Question for those who write both short and long fiction

I've focused largely on short stories. Partly because they're fun, partly because the size of a novel intimidated me. I'm a naturally concise writer and so short stories just seemed a better fit.

Definitely different writing skills (My attempt at a novel last summer didn't go as I was expecting) but it is all practice and the short stories definitely helped me in becoming a better writer, a better pantser, better at using words appropriately and working out adverb issues, and it had the huge benefit of boosting my confidence.

Lastly, I learned to finish stories. The beginning is important, so's the middle, but the end is imperative!

uscgbyron said:

Lastly, I learned to finish stories. The beginning is important, so's the middle, but the end is imperative!

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Don't forget how important it is to read widely in whatever area you want to actually write in.

If you want to write Flash Fiction then read a lot of Flash Fiction to get a good feel for it. Going into it without reading and saying "I am going to write a story <1000 words long" probably won't be quite as effective as it would be had you read dozens of stories fitting that length requirement, etc.

When I started writing my novella it was a short story. I ended up just carrying on until it became what it became.

I personally still think the old school method of writing short stories builds firm foundations for novel writing later on.

Personally, I simply write the story I need to write. My short stories are full of all the extraneous details if need be -- and they often are. I do not accept that short stories have to have less depth.

Of course, we have seen a re-emergence of short story collections on the literary scene over the last couple of years. They have become quite popular again. Though these things come and go in fashions.

I think they work better in literary fiction though. For more story-based genres I think it's true there just isn't enough space to tell the tale ad they read as rather weak and lacking substance.

Regardless, I do believe they provide a good training ground at the very least. But it does take a great writer to make them work -- Charles Bukowski is probably the last eminent short story writer I can think of right now.

Just want to say, for a minority opinion, that I see no difference in writing a short, long or middle-length story. It's all story-telling, imo. I write the same way no matter the length. Just like when I told my children stories - some were a one-nighter before bed. Others went on for weeks, night after night.

And though I'm not published, yet, in novel-length works, I've done all the others and sold them: Shorts, short-shorts, novelette-length, novella-length. I hope, to my conceit, it's only a matter of time before I do sell a novel. I hope.

I simply tell a tale - it might be long or short or in-between - but it's as long as it needs to be. I don't consciously consider the differences because of length. It just happens.

But I don't think too hard or long about my writing, anyhow. I give it the most thought when I'm here on AW, answering questions or giving advice, or whatever. In that way AW's been good to me...

Back to writing...

Tend to write flash differently than novellas / novels. Much more compact, prose is really sharp at times, run-ons galore. With novels there is a chance to take it slower, stretch out the legs, shorter simpler sentences. So because my style kind of changes between the two, I find it necessary to write both. Fortunately, someone's usually willing to buy the shorter stuff.

I write all kinds of stuff, short stories, novels, poetry... I just love that kind of freedom.
In a way, I find writing short stories more difficult than writing long ones, b/c of all the restrictions: in word count, in ideas.
I like to compare it to poetry: every word, every sentence must be there for a reason, and you can only use so many ideas...
This makes for a very intense piece of writing.

Writing shorts can teach a writer a lot about pacing, writing techniques in general, cutting out all the unneccesary stuff (amongst others)...
Which can make your longer work more powerful as well.
So, SophieB, there are your reasons!

I really enjoy writing short stories and flash. I actually think flash is harder. I once wrote a story for a publication that called for 100 words or less, and it had to have a beginning, middle, and end, as stories do. Mine came in at 74.

I usually write short fiction if I have one situation, one to three characters, and I'm only looking to get a reader from point A to point B, maybe point C if I'm allowed a higher word count.

If I find myself expanding that one situation to include multiple subplots, if more than three characters (active characters) show up with all their problems and personality quirks, and point B leads to C lead to D leads to E... Then I tuck that idea away for a novel.

How I tell my stories remains the same for both, the only difference is how much story I have to tell for each.

I'm doing the exact same thing. I'm have several novels in the works, but am writing flash and short fiction to practice my craft. I know it is a semi different style, and flash frankly takes a lot more combing and attention than my novels, to get every word right, but It has helped me be a better writer.

Ugh, the guilt thing is brutal. I've totally been there, and for me the conflict between "I want to write X" and "I should be writing Y" usually ends up paralyzing me and I don't do either.

I've recently tried a sort of perspective shift which, so far at least, feels like a success. I break my day up into 3-4 two-hour blocks (it takes me about two hours to plan and write a scene). As long as I spend at least one of those blocks each day on what I "should" be writing, I can feel okay about spending the others on what I "want" to write.

To your main question: I find writing short fiction really develops my economy. My scenes feel more focused than they used to, and I think that helps my longer work not wander around as much. I also feel like I'm developing better control over pacing. Before I tried short fiction I felt like pacing was just this thing that happened, and I never really understood concretely how to speed up or slow down the story.

I haven't tried flash fiction yet, but it's definitely on my to-do list.