’s on the page and ask: does this work?

Self-Editing Checklist for Short Fiction

Work through this list methodically:

Read it aloud. Your ear catches awkward phrasing your eye misses.
Cut 10%. Whatever your word count, remove a tenth of it. Short fiction thrives on precision.
Strengthen verbs. Replace “was walking” with “walked.” Replace “made a decision” with “decided.”
Check for consistency. Does your character’s eye colour change? Does the weather shift without reason? Fix it.
Verify your opening and closing lines. Do they earn their place? If not, rewrite them.

When to Stop: Knowing Your Draft Is Done

You’ll know your draft is done when you can read it from start to finish without wincing. It won’t be perfect — no draft ever is — but it will be coherent, complete, and yours. Stop there. You can always revise again next week, but for now, the weekend challenge is complete.

After the Weekend: Sharing and Next Steps

You’ve written a short story in a weekend. Now what? The worst thing you can do is let it sit in a folder forever. Share it. Get feedback. Send it out into the world.

Where to Publish Your Short Story in the Netherlands

There are more options than you might think for English-language fiction in the Netherlands. Consider submitting to expat magazines and platforms like Dutch Review or The Amsterdammer, both of which publish essays, fiction, and commentary from the international community. You can also share your work with a local writing group — many cities have English-language writers’ circles — or post it on our blog’s community page for feedback.

Building a Weekend Writing Habit

One weekend of writing is great. A habit of weekend writing is transformative. Use our blog’s writing prompts to plan your next weekend sprint. Keep a notebook of observations from daily life — the way your neighbour says “gezellig,” the specific grey of a Dutch sky in November — and draw from it when Friday night comes around again.

FAQ

Can I really write a complete short story in just two days?

Yes. A short story of 1,500 to 2,500 words is entirely achievable in a focused weekend. The key is planning on Friday night so you don’t waste Saturday figuring out what happens next.

What if I don’t finish by Sunday night?

That’s okay. The goal is progress, not perfection. Even a nearly finished draft is a huge accomplishment. You can complete it the following weekend using the same structure.

Do I need to live in the Netherlands to use this plan?

Not at all. The weekend structure works anywhere. But if you are an expat in the Netherlands, you have the added advantage of rich, specific material right outside your door.

How many words should I aim for per writing block?

We suggest 500 to 800 words per 90-minute block. That’s a comfortable pace that prioritises momentum over speed. If you write more, great. If you write less, keep going — the important thing is to keep moving forward.

Should I edit as I write?

No. Editing during drafting kills momentum. Write first, edit later. Saturday is for creation; Sunday is for correction.

The weekend challenge isn’t about proving you can write fast. It’s about proving you can write, period — that you can carve out time, make a plan, and finish something. Whether you’re an expat in the Netherlands or anywhere else in the world, consistent short story practice builds creative confidence. So pick a weekend. Open a notebook. Start writing.