Same narrator, different stories

[starrykitten]

I'm beginning a new story that has the same narrator as another story. I don't know if anything else will be the same about it, and I don't know if they'll ever be published together.

Should I include a note somewhere that this is the same narrator or just let people figure it out if they happen to read both? I don't think there's anything essential you need to know to read one story vs. the other.

Thanks!

[nevada]

Let them figure it out. Readers are a lot smarter than we sometimes give them credit for.

[starrykitten]

True, that. Thanks!

[mikeland]

I agree with nevada. There is no reason to mention any other stories in a cover letter. As long as the stories stand alone, there is no need. If they don't stand alone, then you shouldn't be submitting them as short stories anyway.

So-called "linked stories" or "novel-in-stories" collections are common these days. Some folks are convinced that the only way for a first-time writer to sell a short story collection is if the stories are all connected. In other words, there's nothing wrong with writing a series of stories with the same characters.

Oh, one more point. I don't know of any magazines that publish more than one story by a writer in the same issue. So I don't think you need to worry about that.

[blacbird]

Joseph Conrad used this device numerous times. Not a bad example to follow.

And, of course, you have innumerable examples of genre novel series, especially mysteries, like the Nero Wolfe novels and stories by Rex Stout, and the Travis McGee novels by John D. MacDonald.

caw

[kuwisdelu]

As long as you don't have to have read one to understand the other, don't bother.

It doesn't matter if you're reusing the narrator. I do it all the time.