Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Short Fiction
Short fiction is one of the most under-appreciated art forms around in mainstream society (next to poetry, of course). Those who tend to consume short fiction are also those who produce it. This has caused a surge in MFA programs around the US and a large number of small, independent literary magazines have come into existence. But publications that feature short fiction don’t get a lot of attention, which is a shame.
Here’s a brief list of the top 5 reasons why I love short stories:
- Can read in one sitting: This is a big one! I often read novels over a period of a few weeks, so it’s very refreshing to be able to sit down and read a story from beginning to end in one sitting. I found I can usually get much more into the story this way.
- Short fiction is often more imaginative than novels: Not always, but this appears to be the case much of the time. Since short fiction is, well…short, the author must be concise and every word has a lot of work to do as far as progressing the story goes. I’ve read many stories with interesting narrative structures that probably wouldn’t work well in the longer novel form.
- Short fiction is a close cousin of poetry: A short story, I think, is much like a poem. It’s short, powerful, and usually has a single theme or message. I believe the process of writing a short story is also easily compared to writing poetry.
- Discover great, unknown authors: Many short story writers are not well-known, famous writers who have achieved celebrity status. A lot of them aren’t even full-time writers; making their living through other means. By reading collections of short fiction I have discovered some great writers!
- Writing short stories is just fun: It’s hard to read short stories without writing them yourself. I love writing them and wish I had more time to devote to them. Unlike novels, short stories don’t require complicated plots and lots of characters (although I have read/written a few that break this unwritten rule).
By no means is this a complete list. You might have different reasons for loving short fiction. There are no wrong answers here. With that said, why do you love short fiction?
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It is a shame but we just have to stay strong and support the artforms and each other and help spread the word.
I think poetry, prose and short stories are closely related and I enjoy combining aspects into a piece.
Interestingly some encouragement has come from the novel by Zora Neale Hurston, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” which contain beautiful writing and I think combines forms which get me confidence to pursue topics without the limitations of a single form or any known form.
When I’m reading a novel, if it’s halfway decent, I can’t put it down. I’ve had many late, late nights and groggy-eyed mornings as a result of my addiction to reading. The great thing about short stories? You CAN put them down, and you don’t have to stop in the middle of the story to do so!