Lately, even though I mostly write novels, I’ve been playing around with short stories. I’ve been doing this:

1. For the challenge of it. It’s fun to shake things up and develop new skills.
2. For improving my writing. Condensing a story into just a few pages or paragraphs takes discipline and subtlety, and I’m hoping this close examination of short stories will improve my longer ones.
3. For the sake of submission. Is it just me, or are there more contests out there for shorter works? With society’s growing inclination for shorter things, I think it makes sense to learn how to write well in a short space, especially if you want to publish.

Continue reading “S is for Short Stories”