User blog comment:Drkness231/Mamono One-Shots S2! Chapter 19: Anubis/@comment-216.58.48.26-20150712044022

One-shots are fanfiction. Yes, they're shorter, quicker, easier than full-blown multi-chaptered stories, but they're both fundamentally stories. Don't arbitrarily divide the two, especially not as an excuse for poorer standards.

You say you want these to be short pieces that entertain the reader. To do that you'll have to cut out details. Okay.

I'm saying you're cutting the wrong things out, and that seriously impacts the enjoyment the readers can get out of it. The characters need more focus, more meat to them. Even if the surrounding environment of the story feels smaller, it's worth it if you can make them more relatable. Clunky dialogue is harder to fix, but you can cover it up by making their actions more prominent.

You can try writing something with minimal dialogue and narration, and see how far the story can carry itself.