This is just a short post with some news, written mainly because of several messages I have had from people about short story writing. I am hearing from an increasing number of authors who enjoy writing novels, but feel intimidated by short stories, or worry that the form is so different that it would be hard to adapt to the change of style and, obviously, the length of prose.
I published a post on short story writing earlier this morning which might be useful, and I wanted to let you know that several pieces of my short fiction have just been published online. They have all been written in the past six months, so I am fairly new to the form, but it is clear to say that I am hooked. Please let me know how you get on if you decide to try writing any short pieces. I would love to read them.
I normally only send publication news to those on my mailing list but, if you would like to read my published work online, you can find Berggasse 19 in The Puffin Review and I.P. in the Flash Flood Journal (many of you will have read it from an earlier post.)
I am also excited to be able to tell you that Ether Books have just this week published four pieces: Confessional, The Edge of Wandsworth Common, Tomatoes and Thicket, and Un/wanted. These can all be downloaded, free of charge, to your phone.
F.C. MALBY 
The first thing I wrote (that I was happy with) was a novella. At first I was a bit worried that I had made something shorter than a novel but longer than a short story, and there was nowhere for stories like that to go. However, it stood on its own, so I didn’t cut it or double the length just for the sake of it.
After that, I’ve been trying my hand at short stories, and they’ve been great for helping me find my voice and explore different genres that I’ve been wanting to try but haven’t had time to fully explore. I only have one on my website at the moment, but I’m aiming to add more when I can.
LikeLike
Hi Florencia, that sounds like a good way forward. Novellas are becoming more popular with both readers and writers. The short story form is having a resurgence. Keep going and you might be surprised with where you end up. Short stories are a great way to explore different styles and genres. You can’t afford to experiment as easily with something as epic as a novel.
LikeLike
I love the short story form. I’ve always been amazed by how few people I know (not including those on Twitter!) who don’t read them, or indeed are afraid of them. The form is addictive, reflective, punchy and can be an awesome weapon in an author’s arsenal. I scribble many “poems” and short stories on my blog, carltellstales.wordpress.com, I’d love for you to check them out.
Keep up the good work,
Carl
LikeLike
Oh, thank you. I’ll have a look.
LikeLike