Why Short Stories Still Matter

Everything I know about writing, I learned while training for a marathon.

Running a marathon is a real challenge. I suppose you could spend years on the couch daydreaming about finishing a marathon, sign up for an event without any preparation, and still manage to finish the course on race day, but you’ll probably hate every one of those 26.2 miles.

Photo by Antonio Guillem.

Instead, experienced runners recommend taking it slow. Running a 5k first isn’t a bad idea. If you like it, after a few more races, go run a 10k. And then maybe a half marathon. 

When you’re ready for a marathon, most suggest you train for at least a few months, maybe even a full year. Set up a routine so you’re running four days a week and strength training or performing some form of cross-training on your off days. Stretching, foam rolling, and yoga help too.

The key is training your body to adapt to the rigors of running long distances. If you start slowly and train correctly, you’ll not only have a greater chance of success, but you might actually enjoy race day (and the months leading up to it, too).

Know what else is challenging? Writing a novel. So is writing a series of them. And so is writing a long comic script. It doesn’t have to be difficult, but it certainly can be if you set out to write one without any practice.

Unlike running, however, few influencers these days suggest aspiring writers start small. At least, not that I’ve seen. No, The Message states that a career writing fiction is within your grasp, but only if you follow this set of specific rules, most of which include starting big. All you need is an idea and the determination to sit down and “just write.”

Whatever happened to starting small? Why are short stories so frowned on these days? 

You know who cut his teeth writing short stories? Stephen King.

So did Neil Gaiman. Ursula K. Le Guin did, too. So did Mark Twain and Kurt Vonnegut. Hell, it’ll be easier just to show you a list of novelists who wrote shorts.

No Dream Is Too Big...Unless it Is

Not long ago a writer approached me to be his writing coach. He had an idea for a series of science fiction books, probably five to six books.

When we chatted about it, I asked about his writing process and how many stories he’d written. He said he’d never written anything. Sure, he’d started a handful of stories over the years, but he never finished any of them.

I suggested that he take on something smaller, perhaps a short story or novella. You know, something to get a feel for writing. I shared a few other benefits of short story writing, and I mentioned the story could be set in the same universe...maybe it could even serve as a sort of prologue to the series. 

But nope. It was the series or nothing. Agents and publishers only want series, he said, not shorts. And readers don’t want shorts either, so he’d be wasting time.

Against my better judgment, I took him on as a client. 

Guess what? He never got out of the outline phase. There was simply too much plot for him to handle. When I suggested a new tactic, that he should instead try for a short story or novella featuring his main character, he simply wasn’t interested.

Despite giving him a potential path for success, despite giving him small milestones to shoot for, despite sharing ideas for routines and schedules, he floundered and eventually gave up.

He wanted to run a marathon without ever having run a mile.

And he’s not alone.

Years ago, long before I became a professional fiction editor, a comic writer asked for tips on getting started in the comic business. He was excited about this massive world he’d created. He even had the final issue all mapped out. It would be a climactic battle taking place in an oversized 100th issue.

When I asked if he’d ever written a comic script, he said no. I suggested he write a short script to help him get a feel for comic writing. Start with a small success and build from there.

But he didn’t want that, saying there’s no money in short stories, and he didn’t want to submit to an anthology. He was ready to tackle the series, so I provided some suggestions and a sample script to mimic, and I went on my way.

When I checked in years later, he hadn’t written a thing.

As it turns out, dreaming is easy. 

Mapping out a series of novels or comics in your mind is easy. 

Sitting down day after day and completing a novel? That’s something else entirely. 

The Benefits of Starting Small

Let’s look at the value of writing a short story:

• If you’ve never written consistently, short stories help you learn if you even like to write.

• If you enjoy writing, short stories can help you develop a process and a routine that works for you.

• When you write short stories, you’re learning about pacing and structure, character development and world-building, description and dialog.

• Comic writers can learn the importance of panel counts and those mini-cliffhangers on page turns. Shorts also let you work through the entire process from idea to printed comic in a couple of months, and it’s so much easier to work out the kinks in your process on an 8-page story than doing so while in the midst of a 300-page graphic novel. (Spoiler alert: It saves time and money in the long run if you work through your inexperience with shorter pieces.)

• Best of all, shorts let you finish. Finishing a story and sharing it with others is a big step in the writing process. Having just one story finished provides a strong foundation to grow on.

Photo by Dirima.

Shorts Can Help Established Writers, Too

Shorts aren’t only good for newbies:

• If you’re an experienced writer, the short story can help you test different genres. You use different muscles running vs. riding a bike, and the same can be true when switching from romance to horror, or non-fiction to fiction. Sure, there are plenty of similarities, but a shorter story gives you an opportunity to try out something new.

• If you struggle finishing long-form stories because of Shiny Object Syndrome, shorts let you finish a story faster and scratch the “new” itch more often.

• Short stories can be fun, too. If you have anxiety or feel overwhelmed by the release schedule you’re on for your novels, writing something short and quick might give you a sense of freedom you haven’t experienced in a while.

But, But, the Money...

There’s not a lot of money in short stories, and publishing outlets aren’t readily available either. Sure, there are comic anthologies and short story collections to be found, and you can self-publish easily enough, but you won’t find too many huge financial benefits.

But as I’ve shown, that doesn’t mean you should completely abandon the lost art of the short story. There are plenty of other benefits that might have a deep impact on you in the long run.

If short stories still aren’t for you, well, I’m confident you’ll find success with that novel you keep plugging away at on those rare free Saturday nights.