 Short Stories: January 11, 2012 Issue [#4821] |
  Short Stories
This week: Tying It All Together Edited by: Jay's debut novel is out now!  
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| This Short Stories Newsletter is dedicated to readers and writers of short fiction and to those who want to know more about the art of telling big stories in small spaces. |
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A lot of times I run into stories which are well-written and probably have a lot of meaning for the writer as well as the reader, but the details are so disparate and remote for the reader that the elements needed to tie them together simply aren't there.
Sometimes the details are simply too scattered or irrelevant; I've been derailed a few times while reading a short story because some element simply didn't mesh with the others. There are a few reasons as to why something like this might happen, but generally it is related to a desire to hold onto the details that inspired the original story. While it's sometimes helpful to do this, I find that sometimes it is easier to neaten up the edges.
Occam's Razor-- the idea that the most plausible and likely solution is the correct one-- is often an easy enough fix for this type of issue in a short story. The hows and whys of story action should be fluid and connected to one another, and to make the plausibility more linear makes the story more complete. The reason why your characters are motivated to the actions they take in your stories need not be identical to something you've said or done (or overheard); in many instances, it's more direct to not make too many explanations or backstory justifications.
Another common place for this type of thing is with characters: sometimes, especially in short fiction, one character with more dimension will fulfill the job of two or more minor, flat characters. Say you've got a taxi driver who gives your hero a lift, and then when the hero arrives at his destination he asks a policeman on the street for a place to get a good cup of coffee. You might, in this instance, give the taxi driver a bit more character if you let him explain where to get that cup of joe.
With settings and scenery, consider how much is too much-- if your characters are constantly rushing around it may be difficult for your reader to get a sense of place. You might consider using a set more than once to conserve some of your characters' (and readers!) energy.  For example, perhaps instead of hitting every restaurant in town, one or two "regular" places might be in order.
Just a few ideas to help streamline and tie together loose ends in your stories-- making the whole a more cohesive and enjoyable unit. 
Until Next Month,
Take care and Write on!
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This Month's Question:
Do you have trouble keeping your story elements uniform? How do you manage the balance between detail and clarity?
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