Size Matters

When I began writing, I jumped right into novels. I can look back now and see that was a mistake. Because a few years later, I got into writing short stories. I never intended to sell my short stories. I thought it was just going to be part of learning to write for children and improving my skills. Today I can happily say I've published over 80 short stories. And I'll continue to write short stories. Why? They taught me very important lessons.

 

Writing short stories forces you to get to the heart of the idea. You must have a solid plot. A short story can't stand on its feet without one. So I learned how to plan a story with all the key elements from start to finish.Word choice is very important. You need to choose your words carefully. In short stories, space (and word count) is... well, short. You have to use specific verbs and cut back on all the "It was" and "There were" that really don't need to be in a story in the first place. (They are also considered signs of weak writing.)Short stories don't take nearly as long to write as novels, and that gives you a sense of accomplishment. And feeling good about your progress makes you a better writer.Putting all your hopes in one story is not a good idea. Since short stories can be written fairly quickly, you can work on a bunch of them in a small period of time. That means more out on submission and less stressing over any one piece in particular.You can't get published if you don't put yourself out there. Submit and submit often. Yes, rejection is painful sometimes, but one acceptance can make that pain go away pretty quickly.
I think everyone should at least try writing short stories. There is so much you can learn about yourself as a writer just by writing a short piece. Plus the extra chances at publication can't hurt.

What about you? Do you write short stories? Have you learned any valuable lessons from it? And if you haven't tried writing short stories, is there a reason?