 Short Stories: June 28, 2023 Issue [#12035] |
This week: Challenge Yourself Edited by: Gaby  
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A short story is a shard, a sliver, a vignette. It's a biopsy on the human condition but it doesn't have this capacity to think autonomously for itself.
~ Will Self
Stories of all lengths and depths come from different parts of the cave. For a novel, you must lay in mental, physical and spiritual provision as for a siege or for a time of hectic explosions, while a short story is, or can be, a steady, timed flame like the lighting of a blow lamp on a building site full of dry tinder.
~ Jane Gardam
I would recommend the short story form, which is a lot harder to write since you have to be so careful with words, until there is plenty of time to doodle through a novel.
~ Anne McCaffrey
Everything has to be pulling weight in a short story for it to be really of the first order.
~ Tobias Wolff
What greatly annoys me is sometimes you see the short story being described as a training ground for the novel. Kind of like an apprenticeship. And in lots of ways, it's a far harder form.
~ Kevin Barry
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Sometimes we fear that writing a novel requires too many words, so we tend to write short stories. For practice, for enjoyment, for the word count. And yet, many will say that writing a short story is much harder than writing a novel.
Why? Short stories are the compressed versions of novels. You might write a single scene but even that needs to have all the elements a novel requires. That in itself is a challenge. Combined with a word count limit you are pressured to make the most of what you're given. Omitting the 'he said, she said' yet still using dialogue and making sure it's clear who is speaking. Showing emotions, character description, location description, and needing to be precise, on point, and limited with words to get it all out, but deliver the impact it requires.
Other than possibly squeezing an entire novel in a single short story, what other challenges do we encounter when writing said stories?
 Changing tense
This is my biggest problem. Most writers stick with the tense they started with. I prefer past tense but somehow, throughout my writing, I'll switch back and forth without knowing and will not realize it until someone points it out.
Continuity errors
Guilty! This happens mostly when you're rushing and you aren't fully focused on the story. Jane and Tarzan become Bonnie and Clyde half way though your story without you even noticing it. Once you finish writing, double check that your characters names, looks, occupation, and anything else you've decided to include stick to the same.
Hyper punctuation
WHAT?!?!?!?! NO WAY!!! Who's guilty of that one?
No room for wasted words
Ah, to go full on with prose and description, he said, she said, or anything that fills the word count but doesn't tell the story.
Stereotypical characters
Be inventive, for heaven's sake! You're a writer full of imagination. Can we not chew over similar characters simply for the sake of writing?
Character development
Most times your characters should show some growth with the story. Learn something. Even the bad guy can learn a lesson. Show depth.
Plot development challenge
It can be very hard to find the right plot, or to have one at all. Is it the story itself or are the characters in the wrong place? Plot keeps the story moving so if you cannot settle on the plot, you might have to reconsider the whole of it.
Inconsistency
Set the pace for the story and lead with it. Also remember the continuity errors with this one. I'll never forget my first writing mistake - blue eyes turned Emerald half way into the story and readers were quick to point it out. While you may not pay attention, others will. If it's Fantasy, stay on point. Don't give too much unnecessary information to confuse the reader, but give them what they need to see. Explain in as few words as possible.
Attention problems
Hello, procrastination, my old friend! Being completely focused on your writing is half the battle won. A quick phone call, someone asking you a question, looking at something random can take your focus away so completely that it might sound ridiculous, but it can happen. Hide if you must, but get it done before anyone or anything sidetracks you.
Exposition dump
This is the part where you have things to say but instead of using your characters voice or five senses, you rush on and tell it all to the reader because you need them to know these things. Don't. And if you do, go back and change it when you can. Your reader doesn't want you to tell them that Sally went to the store and bought a cute little dress. Show them!
And there's your novel in a short story form. Personally, I've never considered a short story to be such a challenge but it is. There were times I've struggled with writing for exactly the reasons mentioned above. I just didn't see them as big obstacles and yet they are.
'til next time!!!! 
~ Gaby  |
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Short story of kindness and the wonderful effect it can have
#2285018 by Dragonfly  |
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| | | Wedding Ring (18+)
A story inspired by lyrics of the song by Glen Hansard with love, family, and broken vows.
#2296852 by Dark Lady |
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