Is the short story dead?

Sep 07 2007

Yesterday, as I was reading through my daily list of blogs that happily fed to me via Google Reader, I came across a post on the blog Writing Fiction by Crawford Kilian, a Canadian writer and professor, who answered a question from a reader regarding short stories. Basically, the reader wanted to know if he should publish a small collection of short stories.

Mr. Kilian’s answer is basically no. Unless you’re a big name author, publishing a book of short stories leads you down a long road to nowhere. Here’s what Mr. Kilian said:

Yes, some big names still publish short-story collections. But if you’re not John Updike or Alice Munro, your best chance of getting a collection into print is to have published a successful novel…with another good novel in progress. The collection will keep your readers happy until novel #2 is out.

Doesn’t sound very promising for us "unknowns". So the question remains: is writing short stories a waste of time? I don’t think so, and neither does Mr. Kilian. Writing short fiction is a great way to hone your skills as a writer as you move up the literary ladder and eventually start writing novels.

I find the lack of popularity of the short story very sad. Personally, I love writing short fiction and I love reading them. In fact, my favorite magazine publishes only short fiction, it’s called Glimmer Train (although the size of it makes you think it’s a book).

One of the things I like about short fiction so much is that you can sit down and read several stories in one sitting. And each story has its own "feeling" to it (for lack of a better word). A novel, on the other hand, could take you a few days or even weeks to finish. But short stories are very "to the point" and you can usually get through one in less than an hour.

I’m always surprised that short stories don’t enjoy more popularity nowadays, especially given the shortened attention span of the society we live in. If you don’t have time to read an entire novel, pick up a copy of Glimmer Train and read a story or two while in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. It sure beats those tabloids!

Nevertheless, I’m afraid the short fiction market is going down the same road that poetry is going down, and will be doomed as a literary exercise for the literary elite. Maybe, just maybe, there is some talented writer out there who can re-invigorate the short fiction form and bring this classic way of entertainment back to the masses.

One Response

Dear Brad,
Thank you so much for this post, it was just what I needed! I agree with you: I lament the painful death of the short story and poetry! It seems today that people are only interested in reading novelty – that is, millions of self-”help” books, new-age spirituality, poorly written science fiction (a genre which was once glorious and profound), and what ever ’shocking’ controversy which has come up in the news, or in the tabloids, as you suggest. Besides the mere pleasure of reading poetry or short fiction, there is a great deal of didactic purpose within those genres. They can teach us much about language, expression, figures of speech and thought, and should be an indispensable part of anyone’s formal or private education. I would love to see them come back into popularity – but more than that, I would love to see them come back as to be seen as something of great value. Not only could we then publish our own short fiction more easily, but we could also enjoy a renaissance of good literature, and witness many great, hidden minds come to literature! Thanks ever so much,
Graham

Graham 10/28/2008 2:00 am