 Short Stories: August 08, 2012 Issue [#5193] |
  Short Stories
This week: No Wasted Space Edited by: Jeff  
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"Short fiction seems more targeted - hand grenades of ideas, if you will.
When they work, they hit, they explode, and you never forget them.
Long fiction feels more like atmosphere: it's a lot smokier and less defined."
-- Paolo Bacigalupi
Random Trivia of the Week: Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club, Choke) is an advocate for writing a short story every day, a custom championed by Ray Bradbury. What makes Palahniuk particularly unique is his ability to incorporate those short stories into his longer works. His 2005 novel Haunted is actually a combination of 24 of his other short stories, using one as the framework to incorporate and weave together the other twenty-three. Trivia Bonus: Palahniuk is renowned for his visceral storytelling. In fact, one of the twenty-four short stories in Haunted is a short story called "Guts," which has been responsible for the suspension of a high school English teacher who allowed his students to read it, as well as more than 74 fainting spells at events where it's read aloud.
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NO WASTED SPACE
One of the things I love about the short story medium is that you can write them quickly. In only a matter of weeks, days, or even hours, you can have a complete, finished work. It can be a great jump-starter to get you back into a writing mindset and can be incredibly satisfying to finish a creative work in a single sitting (or a couple of sittings). But what I like about short stories even more is the economy of words that you must use; there's very little opportunity for wasted space.
At present, a short story is commonly understood to be between 1,000 and 20,000 words. Less than 1,000 and you're in "flash fiction" territory, and more than 20,000 and you're in the novella zone. But if you're writing a short story for publication, or as part of an activity or contest, there may be more stringent requirements for length (the Writing.Com official contests limit you to 2,000 words, for example). When you're composing a short story, whether your writing to a word count or later rewriting/editing to one, there's often a lot of material that needs to be omitted. With a novel or even a novella, writers have the space necessary to be more descriptive, more drawn-out, more detailed. With a short story, every word has to count.
With that in mind, here are some tips for paring down your words and packing as much punch into each short story:
 Limit your descriptions. When you're writing detail and description, try to focus on the one or two key features of what you're describing, and only describe the things that need describing. For example, in a novel you might see a description of a living room that details the faded wallpaper, the retro furniture, the ancient television, and the worn carpet before focusing the antique grandfather clock that strikes midnight. In a short story, you can save words by focusing on what's really important in this room: giving it a dated feel, and the grandfather clock. Rather than an entire paragraph of detailed description, you accomplish the same thing with a sentence that quickly establishes the tone of the room and immediately focuses on the clock, the most important aspect of the room.
Steamlined dialogue. Dialogue is a remarkable element that can either take up a lot of space, or save a lot of space, depending on how you use it. A lot of banter back and forth can take up hundreds of words in a story and get you nowhere. By contrast, a carefully crafted conversation can convey a ton of information that would take paragraphs of prose to explain. By meticulously working smart dialogue into a story, you can save a ton of space and keep things moving along at a brisk pace.
Fewer or no subplots. With a short story, there's not enough space to deviate very far from the main story/theme you're trying to get across. In order to properly set up and pay off a subplot, it requires a lot of work (and a lot of words). In a short story, you may not have the luxury of spending that many words focused on something other than your protagonist and his or her main conflict.
As short story writers, we don't always have the luxury of spending as many words as we'd like to write our stories. We're often limited by word length and sometimes even restrictively so. As a result, we can't afford to have any wasted space in our stories. That might mean cutting down some dialogue or omitting some descriptive elements, but we have to do what's best for our stories... and if we're limited by the number of words we can use, we just have to make sure every single one of them counts.
Until next time,
-- Jeff
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This week, I would encourage you to check out the following short stories:
He might, Sid thought, while straining to see an approaching road sign. That young whippersnapper just might pay ten million for my dealership. A mover and a shaker in the car sales game for sixty years, Sid Ellington grudgingly admitted to not being as sharp as he used to be. He experienced what he called "senior moments," now and again. He needed to get out while he could still make a bundle.
Joanne rolled her eyes. Whatever. She leaned back in the dark leather as he engaged a gear and changed the lane. The steady humming and soft vibrations of the engine lulled her in, and she closed her eyes.
They drove in silence for a while, halting at irregular intervals. When at one of these stops the driver shut the motor off instead of accelerating again, Joanne opened her eyes.
"What's going on?"
His blue eyes met her golden brown ones in the mirror. "Traffic jam."
Brigitte looks at me for a second; the green of her eyes is sharp, like pine needles. She turns her head to look at the ocean, and the wind whips her blonde hair this way and that until her eyes are covered by curls and she resembles a kaleidoscope of girlishness.
She’s right, of course. I am a bookish wanker. I try not to be facetious about it, but it’s true, and the fact nestles uncomfortably on my shoulders – or perhaps on the ridge of my glasses, if I’m going to embrace the stereotype.
