Post 23 – Writing a Short Story
Posted on | December 30, 2009 | 1 Comment
I love short stories. I have read them all my life. I have had subscriptions to New Yorker, AGNI, Omni, Asimov and other magazines just so I could read the short stories. I have collections from Esquire and the Saturday Evening Post. And, of course, many, many collections of science fiction short stories.
I have written short stories most of my life. I think I wrote my first one when I was, perhaps, eight or nine. My mother kept a copy of it, but I have no idea what has become of it. My earlier stories were dark and brooding, the product of a self-pitying teenaged mind. I still have a few of them around. They amuse me. I want to hug that kid, then tell him to get over it.
Over the years, I’ve honed my writing. Eventually, I began to notice that, although each story I wrote demanded it’s own creative process, I approached each one in a very similar way. It seemed magical and intuitive, but there was something familiar about it each time.
Several years ago, about the same time I started writing with Steve Mancini, I started examining the process I used to write. It seemed very close, again, to the process Steve and I used to write together. I realized, as I looked at it dispassionately, that the process was repeatable, that it could be replicated. That it could be taught to others. This was an exciting discovery.
After Steve and I wrote our how-to guide on writing with a partner that we give away for free, we thought about what else we have to offer, what else people ask us about. It seems to me that I’ve always heard that writing fiction seems a mystery to many who would love to do it. I am committed to people finding and pursuing their passions, and what better way than to de-mystify the process of writing a short story.
So Steve and I wrote a how-to guide on just that. Since we published it, we have gotten several notes from people that, using the book and following along with it, they have written their first short story. Whenever I hear this, my chest glows a little with proud warmth. As I have said before, I cry at supermarket openings, so you know I tear up when we get those messages.
If you have ever thought you’d like to write, or if you’ve ever been confused by any of the parts of the process, I urge you to get our book. If you are a writer and find yourself overwhelmed with ideas or lack any new ideas, or if you frequently experience what people call “writer’s block”, I urge you to get our book.
It’s called “On Writing a Short Story” and you can find it at http://www.WritingAShortStory.com
~Geoff Hoff
Co-author of such how-to guides as On Writing With a Partner and On Writing a Short Story.
| Sign up to get updates from Geoff and Steve and get the eBook, “Unleash Your Creative Writer” free. |
Comments
One Response to “Post 23 – Writing a Short Story”
Leave a Reply
Keep Up with Geoff and Steve
And just for doing so, we'll give you our eBook, "Unleash Your Creative Writer", a $9.95 value FREE!
"Not just for writers, invaluable information for any artist."
– Advertisements –
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
Join Us in our New Forum!
Learn Creative Writing
--==**==--
Who are these guys?
Law of Attraction Words
Search the Site
Recent Comments
Tags
July 23rd, 2010 @ 10:14 am
[...] started writing this novel just like I recommend starting a short story, by deciding what I needed and imagining the specifics of those people, places and [...]