“A short story is a different thing all together – a short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger.”
― Stephen King, Skeleton Crew
This is such a wonderful description of a short story. I could not resist sharing. Before I discovered Fragile Thingsand Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman I didn’t own many short story collections. Sometimes I would stumble upon really good ones online or I’d pour through collections from college for favorites, or maybe I’d borrow an anthology from a friend. However, I didn’t seek out short stories the way I do novels. Well, that is just not going to work anymore
Cover via Amazon
These days time is the most valuable commodity, and I don’t know about you, but I always seem to come up a little short. In the wake of things-that-must-be-done, novels go unread, memoirs lie abandoned, and works of art “in progress” gather dust. I know, the fault is no one’s but my own. The to-do list is largely voluntary, and I don’t regret doing any of it. The opportunity for a great experience is hard to pass by, but it comes at a sacrifice of those things that relax, steady, and recharge me. Short fiction has become a solution to fill my need to read, learn, and continue to increase my skill as a writer. So, I’m branching out…again.
I’m in the middle of Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles, but I’m almost finished reading it. I’m going to need a little help to keep me going. Who do you think writes good short stories? Any favorite collections?
