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?
