Seven Reasons to Write Short Stories
The biggest mistake I see emerging and aspiring writers make is that they jump straight to writing a novel without first mastering the art of the short story. To me, that’s a bit like my sixteen-year-old fantasy of competing in the Olympic Games with my horse, Hercules, who I loved very dearly, but despite him being a whopping 17 hands high, he refused to jump anything much over the size of a ground pole.
A novel is a marathon; and few of us are genetically blessed to simply get up and run marathons. Most of us, though, can manage a short burst of jogging through the park with our dog or kids or new year aspirations. That’s the beauty of the short story. They are fast! They are fun! And then… they are DONE!
So, I now present to you….
You can practise writing in different genres, from different points of view, in different tenses, about different topics… without investing too much time and effort. Most importantly, it helps you learn to find and strengthen your “voice”. Your voice is unique to you and it’s often the thing that secures you fans for life.You can practise risk taking! Ooo, this is such a good one! For your writing to grow and mature, you’re going to need to practise taking risks. Just like a little kid needs to learn how far up a tree to climb before they get stuck or fall, you too will need to work out how far outside of your comfort zone you can write before it turns into a steaming hot mess. Confession: I tried to write an erotic short story once but once was all it took for me to know I would never go there again. In summary, try before you buy.Log you ‘apprenticeship’ writing hours before you commit to a full novel. As already mentioned, the biggest mistake I see beginning and emerging writers make is that they jump straight into a novels before they can nail a short story. (That’s also a bit like saying you’re going to run a marathon when you haven’t even gotten off the couch yet.)Cultivate a habit of writing, editing, writing, and then…. letting go! Writers are often fearful of letting go of their work, afraid of the criticism or perceived failure. This is where short stories are a triumph. You can have a go, not invest too much of yourself into it, submit it somewhere and let go. We have to learn to write, let go, and start something new while we’re waiting for feedback.Learn to write to deadline. Short stories can be written in a day, or a week or even two if it’s a longer short story and/or you like to take longer to write. But then… it’s done! Submit it, and move on.Ask for feedback. Look, hardly anyone will willingly and joyfully read your full novel manuscript and give you helpful feedback, but lots of people will read your short story because they know they can finish it in the time it takes to have a coffee.You might actually win a competition! And this is a fantastic feeling of recognition and affirmation that you do have talent and you should definitely write some more. As well, having these wins or shortlisting or publications look good on your writer’s CV.
Join Me for the Summer of Short Stories!If you’d like to spend January playing in the world of short story writing, why not join me for the Summer of Short Stories? We’ll read stories, we’ll write stories, we’ll learn to offer and receive feedback in a structured, helpful way, and by the end you will have three short stories ready to go and submit. Or, as I like to call it, throw spaghetti at the wall! You never know what will stick.
