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“A short story is a love affair;
a novel is a marriage."
a novel is a marriage."
- Lorrie Moore
In this modern, fast-paced culture ...
An intense love affair is often preferred over an all-consuming marriage.
You would think then that the short story would be more popular than it is ...
Which brings us to
What I hope will be
my next book
Stephen King, at the start of his career, thought of a short story as a quick kiss in the dark from a stranger.
And like with kisses, some short stories are better than others!
In the beginning of his writing struggles, Mr. King thought of his short stories as a series of pinatas he banged on --
not with a stick but with his imagination.
Sometimes they broke and showered down a few hundred dollars. Other times they did not.
It was an easier market to sell short stories then. Now, not so much.
SO WHY SHOULD WE BANG
ON THE PINATAS
OF SHORT STORIES
IN THIS HARSH MARKET?
ON THE PINATAS
OF SHORT STORIES
IN THIS HARSH MARKET?
1.) IT HELPS YOU WRITE LEAN
Each scene in your novel should be spare and lean so that the drama stands out like stirring chords in a soundtrack.
The limited space in a short story forces you to keep only what is absolutely needed
to paint the scene and leave the rest behind.
Like Elmore Leonard advised -- Leave out the boring stuff.
2.) SHORT STORIES APPEAL TO OUR MICROWAVE CULTURE
Many readers feel that they do not have the free time to commit to a whole novel.
They want entertainment in bite sizes.
Why do you think James Patterson writes mini-chapters?
Short stories can be read in a doctor's office or before you drift off to sleep.
3.) WRITING SHORT STORIES SAVES THOSE NEAT IDEAS THAT ARE NOT UP TO FILLING OUT A NOVEL.
How many times have you come with intriguing ideas
that you know do not have the essence of an entire novel with its many character arcs?
You have this riveting scene with sizzling dialogue that seems to exist all on its own
with no future beyond that moment.
A short story is perfect for that idea.
4.) SHORT STORIES PROVIDE THE PERFECT BRIDGES TO MAINTAIN INTEREST IN YOUR NOVEL SERIES
A book can take anywhere from one to two years to complete.
Publishing short stories with the same characters can keep the interest high in your world or with your prose.
5.) SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGIES INTRODUCE YOU TO A WHOLE NEW AUDIENCE
Also be careful in submitting your story to anthologies whose cause or company of authors mesh well with your voice and personality.
Getting your "prose voice" out there may well draw you additional fans.
Do You Write Short Stories?
Do You Read Anthologies of Short Stories?
All good reasons! Today people are impatient, even with their reading. I've contributed short stories to numerous anthologies and every one has helped me grow as a writer.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your upcoming release.
Well, it still is in the works. But I have enjoyed immensely writing it. Your stories are superb. :-)
DeleteSome story ides are not novel, or even novella length. A short story is what they encompass.
ReplyDeleteEven in the busy lives of people, short stories seem to have less appeal. The dedicated or avid reader tends to prefer longer works, to become more immersed. I think maybe that's why series do better than standalone novels. Of course, there are exceptions.
One thing I have not seen much of are short stories that are a connected series. Maybe a marriage of the best of both worlds--brevity with the opportunity for immersion?
Neil Gaiman did that with his Larry Talbot (yes, the wolfman) series. Roger Zelazny did it with his series of "My name is Legion" series of stories that were finally collected in a fantastic anthology. :-)
DeleteMy attention span being what it is combined with my love of writing poetry, makes writing short stories the best step up, a novel frightens me hugely, so much planning, details, mind boggling *grin*
ReplyDeleteShadow, I know what you mean. What with my increased workload, it is all I can do to write short stories! But I console myself that that medium is what Harlan Ellison and Ray Bradbury preferred. :-)
DeleteI specialise in writing short stories. Probably because I don't have the patience to write a novel. Lol I love reading them too, although I have a better attention span reading novels than I do writing novels. So I read short stories regularly both in anthologies and collections as well as in literary magazines. You have some really good points there on the value of writing short stories.
ReplyDelete