Friday, June 1, 2012

The Short Story: Dead or Alive?

This is my first attempt at making a real blog post. Most of my others are fiction based or responses to prompts and challenges. With this one I am just going to write. Hopefully I don’t bore you too much.


What happened to the short story in American literature? We all remember growing up reading the classics. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allen Poe, Washington Irving and so many more, but it seems like there aren’t any new short stories out there. Well, there are…

The problem as I see it is not that there aren’t any new short stories being written, it is that the culture of reading has changed a bit in the United States. Everyone seems to always be looking for that next big hit. The trending novel that everyone has to read. I get that, but as a result I am afraid the way people look at stories has changed.

When people look at short stories today (and this is purely my own opinion) I feel like they don’t look at them as books. Well you know what America… You shouldn’t…but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve respect for what they are. The short story is not meant to be the next big craze. It is meant to entertain. To give the joy of a satisfying story, with good characters that you can relate to, a strong plot, and do so all in a single sitting. That’s not easy. From a writer’s point of view that can actually be very difficult. To tell an entire story in a limited number of words, and get in everything they need to, one could rip their hair out. When you write, you create an entire world. You create people with individual lives and personalities. There is a lot that goes into it, and to set a limit on how much detail you can use in articulating that world is challenging.

The good news is that the short story is still alive and well. Thanks to the modern technology of eBooks and self-publishing, there are so many amazing indie writers out there making their stories available to the world. However, short stories are not only an art of the indie writer (although they are my personal favorite). Plenty of mainstream writers, such as Stephen King, T.C. Boyle and too many others to name, are still putting out shorter fictions between novels. So check out Amazon, or Barnes and Noble, or whatever your favorite book source is and check out the short story section. Remember…it doesn’t have to be long to be a great. And even if it’s not the next earth-shattering, teen loving novel…it might one day be a classic.

10 comments:

  1. Okay! YOU did awesome for your first "post" (not prompt based). It's about getting to know you and that's what is important. I love short stories, too, and they are very hard to write, I know, and I very much appreciate the author's talent because I couldn't do it. Write about what you like and we will read it. I promise!

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    1. Gina, thank you for reading and leaving such an honest, reassuring comment. It is much appreciated. I wasn't sure how this would come out, I'm glad you liked it.

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  2. Impressive first post. I shudder to think of my first post.

    I have never written a short story. I do want to. I guess I've never really tried enough. Your post encourages me to really give it a fair try. The problem for is finding an idea that is suitable for the length, I guess.

    The great thing about technology is that it makes short stories easily publishable and available. Short stories are definitely underrated.

    One other thing. Hope you don't get offended because that is not my intention here. Why white text on black? I completely respect your choice, but it does not help the eyes. Just sayin :)

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    1. I am glad you liked the post. You should definitely give writing short stories a shot. They can be challenging, but they are fun to write.

      As for the formatting question. No offense taken, I always appreciate honest feedback. I guess i tend to just like darker colors better (I hope that doesn't speak about my character too much!). Maybe when I get more time I will play with it a little and see if anything else works for me.

      Thanks

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  3. I love this post! I just wrote a short story, and it was so much easier than worrying about a novel. I think I will be writing a few more short stories after reading this :) Thanks so much for posting this!

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    1. Short stories are definitely fun to write, even though they have their fair share of difficulty. It is definitely nice to be able to cut out a lot of sub-plot and supporting characters and just stick to the immediate story, but there are times i tend to go on and on with my descriptive text. There is a certain level of discipline one needs in order to stick to the length they set for themselves.

      Good luck with your future stories.

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  4. I wonder if blogs have taken over from short stories a little? I read so many blog posts these days that I'd be less likely to pick up a collection of short stories than I used to be and would rather get stuck into a full length novel. That said, I do like Julian Barnes' The Lemon Table. He's a master of the understatement! Nice post! Happy blogging!

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  5. Great first post. Much like you, I've had a blog for a while, but have only posted writing, not thoughts and ideas. It's time to follow your lead I think.

    As for short stories, I really agree. Do you know Ether Books - www.etherbooks.com - it's a short story app. Good exposure for writers, and good for readers too because many stories are free.

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  6. That is your first post? Wow. I wich i have done something like that. Very great, i tell you.
    Well, have a look at mine and see what i mean. But again, i have not written anythig there from myself, i am putting there extract of my books and pictures of the condors. I didn't know what a blog was until resently. There you have it. But please take the time and have a look at my blog. and please, leave a comment. that would be so great. I have followers, but they never leave comment. I don't know why. Is it my style? Is it i am not doing it right? I don't know.
    I have written many short stories in the beginning of my writing time. Send them to competitions, got never the first price, but many very good comments. And now, where i write the Talon story, i mingle these short stories in. It's actually fun doing that. love it.
    So Chris, all the best with your blog.
    Hope you will visit my blog.
    Gigi
    http://maticatalon.blogspot.com.au/

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  7. I love short stories, nice blog Chris :)

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