Short stories seem to be an often ignored form of writing. Fiction authors get wrapped up in writing the next popular novel. So often, we get tied down to writing vast quantities of words, and we shout out our word count for the day as a badge of honor. “Look what I just did!” And congrats to anyone who has the opportunity and spark to grind out several thousand nouns, adjectives, and verbs in one day. I envy you.
I’m going to trim that down today.
I love to read a good short story. I always have. They come is compact, neat packages swelling with profound insights, ready for the mind to devour with little investment in time. Short stories are how I started my writing adventure and how I continue to hone my craft.
So what is it about short stories that some find appealing? That’s a question both for those who write them and those who read them.
For me, short stories quell a thirst for reading when I may only have a limited amount of time and still want to embrace the full breadth of the story. I want a chance to walk away from a story with a feeling of accomplishment and understanding in one sitting, instead of taking days to reach that satisfying ending. With two kids and a busy husband, plus my own busy work life, I don’t always have time to invest in 75,000+ words and trying to keep track of multiple characters and plots.
I’ve heard some readers say that a short story won’t give them the same amount of substance as a full-length novel. They want a hearty meal for their reading pleasure, not just a snack. I have to disagree. A great short story will give me the same sense of satisfaction as any book ten times as long, and with less time invested in the main course.
I’ve read some excellent compilations of short stories. The Power of Six by Nicholas Rossis contains poignant tales particularly telling of the human condition. I found many of them humorous as well, and I’m a fan of using science fiction to point out our human quirks. I swept through the six stories in just a couple of days worth of reading time and craved more once I finished. He reminds me a great deal of Isaac Asimov, one of the most iconic science fiction writers of all time. You’re not quite sure where the story is going to take you, but you are never let down by the ending.
Another is Twenty Twelve by Tracey Shaw. A larger collection, the author uses her stories to explore off-the-wall “what if” scenarios dealing with the END – the end of the world, the end of a life, the end of everything as we know it. I jumped around in the collection, choosing stories at random to read over a few days time, and I wasn’t disappointed no matter which story I read.
As for writing such brief whimsies of literary art, I enjoy the challenge of using words in their most efficient capacity. There is a carefully budgeted economy of sentiment and storytelling that must be met in 10,000 words or less. Character and world building must take place in an instant, and the story must resolve in the nick of time. As much dedication as it takes to write that novel, it takes precision and self-discipline to compose an equally substantive work in so few words.
Try a few short stories for yourself, if you haven’t already. They come in many flavors, such as science fiction, horror, humor and main stream, and in sizes 1,000 to 17,000 words.
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You can find Through a Window by Elizabeth N. Love on Amazon.com
About the Book:
Take a journey through the window of imagination, into the possible realms of alien worlds, a kingdom that knows only light, and the annihilation of an entire species. These stories will satisfy your craving for adventure and thought-provoking fiction.
The five short stories encapsulate a variety of musings from the last two decades, including alien cultures, human relationships, a world without darkness, and genocide. The collection includes pen and ink illustrations of the author’s own creation.
Reviews from Amazon readers:
5 Stars – In these five short stories, Elizabeth Love encapsulates the wonder of human (and humanoid) curiosity and strength. This compilation is reminiscent of Stephen King’s early Sci-Fi days, back when he wrote under a pen-name.
Her humanoid characters are fully distinct, their culture and context and well realized, and her imagery will bring you right into the book. Overall, I would highly recommend it!
4 Stars – When I hear short stories mentioned, my mind quickly goes to children’s stories, but this book is not about stories for children, although it could be read, understood, and enjoy by very smart children. There was a quirkiness about them that made them unique….
Otherwise, the stories were very well written. I had fun reading them.
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