Finding examples of short fiction written in specific genres/POVS

HD Simplicityy · Jan 19, 2019

I'm probably not looking in the right places and don't know what to look for. Based off recent feedback Im given, I need to read some short stories written in second and first person and the fantasy genre. This way I can get a better understanding of how to edit my own stories in those styles and read more stuff I read mainly in school. I'm used to reading very specific sci fi novels and just the other day finished a more than a year long read of the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. No, I don't have interest in reading absolutely everything out there. I do have interest in specific categories, whether or not those interests stay or go.

On that note, I'm feeling totally overwhelmed by the amount of reading I'm told I need to do just to become a better writer. Im having a hard time balancing reading with writing in various forms (content, freelance, and personal projects) and other tasks. Am I overthinking all of this? I do that to myself often and find it extremely difficult to break out of it.

Denevius · Jan 19, 2019

I’m confused as to what you’re asking/querying. And that’s after reading this post over three times.

The most I can make of it is that you’re looking for examples of first and second person narratives in fantasy fiction? If that’s what you’re asking for, that’s going to be hard to find because second person narrative is rarely used, and first person narrative is rarely used in fantasy fiction.

lizmonster · Jan 19, 2019

The truth of professional writing is that you need to understand what's selling, and that means reading current work in your genre. And yes, it's time-consuming. For most writers who sell, it's a job (albeit in most cases not the one that pays the bills!).

If you're tring to sell shorts, the solution's fairly simple: read the markets your subbing to. You'll often find two publishers that seem similar (i.e. Tor and Analog) tend to publish stories with vastly different tones and atmospheres. On top of figuring out which markets are a better fit for your own work, you'll learn what kinds of stories are making money these days - what the larger genre conversation is.

I find I need to balance reasing for fun and reading for "work." I still unapologetically go back to my favorites, but I keep an eye on what's selling, too. And no, you don't need to read to write - but you do need to read if you want to improve, and if you want to maximize your chances of getting paid for your work.

Woollybear · Jan 19, 2019

HD Simplicityy said:
I'm probably not looking in the right places and don't know what to look for. Based off recent feedback Im given, I need to read some short stories written in second and first person and the fantasy genre. This way I can get a better understanding of how to edit my own stories in those styles and read more stuff I read mainly in school. I'm used to reading very specific sci fi novels and just the other day finished a more than a year long read of the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. No, I don't have interest in reading absolutely everything out there. I do have interest in specific categories, whether or not those interests stay or go.

On that note, I'm feeling totally overwhelmed by the amount of reading I'm told I need to do just to become a better writer. Im having a hard time balancing reading with writing in various forms (content, freelance, and personal projects) and other tasks. Am I overthinking all of this? I do that to myself often and find it extremely difficult to break out of it.

Where is the feedback coming from? Sometimes people in writing groups pile on with a piece of advice, and it's good advice but sounds like a bigger job than it actually is. The 'amount of reading' might not be as big as you are making it about to be, for your immediate goal.

In broader terms I agree with Liz, and her success speaks to the validity of her approach. But if you are overwhelmed, just pare it down. You don't need to read everything right away.

If your specific goal at this point is to learn to write in 1st/2nd person fantasy, you only need one or two good books to connect the dots for yourself, after which you can apply that specific lesson to your own writing. One or two good books. That's all. Don't let this overwhelm you.

The author Jemisin wrote a recent example of 2nd person fantasy in her Broken Earth series. I don't know any recent published first person fantasy offhand, although there's a lot of first person narrative out there so I am sure you can find it.

Here's a suggestion:

Go to the library to the new books shelf, under fantasy. Read the back jacket of every single one to find some that sound good, and the opening pages to see if it's 1st/2nd person. Check out a stack of books that fit these criteria and take them home. Then just start reading them. You don't need to finish any that you don't like (though making notes about why you didn't like them is important) --but with luck you'll find one or two new books that you really *do* like.

(Might be something you've never heard of. I recently picked up a book titled Sip at the library, and was sucked right into it. That doesn't happen very often, but when it does, I know there's something I can learn from the author.)

Lakey · Jan 19, 2019

I’m one of those who firmly believes you do need to read a lot to become a better writer - indeed many of the questions that are asked in the Basic Writing Questions forum are well answered by “pick up a few books and see how other writers handle this.” You can’t expect to improve at any craft without study.

But it doesn’t need to be a chore, and it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. The good news is that everything you read, if you read with your brain engaged, will help improve your writing. It will show you mechanical techniques in use; help you understand the uses of showing and the uses of telling; inspire ideas for your own stories; and much, much more.

You don’t have to read 100 books today. Start with one, and then read another, and another. Read things you enjoy, but think about why you enjoy them - what is the author doing to engage you and keep you reading? If you’re finding that you aren’t enjoying something, you’re allowed to stop reading it and move on to something else - but there, too, think about why you aren’t enjoying it, and you can learn something even from the book you didn’t like and didn’t finish. (Regarding fitting reading into one’s life: I do a lot of my reading with audiobooks, which allows me to read while driving, exercising, cooking, doing chores....)

