  Short Stories
This week: If It Might Fit, You Ought to Submit! 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.
This month:
If It Might Fit, You Ought to Submit!
The submissions process can be daunting, even for seasoned writers. The odds of failure are high. Why, then, persist? |
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So, I've been thinking a lot about failure, lately, in a writerly context. No one really likes to fail at something, but we do it all the time. It's one of the odd quirks of the writer life that one of the things we like the least is something with which we have such constant contact. It's sort of an odd thing that the only way to be "successful," (for certain values of successful,) is to write, make submissions, and earn rejections. But really, those piles of early rejections are important, if you're hoping to find yourself in print someday.
I don't know that I subscribe in full to the Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 Hours rule lock, stock and barrels, but I do think that it is continued practice-- through effort and strain and failure-- that we learn what it is that we really want. There are some neat parallels to be found here as well, in fiction; characters are more interesting when they fail, right?
Some writers are content with the notion of simply being read -- it's a good feeling, and for me, for a very long time that was definitely "enough" for me as a writer. I've gotten to the point where I have stories in me which feel as if they're burning holes through me trying to get out, now, though, and they feel like the kind of stories I want to share as widely as I can. That ultimately means that to meet my current definitions of success, I'm going to have to get out there and submit a whole lot more work! Which means, by association, that I also need to get out there and fail a whole bunch.
For some folk, there is diminishing reward in submitting short fiction for publication, and that's fine. If getting into print isn't one of your parameters for "success," then you shouldn't stress about it.
If you want to succeed, you will want to do your homework. Read as many markets as you can afford-- many have free issues or have free content on their websites which should give you a good idea as to what types of stories they might be interested in. I've found that keeping lists of my stories that I consider to be "finished" on index cards at my desk with brief notes and category ideas (usually general ideas, like "death," "cats," "dark humor," etc) seems to help-- you could also do this on a spreadsheet, which you could then use to track your submissions history. Follow all the provided instructions-- don't prejudice the slush readers against your story by using poor formatting or not following the rules. For example, make sure to send your story with only the information required. Check to see if they have any special or unusual rules, such as if a magazine only want "blind" submissions (submissions where the document file of your story does not have any identifying marks on it such as your name and address; this is counter to the types of advice given in many basic submissions guidelines pieces).
Be prepared to agonize a bit when you hit the Submit button. I always do. Then drown that agonizing in another story! 
Wherever you are in your writing, keep it up-- successes, failures, and all!
Until Next Month,
~jay |
This Month's Picks!
I try to avoid plugging my own items in newsletters, but today's editorial was inspired by the inaugural weeks of work with a new group and forum right here on WdC, designed for that morale boost you need in the whole effort to submit and get published!
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Feedback from "If It Might Fit, You Ought to Submit!"
Koyel~writing again writes:
Hi Jay,
I really enjoyed this newsletter about writing short stories and got some useful tips from you.
Thanks,
Koyel
You're most welcome!
Elfin Dragon-finally published writes:
I'm not sure what nonfiction I've read recently, but I've read some mysteries lately. I picked up some "Joe Grey" and "LoveJoy". Although I also enjoy reading what's been termed "Historical Fiction". Other than that I stick with poetry and my own writing, I know, just terrible.  Well, there is the Bible, but I'm not sure where you'd classify it.
Well, it's a start! Historical fiction is another great source of ideas.
Jeff  writes:
I love the "Stuff you Missed in History Class" podcast. It's one of my favorite sources of ideas; there are so many fascinating stories from human history, many of which are skimmed over (or entirely omitted) from most history courses. Reading nonfiction is so important for writers; not only does it provide knowledge to incorporate into our stories, but sometimes it even gives us ideas for the stories themselves! 
Absolutely! It's also sort of life-affirming to know that these stories kind of happen over and over-- and feels validating when writing fiction to notice something which has happened in history as well.
Zeke writes:
I've been in a rut similar to yours for a long time too. I think I'll try your idea. Thanks.
Zeke
Better than nothing, hey?
blunderbuss writes:
Thank you for the newsletter, Jay. There's plenty out there, I find, in newspaper articles of real events.
A very short column in one newspaper, about the unearthing of a very old skeleton in an archaeological dig (with some interesting peculiarities about the burial) inspired me to historical research. I ended up with writing a long short story.
One of our most famous crime writers regularly scans the newspapers for reported murders, asks the question 'what if....' of the perpetrator, and ends up with a new character for her more psychological crime novels!
Yeah, mystery writers in particular seem to be able to pull from-life events to good effect.
aegreenfield writes:
History has inspired me with a story I'm crafting. One supporting character is a nineteen-year-old who had her child at sixteen. While that's young in modern times, it was once common for girls to ponder marriage and family at age sixteen. It was the women's rights movement of the 1960s which allowed girls to wait longer periods before settling down.
Well, keep in mind that "common" is not "universal," either-- but that's fertile ground for a story idea indeed!
Feedback from "Kishōtenketsu"
Elfin Dragon-finally published writes:
I know I'm late in replying for this newsletter but I'm without computer and borrowing one at the moment when I can. Anyway, the idea of "plot without conflict" is very interesting. If you think about it a lot of our daily lives happens in a sort of this fashion. But I think American (or Western) culture has gotten used to its writing being full of action and adventure. We balk at the idea of books having "plot without conflict". And yet we'll sit down and read poetry, or at least the more advanced in our society will.
Well, we have, and yet we have plenty of cultural touchstones where conflict arcs are minimal, or don't result in final resolutions.
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Short Stories: August 20, 2014 Issue [#6503]
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