There was only one way out. The girl stared at the testing screen. The question presented a picture of a room and five items: match, block of ice, grenade, gun, and rope. What did the test think was the right answer? Every one of the items had possibilities to get out of that room. She peered more closely at the room. Any hints there? Panic flared within her. She had to pass this test. It was the only way out of her miserable life. Pass the test, get into the corp. Others had made it out. Why couldn’t she? Recklessly she pressed her finger to the match. Burn the place down. The next question flashed and she gritted her teeth. Cursed test!
The desert wasn't my usual habitat, but an over-heated engine on a lonely backroad had dumped me in the middle of one. I'd been driving to forget—now, I was desperately trying to remember where I was in relation to the main highway. I began to walk, following the road that had led me to this place, making ill-educated guesses at each crossroad. Darkness extinguished the sun furnace and replaced it with millions of stars. They were my only company on that cold, sleepless night.
It all started with chocolate. Who knew something as simple as cocoa and sugar had the ability to change everything. Casey Meyer sits alone on his apartment floor, hand written notebooks and photographs seeming to enclose around him. He hadn’t bothered to pack them yet, his own creation of recipes, along with the pictures of a woman. Her name was Elisabeth. The apartment he now sits in is empty, much like how he felt. This was once their apartment. He had tried for a few months to still live there on his own, but every corner of the place reminds him of her. It even at times smells like her. He would miss that smell, better than vanilla and cinnamon, and Casey loves the smell of cinnamon.
We had one rule for that day and one rule only, never spoken or written down, but fully understood by all five of us: no crying. That day was ours, the last of a million summer adventures, and when the morning arrived one of our own would be taken away from us. But never under any circumstances, no matter what was said or how you felt inside, could a tear be shed. We were better than that.
Daisy, as her neighbors knew her, watered her beloved petunias on the small balcony of her apartment, careful not to spill any water on the sidewalk below. Flowers draped from a hanging basket making it difficult to reach. The basket was a thing of beauty, made of woven vines. She had found it in an antique shop where it was dusty with age, but now it held her yellow petunias. Daisy was proud of her small balcony, littered with plants. The wrought iron railing with twisted bars of black metal showed beauty of long ago. The apartment, built in the 1930's, had a railing that was a lovely Art-Deco design. Though rusting at some joints it still had a timeless beauty.
Captain Green’s fighter had sustained severe damage, shields, navigation and weapons were all off-line; all he had left was his FTL drive and life support. He had destroyed four of their craft; however, two were still in hot pursuit. All he could do now was to blindly jump through space and hope that someone friendly would detect his distress signal.
Cool winds blew into the young woman’s face as she pulled up the hood of her coat, her breath visible . Snow crunched under her feet as she walked down a street. Snow continued to fall around her as she put her hands in the pockets of her jacket in a desperate attempt to keep them warm. Snowflakes continued to fall as she glanced around the area, her hazel eyes looking for any signs of life. “Figures.” She muttered under breath. “Of course, I would be the only person out on a day like this.”
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In response to my last newsletter on what different genres can teach us about writing:
Jed Jones - banned novel  writes, "I really appreciate this:) Having no fiction-writing experience at all, I started out with a (long) story in my head, and took the attitude, 'whatever the story demands at the time'. It's demanding that I delve into pretty much all the main genres (there are even some 'world-building' influences from the fantasies I've reviewed on WDC). So, I found your highlighting of what a bit of each has to offer the others extremely helpful in signposting the standards I should be striving for. BTW, sorry if the answer or link was here all the time, but how can I subscribe to the short-story newsletter? "
Thanks for the kind words! These comments are a little old since I haven't done a Short Stories newsletter since 2011, but if you're still wondering how to subscribe to this newsletter (or any other), just go to the Account Overview section and click on "Manage Newsletter Subscriptions." You can check the box for each newsletter you'd like to receive and each one will be automatically delivered to your inbox every week!
StephBee  writes, "I write a variety of genres to include romance, horror, children's sci-fi/fantasy. Now, I like reading historical, but writing one is a whole another beast. I enjoy the variety and the challenges of the different genres and I feel it really helps to round me out as a reader and author."
I couldn't agree more. There's something supremely satisfying about tackling a new genre and writing a story with genre conventions you've never attempted before. 
Loreli  writes, "Thank you for this newsletter. I found it very helpful and will use it for reference in the future. Very nicely done."
You're very welcome... and thank you! 
kirathekiller writes, "I really liked this. It helped me realize where my strong points are, and what I could work on. It was cool =]"
Thanks!
SkyHawk - Into The Music writes, "SinfulScribe, I've written primarily drama over the last 10 to 15 years. Before that, I made attempts at science fiction, and have recently done some dabbling in erotica. I find sometime I don't need to just switch projects I'm working on (I always seem to have several in various stages of writing), but sometimes even switch genres for a while to take a break / get recharged. Not to mention come back with fresh eyes / mind on a project!"
