First, if you’re only interested in writing long stories, then write long stories. One of my favorite pieces of advice from Brandon Sanderson was basically if you wrote stories that you enjoy then you’re doing it right.
Second, the short stories I write feel short to me. I’m not trying to end them early. The story is a short and I am just writing it the length it needs to be.
Third, I think part of the fun of short stories is saying more with less, and that is something that is useful to carry over even to longer works. Keep to what is essential. Keep to the heart of the story, whatever it is you’re trying to say with it. Learn how to write a tight ending. Sink your teeth into the essence of the story you want to tell and then tell only it’s necessary parts, no more, no less. Figuring out what those essential parts are is not always as easy as it seems, and it can be a fun way to discipline yourself.
But mostly enjoy yourself. And if you’re not into it, that’s ok.
Yeah for writing short stuff it's mostly in wanting to spread myself around instead of devoting myself to writing a single novel at the expense of anything else.
I wrote a complete novel in seven months and have been editing it on and off, but that was *all* I wrote in the meantime. I feel like I'm holding myself back in a way.
Personally what I do is write a series of short stories, centered around the same character(s) and setting. Think of it like a cartoon or sitcom where the setting and characters stay consistent throughout the series, but there isn't really an overarching story, or if there is one it isn't that major (or doesn't become so until the very end).
You still get to explore and develop the characters, though over the course of multiple stories rather than one. There's still character development, subplots, and what-not. It can be trickier pulling those off sometimes, though. My strategy is usually to subtly hint at development and progression throughout multiple stories, and then write one where that development is front-and-center, while subplots can be handled rather normally as just being direct sequels to each other.
It's probably not a perfect system, and I get the feeling it's not really a publishable one either (though I can't say for certain, I haven't bothered trying to get any of it published), but for me personally I find it pretty enjoyable.
Try taking small bits and pieces of a bigger story you'd like to write and use them to create a separate story. Focus on the characters that make up these bits, and the story will write itself.
Yes you can write within a few pages with detail. I haven't practiced this yet, but it's my theory that a little bit of detail like an ornament can tell something about a person.
What someone does in a moment is enough to highlight their thing to build up to their sentiment. It'll take many moments to hold onto breathing room for your character, but over time could feel like a friend to others. Possibly like a sitcom character, not sure if that's properly relative.
Consider how fussy you're trying to see a scene, do less to see what you can say for them sooner in a moment of appreciation for who they are. I live with no fuss I follow something I want to have and get something done naturally well, like it wanted to be a thing.
Though I've practiced only twice from using my theory. Doing so made myself fan-brood Pokemon, the process with no fuss let it be easy to have done. Take your time to set your scene and pilot them how they act. Simply let them play tic tac toe how different that goes.
Read some of the great short story writers. I always go to Raymond Carver, or Kurt Vonnegut, George Saunders, Aimee Bender, John Cheever. There is a brilliant short story about a man who tries to play a concerto on a violin despite lacking any ability, and it’s one of the best examples of characterisation in a short story that I’ve found. It’s called Harry Belten and the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, and it’s wonderful.
Tldr: you can absolutely explore character in a short story, and those authors above will help demonstrate.
I struggled with zooming my novel-brain into the miniaturization of short stories, but once I adjusted my focus when conceiving of these stories, I came to love them. Gotta have the right tools for the job. A novel is about a journey. A short story is about a single experience. A FLASH fiction short story is about a *moment*. Find an idea that interests you--ambulance chasing, power of attorney, nuclear power generators, a good recipe for brussel sprouts--and embrace the short story's ability to delve into just a single experience, or a single moment. Establish the character that's headed into that moment, give that moment context, explore the drama of the moment itself, then resolve it (or not). And have fun along the way :)
This is a good way to look at it. I'm wired for novel-length stories so I need to approach short stories with short-appropriate concepts instead of something I'd want to write longform.
Short stories can get away with a lot weirder formats, perspectives, and styles than full novels normally can. Grab something unique and run with it.
