I think I finally figured out why I wasn't having any luck with my short stories. It's because I was taking the same approach to them as I did to writing a novel. Unfortunately, what works for novels just doesn't work for short stories. It can't. It's a totally different form.
Novels are about creating a world and weaving a tale that takes readers on an adventure. They should come out of it feeling like they know the characters and have lived the experience.
Short stories are about hitting emotions. You don't have time to develop complex plots or deep characters. The limited space of a short story (or even flash fiction) requires that you hit the readers emotions hard and back off. Readers should come out of short stories relating to feelings or emotions.
I was missing this, until now. Lately, I've been trying to tweak my approach. It's a work in progress, but I recently had a bit of success. A flash fiction piece I wrote for Paragraph Planet will be posted there tomorrow. I hope this means I'm getting on the right track.
Don't get me wrong - novels are still my passion and my #1 form. But I enjoy short stories too. My inability to write ones that really "pop" (or get published) has been frustrating me for a few years. I hope I finally learned the secret to nailing this particular form and that I will continue to improve. I'd like to be able to write short stories well too. Nobody wants to be a one trick wonder.
I saw that my New Years Resolution to research ways to write better was paying off with the book contract, but maybe it's paying off in other ways too. I should have done this long ago but better late than never, right?
It's definitely a process, and I see that it needs to be a continual process. To become a better writer is not only about writing and reading - it's about studing the craft as well.
That's all today. Bye!
I recently had the realization that it's been a long time since I wrote a short story. In fact, I can only recall writing 2 short stories and maybe 2 or 3 flash fiction pieces in the past year. I know I've been working on novels for the past 18 months, but I think this is the longest I've gone without writing something short, be it a short story, flash fiction, or a devotional. And since I completed the final draft of Splinter, I haven't written anything new. I've been working on updating this website and setting up promotional things for the eventual release of Anywhere But Here.
In one way this is normal. I am a novelist, and hitting a dry spell after completing a novel is completely normal for me. My muse is usually running on fumes when a novel is completed and badly in need of a break. Writer's block happens to every writer, and fighting it is usually an exercise in futility. You can't force yourself to write. You just have to wait it out, keep on living, and hope that somewhere in having a life you find something that inspires you and sparks the muse again. It's just frustrating to have the desire to write, but not the ability because you lack - what? Ideas? Inspiration? What's missing?
I do want to write short stories again. I've been eyeing contests and calls for submissions more and more lately, and I'd love to have something to submit. Don't get me wrong. I love writing novels. But short stories are also fun in a different way. There's something just as captivating in weaving a slice of life together as there is in creating an entire world.
*Sigh* This too shall pass. I know. I've been writing for 10 years and I usually hit a dry spell at least once a year. I just hope it isn't a long one. In the meantime, I guess I'll keep researching how to promote my work and become a better writer.
Have a happy weekend and a great Resurrection Celebration!
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