Experimenting with short stories can be a great way to dive back into creative writing if you’ve taken a hiatus if a novel feels too overwhelming or if you need a productive break from your current WIP. 2: Practice – hone that writing muscle!įor novel writers, short stories are a new form with their own challenges and joys. You can complete a short story draft in a few hours, days, or even weeks, and turn around edits and revisions far faster than a novel. So why bother with short stories? A few reasons: 1: Timeįor those of us with very hectic schedules (I have a full-time job and two small children), short stories can be incredibly practical in terms of time efficiency. In terms of making it as a full-time fiction writer, novels are typically the path to success. One quick caveat before you read further: my experience is with genre fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, horror) as opposed to literary fiction, but many of these tips will still apply.

This provided my foundation in writing short form and in understanding the value of brevity. In my day job, I write and edit nonfiction and have a background in journalism.

I’ve also given talks and workshops on the fundamentals of creating short stories and flash fiction that sells. I’ve published dozens of short stories in magazines, anthologies, collectible card games, and podcasts, including Dark Matter magazine, Andromeda Spaceways, Aurealis magazine Unnerving magazine, the British Science Fiction Association’s Fission Magazine Colp magazine Cosmic Horror Monthly Typehouse Literary Magazine Lovecraft eZine the Stoker-nominated Chromophobia Dancing in the Shadows: A Tribute to Anne Rice Six Guns Straight From Hell Vol 3 Field Notes from a Nightmare Musings of the Muses The One That Got Away Shadowy Natures Beyond the Infinite Trembling With Fear the Stoker-nominated Fright Mare: Women Write Horror and many more. Before diving in, a little about me and my short story background.

Short story rough draft example