I do the same thing myself... one of my favorite aspects of writing short stories is that they don't usually require the same investment of time as a longer work like a novel or a screenplay. It can be a wonderful break between longer works when I feel like writing a quick short story in a completely different genre. 
Dr. Dnomyar writes, "i found teh subject boring maby cause i just dont tend to pay any attention to that kind of thing."
Sorry to hear that you found the topic of my last newsletter boring. Hopefully you enjoyed this one a little better!
writetight writes, "Enjoyed your newsletter on genres. Back before my Muse deserted me, and I was writing feverishly every day, I found that I liked to mix genres. When writing for romance magazines I managed to sell numerous stories by mixing romance with action, mystery or detective genres. The editors seemed to like the change of pace from the straight love/romance stories they normally published. So, mix'em up. Have fun with them. You might just find an editor who is looking for something new."
Combining genres (especially in unexpected ways) is a great technique to breathe new life into a story. If it's true that there are no new ideas, only new ways to execute the same idea, writing a sci-fi story with western genre elements or infusing a little horror into a mystery can be a wonderful way to tell a familiar story in a new and exciting way.
Alixia  writes, "Very keen in writing and want to start afresh with Writing.com.Thanks for the information."
You're very welcome!
bertiebrite hoping for peace writes, "Great Newsletter this month. I never tried any other genre except short story mysteries and poetry until I joined WDC. Now I'm learning how to vary my experiences and it has helped me as a writer a great deal."
 I'm very happy to hear you're trying new things with your writing!
Molly Grace writes, "I specialize in fantasy but I would love to dabble in romance. The problem is I have no personal romantic experiences to reference. It's a real issue."
Have you considered interviewing other people with romantic experiences? One of the best ways I've found to research a topic I'm unfamiliar with is to talk with others who are familiar with the topic. Whether that's a particular career, a relationship, or a specific outlook on life, you can get great insight and information from people who have experienced what you haven't. And, of course, I hope you do find those personal romantic experiences yourself. 
BIG BAD WOLF is Howling  writes, "Sometimes there is so much to put in, that there is no room for the clock. (Spy Kids 2 reference.)"
I know that franchise well!
phillywriter71 writes, "I loved this newsletter. What a neat way to try and avoid writer's block by writing in different genres. Variety is a good and it's something I might try with my short stories. Thanks again. Ciao."
Thank you for the kind words! 
J. A. Buxton writes, "((QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Do you write in one genre, or many? Are there any genres you'd like to be able to write that you don't?))
To write in only one genre would stifle my imagination, although I do stick mainly to the mainstream type of story. Over the years I've tried my hand from nonfiction to erotica, but I'd really like to write for young children. Because I'm single and a septuagenarian, I'm not sure I could write in this genre. A few WDC members have complained they don't know the meaning of some words I use. I don't want to write down to children, but don't know exactly what type of vocabulary to use in those stories."
I share your struggle, Judity... I'd love to write for the older children to young adult audience, but it's difficult to figure out where that line is between being condescending, assuming they won't "get" sophisticated writing, and writing that truly doesn't challenge them. One of my biggest fears is writing something that they won't be able to connect with... overshadowed only slightly by my fear that I'll write immature and uninspired prose.
SilverQuill writes, "My mind went into action while reading this newsletter. Thank you."
Thank you for reading and taking the time to write in!
NickiD89  writes, "Fantastic NL! It was really interesting to read your genre-by-genre insights and the lessons each have taught you through writing. I don't think sticking to one genre makes an author an expert at writing it. The elements of many different genres inevitably go into any work -- even short fiction. Personally, I LOVE stretching myself by trying new genres. I won't shied away from a tough genre challenge, because though I may not write a masterpiece, I will learn something new from the experience. "
Thanks, Nicki! Some of my favorite stories that I've written haven't been the ones that I would consider my "best," but the ones in which I attempted to tackle a new genre or subject matter that was completely foreign to me. Not all of my efforts have been successful, but they sure were a blast to try and write.
Smee  writes, "QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Do you write in one genre, or many? Are there any genres you'd like to be able to write that you don't?
Absolutely agree with your main point in this newsletter. Before I came to WDC I was focused on Fantasy. The daily prompts and dozens of short story competitions here have sparked creative juices and led me into a variety of shorts involving sci-fi, writing in the perspective of a woman, gay man, glass bottle, child. Each one tested me, pushed me and made me explore aspects of writing I hadn't considered before - and most importantly - take those lessons back to my original Fantasy writing and make improvements. A good read. Thanks."
That's fantastic to hear that you were able to take the lessons from other genres and apply them to your primary genre of choice... as we each struggle to find our voice and our niche with our writing, it's important to develop skills that will make us stand out. And especially a genre like fantasy for which the genre elements are often familiar and occasionally predictable, infusing elements of a different genre in those stories can be a great way to make your work stand out!
dean writes, "that was interesting and also helpful. dean"
Thank you, Dean!
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