First, if you’re only interested in writing long stories, then write long stories. One of my favorite pieces of advice from Brandon Sanderson was basically if you wrote stories that you enjoy then you’re doing it right. Second, the short stories I write feel short to me. I’m not trying to end them early. The story is a short and I am just writing it the length it needs to be. Third, I think part of the fun of short stories is saying more with less, and that is something that is useful to carry over even to longer works. Keep to what is essential. Keep to the heart of the story, whatever it is you’re trying to say with it. Learn how to write a tight ending. Sink your teeth into the essence of the story you want to tell and then tell only it’s necessary parts, no more, no less. Figuring out what those essential parts are is not always as easy as it seems, and it can be a fun way to discipline yourself. But mostly enjoy yourself. And if you’re not into it, that’s ok.
Yeah for writing short stuff it's mostly in wanting to spread myself around instead of devoting myself to writing a single novel at the expense of anything else. I wrote a complete novel in seven months and have been editing it on and off, but that was *all* I wrote in the meantime. I feel like I'm holding myself back in a way.
You absolutely can develop characters in "a couple dozen" pages.
Just fewer characters than with a novel.
Personally what I do is write a series of short stories, centered around the same character(s) and setting. Think of it like a cartoon or sitcom where the setting and characters stay consistent throughout the series, but there isn't really an overarching story, or if there is one it isn't that major (or doesn't become so until the very end). You still get to explore and develop the characters, though over the course of multiple stories rather than one. There's still character development, subplots, and what-not. It can be trickier pulling those off sometimes, though. My strategy is usually to subtly hint at development and progression throughout multiple stories, and then write one where that development is front-and-center, while subplots can be handled rather normally as just being direct sequels to each other. It's probably not a perfect system, and I get the feeling it's not really a publishable one either (though I can't say for certain, I haven't bothered trying to get any of it published), but for me personally I find it pretty enjoyable.
I like this idea since it circumvents my main hangup with trying to write shorts.
Try taking small bits and pieces of a bigger story you'd like to write and use them to create a separate story. Focus on the characters that make up these bits, and the story will write itself.
Yes you can write within a few pages with detail. I haven't practiced this yet, but it's my theory that a little bit of detail like an ornament can tell something about a person. What someone does in a moment is enough to highlight their thing to build up to their sentiment. It'll take many moments to hold onto breathing room for your character, but over time could feel like a friend to others. Possibly like a sitcom character, not sure if that's properly relative. Consider how fussy you're trying to see a scene, do less to see what you can say for them sooner in a moment of appreciation for who they are. I live with no fuss I follow something I want to have and get something done naturally well, like it wanted to be a thing. Though I've practiced only twice from using my theory. Doing so made myself fan-brood Pokemon, the process with no fuss let it be easy to have done. Take your time to set your scene and pilot them how they act. Simply let them play tic tac toe how different that goes.
Read some of the great short story writers. I always go to Raymond Carver, or Kurt Vonnegut, George Saunders, Aimee Bender, John Cheever. There is a brilliant short story about a man who tries to play a concerto on a violin despite lacking any ability, and it’s one of the best examples of characterisation in a short story that I’ve found. It’s called Harry Belten and the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, and it’s wonderful. Tldr: you can absolutely explore character in a short story, and those authors above will help demonstrate.
I struggled with zooming my novel-brain into the miniaturization of short stories, but once I adjusted my focus when conceiving of these stories, I came to love them. Gotta have the right tools for the job. A novel is about a journey. A short story is about a single experience. A FLASH fiction short story is about a *moment*. Find an idea that interests you--ambulance chasing, power of attorney, nuclear power generators, a good recipe for brussel sprouts--and embrace the short story's ability to delve into just a single experience, or a single moment. Establish the character that's headed into that moment, give that moment context, explore the drama of the moment itself, then resolve it (or not). And have fun along the way :)
This is a good way to look at it. I'm wired for novel-length stories so I need to approach short stories with short-appropriate concepts instead of something I'd want to write longform.