Short and Catchy

I used to brush short fiction off. It was the easy way of writing, non-committal, less time consuming.

I was wrong.

I tried my hand at short fiction and discovered my error. It takes time to create characters that not only grab the reader's attention and sympathy but also come to life on the page. As a novelist, I can take two hundred pages to create my characters. Of course, I want to grab the reader's attention with the first line, but I have the freedom to reveal motives and secrets and fears throughout the work. A writer of short fiction has a limited amount of time to create that same character. Accomplishing that in less space takes more time.

Short fiction is on the rise because that's what readers want. They no longer gravitate towards magazines that feature short fiction, but they browse their Kindle apps and Amazon store looking for something to read on a small screen in a short burst of time. On the subway, in the doctor's office, eating lunch. They only have a few minutes to read, but they still want to be transported by believable characters, dramatic conflict, and a satisfying ending.

In 1000 words or less.

Those writers who prefer longer fiction can still find short fiction useful. Some novelists use short fiction to create a character or gain an audience for a series of novels. Short fiction, by definition, should be able to stand alone, but that doesn't mean it can't enhance your other work.

You can also use short fiction to gain readers by offering a novella as a freebie. Get them interested in the characters, and they'll look for other works about them. It's good to use a novella (20,000-50,000 words) or novelette (7,000-20,000 words) for such a give-away, either on Amazon as a free searchable work, or you can give it away as people sign up for your newsletter. Give them something to chew on.

Short fiction can also be used as serials. Did you know that many of Charles Dickens's works were originally published as serials in newspapers? He was paid by the word, which explains a lot. You can offer the same type of thing, offering each "episode" for a minimal charge. Perhaps later, you can gather them all in one bound work, but done well, serials can keep them coming back again and again, just like with our favorite binged TV shows.

Use short fiction to promote a new novel. I like the idea of offering deleted scenes, but this hasn't worked the way I thought it would. All of my "deleted scenes" came from the unwritten period between the last chapter and the epilogue. Anyone who reads this before they read the novel will effectively know the ending! That needs some work.

Short fiction can give you the opportunity to keep writing. As novelists, we get stuck. Something short can keep us writing through the block and have something to show for it. Short fiction can be fun and useful, but don't be deceived.

It isn't necessarily easier to write.