As to your questions about stories - I’m not sure you really mean second person, do you? Because it’s very rare. At any rate, I am not much of a sf/f reader myself, but I know that there are anthologies of Hugo-winning and Nebula-winning short stories out there, and Best American Science Fiction and Best American Fantasy anthologies as well. (If you don’t want to spend money on these, I’m sure any library can help you.)

:e2coffee:

lizmonster · Jan 19, 2019

Lakey said:
As to your questions about stories - I’m not sure you really mean second person, do you? Because it’s very rare.

It's rare for a reason - it makes for a weird read, and a lot of readers are going to bounce right off it. Jemisin's the only recent example I know of, and that's a novel-length work (and I believe the 2nd person POV is only for part of the novel). On the other hand, you may have hit on an untapped niche.

The anthologies are a good idea. Additionally, most of the SFF short markets have web sites that allow at least some of their published shorts to be read for free.

Chris P · Jan 19, 2019

I agree second-person is very hard to pull off successfully. Usually, I roll my eyes and tolerate it if it's done well. I can't think of a story told entirely in second that I think wouldn't have been better in first or third. That doesn't mean they're not out there, though.

To stay current on trends, not only read the markets you want to sub to, but there are ba-joodles of annual anthologies, many of them in sci-fi. I read several (non-SFF, though, not really me genre) each year, and take note of the markets that are represented. Once immersed, I write the stories I want to write, how I think they need to be written, keeping in mind a balance between what's getting published and what I feel the need to write (which is by no means a mutually exclusive dichotomy--being able to do both is evidence to me that I have matured as a writer).

HD Simplicityy · Jan 19, 2019

Sorry for the confusion. I meant second person short stories, not second person fantasy short stories. It was well after midnight my time when I posted this lol.

So second person, first person, and fantasy, all separate. I wrote a second person short story for a writing class three years ago this winter (wow...seriously that long ago? amazing) about a guy picking up his classic car that was just restored. Figured I can revise/edit it, add a little which I've now done, and do one of two things with: find a place to publish it or post it to my personal website once a friend of mine helps me redo what I've done. If I post it to my site, I can't make money off of it. As for the first person stuff, I wrote a short story smaller than the above one for yet another writing class. I'm taking it and showing how I'll rewrite it but on my blog, so a follow along set of posts showing its progression. Sounds fun so I started doing that, and it'll get posted when my site is redone. I'm not really sure this one will be published; rather keep it as a writing sample to my site, unless something else comes up.

Alright, so I don't mean this as a jab to those who commented on my fantasy short story recently. What I gathered is that I need to read a lot of fantasy shorts (note: not second or first person fantasy), and from this thread a lot of other shorts just to get a better idea of what to write. Perhaps In my head I blew it out of proportion haha. For now I'm putting that story aside on break and looking at these much shorter pieces. I guess what I dont know yet is if my short pieces will get published. So it shouldn't be a problem to write and edit them, and get feedback/give feedback to other writers, then set them aside until a time where I can get them published. Hey...at least they'd be "done" until such a time they still need polish! Reminds me of other pieces I have I want to post to my site, except they're not as polished as I would want. That just adds to the pile.

Hopefully that's not all a mess of text to you. Regarding audio books, those were recently recommended to me for those same reasons. The problem is I've struggled to focus on those. . Unlike with music, which I listen to in the car instead of the other. The words come in one ear and out the other. I've found it better to read the actual words than listen to them spoken. And that pretty much only goes for audiobooks, unlike, say a someone reading a news article online or a Sunday morning sermon at church. However....however with all that said and what you say, I'd just have to teach myself how to get better at listening to them.

Alrighty, what I can do is try audiobooks once again through either Audible or another source, find short stories at the library, online or in short story publications, and learn from those. If it's best to wait a little while to get myself published for the first time I can.

Whew...wall of text there. Thanks!

Jack McManus · Jan 28, 2019

Here's a link to science fiction short stories, delivered for free to your email inbox.
www.dailysciencefiction.com

lizmonster · Jan 28, 2019

HD Simplicityy said:
Sorry for the confusion. I meant second person short stories, not second person fantasy short stories. It was well after midnight my time when I posted this lol.

Second person is rare, full stop. I've never read any published fiction - short or otherwise - written in second person, although I know it exists. I can name only one work containing a second person section, and it's a fantasy novel.

Are you sure you don't mean third person here?

Woollybear · Jan 28, 2019

Some second person is described at this blog.

https://www.bookish.com/articles/the-power-of-you-5-stories-written-in-second-person/

Finding examples of short fiction written in specific genres/POVS

HD Simplicityy

Denevius

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen

Woollybear

Lakey

professional dilettante

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

HD Simplicityy

Jack McManus

smoothopr8r

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen

Woollybear