Do you ever wonder why you write what you do? Why one form of writing fits you like a glove while another just makes you want to pull your hair out? Whenever I sit down to write a short story, I feel like I've met my soul mate. Sounds odd, doesn't it? But any other kind of writing is a struggle for me. Yes, I can write articles and poetry and blog posts but they don't flow with the ease of a short story. And a novel? Well, that just stops me dead before I can string together the words, rather like hitting a panic button that shuts down the whole operation.
But the fact is, I don't mind being a short story writer. I love the flow of ideas, the chance to explore something different every day, and the ability to experiment within the story by breaking a few of the writing "rules". Writing short stories is a constant joy for me, they make getting out of bed in the morning an adventure. I never know where the words will lead me, but lead me they will.
Many writers scorn the short story. They're too abrupt, they don't say anything, they're too dependent on twists and shock value, they're...well, the list is endless, but the truth is, short stories are difficult to master for some writers. Some writers prefer the room of a novel to expand their thoughts, to draw beautiful pictures with their words, to dive into the minds of a multitude of characters, something they feel they can't do in the confines of a short story.
What I love most about the short story is the ability to meet one character head on, usually on the worst day of their life, and see how that character is going to react. I get to play with heroes and villains. I see people with their backs against the wall and know that they'll either cave to the pressure or beat their way through that wall. I can have it all, passion, sex, brutality, murder, self-defense, love and hatred. Heck, I can even take a trip through outer space and have a sword fight in another galaxy. And I can do it in the space of a few hours instead of months and months of writing the exact same story day in and day out.
I feel sorry for the writers who can't see the beauty of a short story, who can't set aside their prejudice to accept that a story doesn't have to contain 50 to 100,000 words to say something meaningful. For me, their brevity is a thing of beauty.
And how about you? Why do you write short stories? Are they a means to an end by getting your name out into the world or by learning how to string words together so you can finally write a novel? What do you love about short stories? Hate? Drop a comment in the box. We're here to discuss short stories this week and our love/hate relationship with them. Have at it, boys and girls.
12 comments:
I wrote my first "real" short story and actually sold it. I was shocked, I didn't think I had it in me. I'm a long epic thinking writer. All of my projects so far have come in more than one part.
I admire short story writers! Keep up the great work.
Well, for me, so far, short stories are the harder thing. I can blog with ease and almost all my blogs are one-drafters with only a spell-check run to avoid any embarrassing errors. I can go on and on and write a novel easier than I can a short story. I've written one this year, to be published at Beat to a Pulp. I'm going to write more and get that muscle trained. I'm naturally wordy so novel writing and long blogs suit me. I envy the writer who can churn out short work with ease.
I started writing shorts to get my name out there. What I learned from writing short stories was how to be a better writer-- not so much brevity, but choosing words and scenes carefully. Starting with a hook, peaking at the right place for the story being told.
Short stories can be very hard to write. They require a writer to know (and thus imply) so much that can just be explained in a longer form. Though, some writers could use a little help learning about brevity and only writing important scenes... and implying instead of blahblahblah.
I find writing shorts easier than blog posts. There's just that fun of taking an idea and seeing where it goes. And sending my favorite character after the idea.
I get bored with the same cast of characters. I love the new guy and his set of problems. I like a new setting. Everything. Novels require too much invention for me. Too much in between stuff.
Since you are the keeper of sites, I found this one today: http://thrillskillsnchills.blogspot.com/
Haven't had time to peruse it yet. I'm at work. SHHH.
I sold my first short story to a local outdoor life type magazine, Jenn. I was so surprised they accepted it because there was a ghost in it. One never knows where a story will find a home.
I love writing slice of life pieces, Scott, but my mind tends to jump from thought to thought and I've really got to take the time to get everything in the right order and figure out what I'm really trying to say. I spend more time deleting than writing. But for short stories I just start at point A and head for the end without my brain getting in the way.
I started writing shorts because that's all I had time for, Clair. I;d steal a few minutes here and there and it didn't feel like forever finding the end. I know people write novels that way, but when I sit down to finish a story, I always have to go back to the beginning to get the feel of it before going on. I'd do more reading than writing if I was working on a novel.
And the shorts do take a certain discipline that novel writers don't have to use. Some of them tend to meander to the point where I'm saying to myself, get on with already.
I agree with you, Patti, on being able to see new people every time out. And I totally agree about the boredom with the same characters.
One thing I don't like about using a series character too much in short stories is that if you switch, everyone wants to know where your character is. That kind of thinking makes me feel like a one trick pony.
Don't get me wrong, I admire the people who can take a character and just keep moving them forward through their lives. You just know that they must love those characters to keep writing them the with the care they do.
I put that link up and they take stories up to 2000 words, so you've got a lot of room to expand your story for them.
I haven't really gotten any of my shorts published (unless you count throwing them up on a blog), but.....my preference is writing long (35-65 page) short stories.
I've written one novel and while that was an enjoyable hoot to write, I'm finding it's much easier for me to write tomes in that particular page range.
Right now, I'm having a fun time in learning the art of writing flash fiction. Originally, flash was something that I really wanted no part off, mostly because after reading what few items I was able to find, it left me feeling cheated.
But, after writing one about a month ago that I posted on my blog and which I got some decent feedback on, I decided to give it a whirl.
And thus, a new obsession was born. I now have a goal of churning out two shorts a weekend, and I even managed to come up with a story arc involving those very same shorts.
The only problem with writing short stories in the 35 to 65 page range is finding a market for them. Most of the short story markets prefer shorter work, though with a good search, you'll find a few that take the longer works.
And I, too, love flash, G. If you're looking for a place to learn you might try the Yahoo group FlashXer. The moderator posts three prompts a week and you can write for one or all if you choose. Then the members crit the story after you've posted it. That's where I first learned about flash and how to crit stories. You can find the group at this url http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FlashXer if you're interested.
I find writing the shorts keeps my writing tighter for the novels which is a boon when setting up suspense.
If I'm having any difficulty in writing a short story I tend to think it into a chapter scenario and then tweak it to fit.
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