There are a lot of great things about short stories – they’re fast to write (at least in comparison to novels), there’s plenty of markets for them, and they allow you to practice and hone your craft while you learn to deal with the realities of the publishing world.
I often use them to explore my larger worlds with fresh characters, and consequently there’s been more than one occasion where a character from short story has made it into a novel.
That said, short stories take a long time to master (if that’s even possible), and even experienced writers who’ve got dozens, perhaps hundreds of shorts published, still learn with each new story they produce.
My advice: Always have at least one or two short stories on the go. That’s something I neglected for a long time.
Here’s some more great advice:
“In a short story, every word counts and every scene should do triple duty. You’ve no time to waste.” Vanessa MacLellan
“Do not start with a dry explanation of the story’s context.” Mary Jeddore Blakney
“Short stories for a writer are like sketches are for an artist. There is only room to explore your main subject. Every line counts, so make the best of them.” Kelly Martin
“Don’t try to turn a short story into a novel.” Vruta Gupte
“Short stories are a great way to get feedback from readers. With minimal investment, you can see which of your stories readers like the best – and then, the most popular stories can be used for your next novel.” Drew Briney
“A short is kind of like a poignant snapshot of a much deeper story. So don’t get too bogged down trying to tell the WHOLE story. DO tell enough to draw the reader in and make it an interesting story within the larger story.” Dana Masting
“The few words of a short story can be far more powerful than a novel if done right. Often this takes more out of you to do this, and will leave you more drained than a novel can after it is finished.” Andrea Jensen
“You can still earn money writing short stories.” Vruta Gupte
“Writing a short story is a style all of its own.” Chantelle Griffin
“Writing shorts stories help sell your bigger novels. Gives new readers a small taste of your projects to garner interest. Not everything you write has to be the Great American Novel.” Chris Mentzer
“I wish I’d known to not be embarrassed or distressed because I suck at writing short stories. My natural story length is the novel, and I don’t have to follow the “conventional wisdom” that you have to break in with short stories, and then sell the novel.” Gerri Lynn Baxter
“I’ve never written a short story, but just about every scene I’ve written has a beginning, middle, and end…” Mark Mercieca
Check out some of the other posts in the “Things I Wish I Knew About” series: Author Promotion, Point Of View, Critiquing, Dealing With Rejection, Editing Your Own Work, Creating Characters, Story Development, Worldbuilding and Writing.
Short stories are the distilled concentrated essence of reality.
You’ve certainly got to be short and sharp Kenny!
Yep, have a few on the go is helpful. Also, while they take less time to write, it’s still important to sit on them for a while before sending them out. Time opens our eyes.
I’ve discovered that one too Lynda – it’s always tough when you want to see it out there straight away, but putting it aside for a time really does pay dividends.