Monday, November 9, 2009

Plans

I'm down to one active short story. I've either sold or retired everything else I've written. I have three stories forthcoming in different magazines, but that's it.

I hate writing short stories, but it's becoming obvious that I need to do just that. Once my nano book is finished and I'm done with the Bell-Men rewrites, I want to knuckle down and write some short fiction. It's either that or not sell anything next year, and I like selling stories. It makes me feel like a real writer.

Besides, when I get a really juicy idea for a short story, it's almost as fun to write as a book--with the added bonus of not taking very long. I just wish I got those juicy ideas more often.

Speaking of juicy short fiction, here are three you ought to read:

"Faith" by Aaron Polson
"The Revival" by Jeremy Kelly
"A Cause for Celebration" by Jameson T. Caine

15 comments:

Aaron Polson said...

Hey, thanks for the mention. I'm the ying to your yang. Short fiction is my friend. I've hit this weird stride where a new concept/character hits me just as I finish one story.

Does it make sense? No. But not much about this writing adventure does.

K.C. Shaw said...

You're lucky with your succession of story ideas! Maybe if I really focused on short stories, I could start generating more ideas myself. Hmm, that might make an interesting experiment, actually. Maybe I'll do a January short-fiction blowout or something to see how many short stories/flash stories I can write in four weeks. It'd be interesting to see if ideas start to pick up after I've written a few pieces in quick succession.

Fox Lee said...

I read those! I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite, they all kicked ass : )

K.C. Shaw said...

Yeah, they're all excellent stories but all completely different. I love that.

Unknown said...

Thanks K.C.!

I'm the other way around. I reeaally need to write this book, but I can't stop writing short stories.

Cate Gardner said...

I'm running low on short stories too and forthcoming publications - starting to sweat here.

Carrie Harris said...

Oooh. That short fiction blowout idea is tres cool.

K.C. Shaw said...

Jeremy--You can always write a lot of linked stories and call it a book. Hmm, maybe I can chop up a book into chapters and call them short stories.

Cate--Didn't you just write two stories this weekend? Of course, you probably sold them already too. :)

Carrie--Yeah, I think I will try that in January or thereabouts. You're welcome to join me!

Jamie Eyberg said...

I am low in the short dept as well. I know I am writing unsaleable books, but I am having far too much fun doing it.

Danielle Birch said...

I only have a couple on the go now too. I just don't have any new ideas for short stories.

K.C. Shaw said...

Jamie--I'm the same way.

Danielle--I wish I could turn some of my novel ideas into short stories. They would be really long short stories, though.

Jamie Eyberg said...

I don't know if you remember my interview with my old prof, James Reed. Last year he sold a 'short' story to Bat City Review (granted it is a literary mag) that was 58 pages long.

There is hope.

K.C. Shaw said...

Dang, that's more like a novella! Good for him. :)

LMEighmy said...

I'd like to write more short stories. It's hard to work them in when I'm always working on novels. LOL!

K.C. Shaw said...

Precisely my problem! You'd think it would be easy to fit those little guys in around the big guys, but somehow I never seem to find time.