Short story writing. How do you do it? - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T07:17:55Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/short-story-writing-how-do?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A289447&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noFor me the key to a short sto…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-05-15:537324:Comment:2894472011-05-15T20:57:25.823ZDavid DeLeehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/DavidDeLee
<p>For me the key to a short story is that it is short. That sounds silly, I know, but my point is a short story needs to be simply about a singular idea or event or message. I believe you can have in-depth characterization, rich settings, multiple settings and even a complicated plot, all the same components as a longer work but all along a single plot that you present in a compact, focused way.</p>
<p>Someone said your words have to do double and even triple duty and I believe that is the…</p>
<p>For me the key to a short story is that it is short. That sounds silly, I know, but my point is a short story needs to be simply about a singular idea or event or message. I believe you can have in-depth characterization, rich settings, multiple settings and even a complicated plot, all the same components as a longer work but all along a single plot that you present in a compact, focused way.</p>
<p>Someone said your words have to do double and even triple duty and I believe that is the key. Your setting needs to drive plot, your characterization needs to reflect the conflict, events need to reveal something about character.</p>
<p>I don't think people need to learn how to do short stories to write novels, but for me, I believe doing so has helped me sharpen my writing, and write with a clear purpose in mind.</p>
<p>Good luck,</p>
<p>David DeLee</p> I.J.--Blogger site has been b…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-05-13:537324:Comment:2891512011-05-13T18:41:21.711ZB.R.Statehamhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BRStateham
<p>I.J.--Blogger site has been broken for four days--just got it up and running again. So you should be able to pop over there. And scroll down to find the blog about short stories.</p>
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<p>I.J.--Blogger site has been broken for four days--just got it up and running again. So you should be able to pop over there. And scroll down to find the blog about short stories.</p>
<p> </p> That link doesn't take me the…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-05-13:537324:Comment:2890832011-05-13T17:56:38.128ZI. J. Parkerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
<p>That link doesn't take me there. ???</p>
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<p>It's a length thing. Plot is everything. You can't do much character development. Theme maybe. If you're working with the traditional crime-and-suspects scenario, you've got a particularly difficult job.</p>
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<p>My stories must be novellas. They certainly involve more than a single location/incident/crime.</p>
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<p>But they were the path to publication in my case. </p>
<p>That link doesn't take me there. ???</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's a length thing. Plot is everything. You can't do much character development. Theme maybe. If you're working with the traditional crime-and-suspects scenario, you've got a particularly difficult job.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My stories must be novellas. They certainly involve more than a single location/incident/crime.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But they were the path to publication in my case. </p> I agree about innuendo, altho…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-05-13:537324:Comment:2891112011-05-13T13:29:23.822ZAlbert Tucherhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/AlbertTucher
<p>I agree about innuendo, although I might call it implication. Word limits have taught me to make a sentence do double or triple duty, and some of what it says can only be implied.</p>
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<p>I agree about innuendo, although I might call it implication. Word limits have taught me to make a sentence do double or triple duty, and some of what it says can only be implied.</p>
<p> </p>
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