Why Short Stories Are Amazing

Hannah has taken a brief leave of absence because she has a life and she's awesome like that. You go, girl!

Of course, this means that she has also left a hole in every one of our hearts -- a metaphorical one. Had it been literal we would have all died by now. I miss her terribly. . . How long has it been since I last read her words? A few months? Years?

Oh, a few days. I might have been getting a little dramatic, there.

I am posting two days in a row to fill the gap in our hearts with doughy lumps of love. Today, I will be writing about writing!

Gasp!

You guys might be familiar with the fact that I aspire to be a published author. If you aren't familiar with this, well, I aspire to be a published author. There, all caught up.

Recently, I have taken a break from my novel to pursue another creative endeavor: writing short stories. Short stories are wonderful pieces of fiction that average from about 1000 words to 7,500 words, and are great mediums for conveying singular ideas and morals.

Still, the short story is often underrated. When most people decide to be writers, they imagine novels or even poetry before they think of the short story. The market for the novel is more obvious. You see a lot more novels at a bookstore at a library, so isn't publishing a novel a better overall experience than publishing a short story? Shouldn't a novel offer more fame, money, and and an overall sense of accomplishment?

Even though I would love to be a novelist, I think I will always be a short story writer at heart. There is something about a good piece of short fiction that makes my heart soar. I believe that a good short story has just as much value as a novel, and certainly can have just as much of an emotional impact. (Read: The same holds for the novella. Of Mice and Men and Animal Farm are two novellas that hold a special place in my cardiac organ.)

Here are four reasons why, if you are a writer, you should pursue writing a short story, even if it's just once.

Short Stories Give You Practice in Condensing Your IdeasAre you familiar with the novel  series Twilight? If you are, you know that these books are rather massive. If you have read them, you are also aware that these books are a rambling mess. Not to say that the books are bad at heart, but they are severely unorganized. A lot of pages are useless, not contributing to the overall effect of the story. A lot of other things are superfluous, which takes away from the plot. Meyer would have been able to write a more concise story if she wrote more short stories.

Because short stories are small, you have a short time to get your character development, your setting, and your plot realized. Is this impossible? Not at all. Because it they are short, short stories generally have less plot, character development, and setting than novels. But this doesn't mean that it isn't hard to fit all of those things in. Short story writing allows you to focus your ideas. By being able to focus your words into a readable story, you are also practicing your ability to pace correctly. You will learn when a scene is unneeded, or when a certain scene goes on for too long. You will learn how to make a story move without drowning it. In the end, you'll have a more focused idea that shines through, rather than a rambling mess.

Short Stories Do Have a MarketThere are several magazines, online and print, that publish short stories. They will often pay you, too. Sure, this isn't as much money as a novel (unless you are really popular) but this does give you publishing experience. It is easier to publish a short story than it is a novel, and once you have a few published short stories under your resume, the novel you do want to publish is going to look a lot more promising to agents and publishers.

For example, if I sent my book I Know Why the Caged Bird is an Exterminator to a publisher without any publishing credentials, that publisher would think I am a green horn, completely inexperienced when it comes to publishing. But, if I had been published previously, that publisher just might give Exterminator  a second look.

Short Stories are PowerfulIf you read a lot of novels, there are sure to have been books that have stuck with you. Several books have stuck with me, like Lord of the Flies or The Bell Jar, but short stories can do the same thing. They might be able to do it better.

Short stories can't waste time. They have to prove a point. In this way, they can be even more powerful than novels because they are completely devoted to a theme, moral, or concept.

This devotion can allow the reader to walk away with a viewpoint on the world from reading a short story. A short story may not be able to say much, but if it is written well, what it does say can have a lasting impact. And because it is short and focused, its topics are easier to remember.

Here are two short stories that you may have already read, but are recommended.

The Most Dangerous Game -- A short story about a man who crashes on a on a desert island where he meets a strange huntsman famous for his exploits. Only does the main character know that this hunter is more than he seems . . . (One of my favorites)

The Scarlet Ibis -- A short story about a boy who is ashamed of his physically weak brother. Full of symbolism.

Short Stories are Excellent Practice
More often than not, people choose the novel as the first thing they try to write. What a mistake they make! Without having experience in plot or character development, these novels are often just average.

The short story is excellent practice for beginning writers. It gives writers the chance to practice all of the nuances of the writing craft without having to write a giant book. Short stories give the practice of editing, as well, so a writer can be more comfortable with editing. It is often scary to have written a novel, and then have to deal with the prospect of editing it. Having written short stories will help with this.

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And there you go! I hope you enjoyed this post!

Don't ever be daunted,

Esther