The Short Story vs Those Long Ones

[Peg Herring]

People who don't write assume that short stories are easier than novels, and I suppose in a way they are. They're short, so there isn't the investment of time that a novel requires. Writing a short story takes days rather than months, and editing takes minutes rather than hours.

Still, a short story isn't easy, and it has its own rules. First is a single plotline; the writer hasn't got time to dally with secondary characters or subplots. Focus has to be on a single story, and everything written should support the author's end goal. Do you want to scare readers? surprise them? make them chuckle at your cleverness? Leave out everything that doesn't move toward that goal.

A short story needs to limit its characters to a few people. Readers don't invest in short stories as they do in novels. They're usually read in one sitting, and then we move on, so character has to be established quickly and limited to those essential to the story. It really isn't important that we understand the motivation of Characters Three and Four, maybe not even Character Two.

Finally, a short story should have a strong hook and an even stronger conclusion. Nothing is worse for me as a reader than to come to the end of a story and think, "So what?" Reading short stories in an anthology like the one I've been talking about here, DYING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND (available on amazon.com), is like strolling the beach looking for pretty shells or stones. You amble along, enjoying the walk, but every once in a while something grabs your attention and you have to pick it up. Readers of a good anthology, and I think DIWW is one of those, will find several special pieces to take along as they finish their "walk" through the book. And remember, the anthology was compiled to benefit Toys for Tots, so there's an extra benefit to this particular walk.