I've written some flash fiction, but I'm more interested in the short story. What I find is that in SYW the shorter pieces seem to get more notice. What happened to the 5-10 thousand word story? For the purposes of SYW, should submissions be broken up, and what would the format be?
Is flash taking over?
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I think the intro page or the FAQs suggest low words totals (maybe 1000-1500) to get actual feedback. To me you would almost be better off making an agreement with another writer to mutually read each other's stuff- someone you trust to be honest
Its much less work to critique a 1,000 word piece than a 10,000 word piece. I'd presume that's the main reason shorter work tends to get more attention. If you want feedback on longer work, you'd probably be better off looking for someone in the Beta-Readers forum.
Plus you probably want to avoid posting complete pieces in SYW, it could affect your chances of actually getting it published somewhere else. (Unless SYW is behind a login. Is it?)
Plus you probably want to avoid posting complete pieces in SYW, it could affect your chances of actually getting it published somewhere else. (Unless SYW is behind a login. Is it?)
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SYW is password protected so you can post an entire story there. Shorter works get more attention than longer works.
SYW isn't a good place for trying to get feedback on complete works (unless it happens to be about 1000 words). You'll notice people don't post whole novels either (and those that try to do it a chapter at a time tend to find the feedback drying up). You'd be better off looking for a critique partner or beta using the beta forum.
What SYW is good for is getting feedback on the beginning. You're likely to find the issues you have with your first 1000 words also apply to the later part.
What SYW is good for is getting feedback on the beginning. You're likely to find the issues you have with your first 1000 words also apply to the later part.
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I posted the first 400 words of my novel in SYW to get feedback because that was all I had written at the time. But yeah the longer it is the less likely you'll get feedback on it.
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In all the years I've been using critique sites, the shorter pieces have been getting more attention than the longer ones.
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Flash can help, I had written flash for years, but wanted to develop longer pieces with a broader view, world. It took me some time to fill in what Flash offers you to exclude due to its brevity. I do not believe it is taking over.
A chapter of a novel is no different to critique. Or shouldn't be.
A chapter of a novel is no different to critique. Or shouldn't be.
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I find chapters are different from short stories because, after the first, they rely significantly on what's gone before. How do you know when something needs more description if it may have been described already? How can you judge character change?
I have been asked that. There is a difference between critiquing and beta reading. What I focus on is what is written, of course it always helps if the writer includes a 'authors notes' of what previously happened. Still, if I am looking at their writing, what they show me should be enough to help that part.
It took a long time for me to change my writer's mind to novel. Not easy.
It took a long time for me to change my writer's mind to novel. Not easy.
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Personally, flash stories are only good when reading online. I'd much rather read short stories up to eight thousand words in print.
I thought this thread was going to be about the marketplace for short fiction, in which case I'd say flash fiction is kind of old hat, not "taking over" in any way. With the advent of these online twitter-like programs where people blurb, flash seems to work well with the format. Probably why you see more emergence of it.
As for SYW, very rarely does a fellow writer have the time to read 5-10,000 words from a stranger when they sit down in what little part of their day they've dedicated to visiting AW. Better to give 1-2k at most and if you think logically you can apply suggestions on your own elsewhere (likely your mistakes are similar to one another or you can infer how to fix things in other sections if you get enough feedback).
As for SYW, very rarely does a fellow writer have the time to read 5-10,000 words from a stranger when they sit down in what little part of their day they've dedicated to visiting AW. Better to give 1-2k at most and if you think logically you can apply suggestions on your own elsewhere (likely your mistakes are similar to one another or you can infer how to fix things in other sections if you get enough feedback).
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I don't see it as taking over, just becoming more prominent due to all the online forums popping up for it.
Flash is best suited for reading online. Thus, it makes sense that editors of webzines/ereader specific publications would seek out stories of that type.
Flash is best suited for reading online. Thus, it makes sense that editors of webzines/ereader specific publications would seek out stories of that type.
Though the title implies it's about the flash market, it's clear from the text that wasn't the question. In critique groups, I don't think favouring short works is something the internet caused. If you meet up with a group of people for critique, it'll be limited to reading out a few pages. It's simply not the type of environment that encourages comments on long work, regardless of how you communicate.
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When I would take online courses the other students had to comment, but they were commenting at least in part because they had to, so I would have to comment in turn. I had the sense that most felt they needed to make X (say 4) paragraphs of comments.
It really shook the value of all of the comments to me. I have better luck with one on one feedback, and people I've learned to trust more.
Has anyone found group, or stranger, feedback of good value?
The way I always critique others' writing on these forums is, if it's long, I start reading and if I can't make it past a point I stop. Obviously I don't add criticisms or comments or praise either. It IS tough investing time in someone else's short stories, but it's also great to see where other people are at creatively.
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