Do you hone your skills by writing a few short stories before tackling a novel or is it your preference to just do the novel first?
soloset said:I'm not sure exactly what you mean, actually. I read your question in two different ways.
If you mean, "You've decided to write a story in a set genre you haven't tried before. Do you write several short stories in that genre to get your toes wet, then proceed with a novel in that genre?", then no. If I have an idea that strikes me as having enough meat for a novel, I'll go for it, regardless of if I've written anything in the genre before. I've found reading in a genre is more effective for me to get a feel for it than writing "tests" in it, anyway.
If, on the other hand, you mean, "You're making a career out of writing. Do you start out writing short stories as a way to get better skills, then start a novel when you feel ready?", then yes, that's how I did it, although I certainly wasn't aware that's how I was doing it at the time. And the term "short story" implies rather more of a story arc and plot than most of my earlier works possess.
Maryn said:I agree with everyone that the skill sets for short stories and novels aren't quite the same. However, I think a lot of people who get the vague notion that they want to try writing but really don't have the skills--yet--are better served by starting with short fiction.
They have a lot less time and effort invested in the early mss. that show their entry into the learning curve. We've all seen new writers who don't know how to punctuate dialogue, craft a hook, use a consistent POV, adhere to submission format, and all the other beginner goofs. IMO, better to teach yourself the basics on something short that can be completely scrapped or rewritten from the ground up without taking another year of your life to do it.
I started with a novel. I wish I hadn't. I thought I knew what I was doing, but I was wrong. What the hell, not the first time, or the last, huh?
Maryn, who may one day rewrite it
wideawakesoh said:Okay, my fellow wordsmiths, this is very simple.
It all depends on what you've got cooking in your imagination. It could be a short story, or it could be a novel. It could be a whole series of novels, or a whole bunch of short stories about the same characters, none of these would be firsts. Just start writing. Don't classify it. Just tell your story and when the story is finished, you'll know what it is because you'll know how long it is. Short stories are no less noble endeavors than novels, they're just shorter, but sometimes they require much more focus because you're trying to tell a clear concise story in 5 to 10,000 words, but your brain feels like it wants to go on and on and on, which is why I say to just start writing. If you still really can't figure out what to do, I suggest you pick up a volume of short stories from your local bookstore, anyone will do, but your best bet is to try something more modern. Stephen King has some great anthologies (Everything's Eventual is his latest), as does Clive Barker, or you could just pick up a copy of America's Best Short Fiction, or a book of O.Henry. Reading short stories will give you a better idea of how to tell one, and a better graps of how the pieces fit together. If you write something between a short story and a novel, hey, we have a name for that too. It's called a novella, and it's also a perfectly acceptable form of prose. Once again, Stephen King can give you an idea of what novellas are (his book Different Seasons has four of them, one of them the famous Shawshank Redemption). But overall, it really doesn't matter what kind of story it is in terms of length. Just write it, because in the end it won't matter what your story is classified as, it will matter that you told it.
"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream by night."
Edgar Allan Poe
Keep writing,
wideawake
I love this freakin banana!!!