In an article for Writer’s Digest, Dallas Woodburn says that writing short stories can help you grow as a writer and prepare you for writing your novel. “Short stories aren’t just for the MFA workshop,” she says. “Here are five reasons why practicing your craft in the short story format is a way to hone your skills throughout your writing career.”
- Short stories are a perfect avenue to explore new genres. “Crafting your own tale in that genre within 10 or 20 pages is much easier to grasp than trying to take on an entire novel from the beginning,” Woodburn says.
- Short stories are ideal for taking risks. Similarly, it’s easier to break rules, including genre conventions, if you’ve only committed to a 15-20 page short story. You can also play with POV or other devices you might not want to try in a longer project. Experiment!
- The inherent brevity of short stories sharpens your focus as a writer. “In short stories, there is no room for throat-clearing or distraction or unrelated tangents,” Woodburn says. “When you are writing a short story, you boil your craft down to the most essential elements, learning how to create much from little.”
- Short stories are often the gateways to new novel ideas. Short stories are great ways to explore new characters without committing to a full novel. “When we first get to know our characters in the confines of a short story, we develop a good sense of whether or not we would like to journey with them throughout an entire novel,” Woodburn writes.
- When you feel burned out from a big project, short stories re-spark your motivation. If you’ve spent a lot of time on one – or several novels – you might need a break. Finishing a few short stories can give you a creative breather and a sense of quick wins. You might try a short story break even during a project, when you’re stuck in the muddy middle, so that you don’t lose your momentum.
