Why I Write Short Stories
And why you should too.
Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixaby
Have you always wanted to write but don’t know where to start? Are you at some point in the novel-writing process (drafting, editing, querying, self-publishing) but suffer with writer’s block, imposter syndrome, or all the assorted ills that plague creatives.
I spent years struggling to write a fantasy novel and had a chance to show it to a person working in publishing. His feedback took the wind right out of my sails. From story to plot to pacing to characters to conflict, my 100k plus word novel didn’t work. I about gave up writing.
And then I found:
The Ray Bradbury Challenge
Bradbury says to that in order to hone your craft, write a story a week because absolutely no one can write fifty-two bad short stories.
It was a challenge made for my at-the-time pessimism about writing. I started off seven years ago determined to prove Bradbury wrong. I had little patience for reading short stories having recently wrapped up a long career involving writing and research for business. That first year, I turned out thirty-six short stories. To my surprise, three of them were good enough for publication.
More important, I learned a lot about story structure and plot and pacing and compelling characters and types of conflict, all within the confines of fewer than 10,000 words. Bradberry’s challenge wasn’t the only ingredient in my path to publishing, and I’ll say more about it in future newsletters, but it was a huge impetus to learning craft.
Try it. Like reading short stories vs. novels, writing a short story is nowhere near the same investment in time and thought.
Image by Iqbal Nuril Anwar from Pixabay
What Happened Next was Magical
Instead of giving up writing thanks to the discouraging feedback I’d received, I had my first short story published when I was age 70. At first, my goal was to have three short stories published, then I’d return to my novel.
But seeing your name in print is compelling. As of this morning, I have just under twenty short stories published and ten out to market for consideration. In the six years since that first publication, I’ve also developed a few helpful attitudes.
I’m willing to put myself out there. As an introvert, my tendency is to hang back. Less so now.
I’ve acquired a thicker skin when it comes to rejection. With more than two-hundred-fifty submissions, I have a six percent acceptance rate. That means I’ve had approximately two-hundred-thirty rejections. Ouch!
I see where stories live in the real world. I’ll say more about this in another blog, but for now, here’s the good news. Imagination, like your other muscles, gets stronger the more you use it.
If writing a story a week seems like a huge commitment, try one a month. That’s where I am now while I devote most of my time to The Last Summer Queen.
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