May 11, 2008

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Email me at d.phillips@computer.org

At this point, I have written 19 short stories in 19 weeks. In some ways I am surprised that I have been able to do this.

This short essay collects some of what I have learned to date about writing shorting stories and about the short stories that I write.

What I write about:

Men and boys - This isn't a surprise. I have two brothers, no sisters, three sons, and no daughters.

Life in the south - I lived there most of my life. I lived in California a few years and wrote story set in the Central Valley of California where my father was raised.

Where I find story ideas:

I look at photographs on flikr.com. Story ideas come to mind after viewing a few dozen photos.

I look at classic stories (one source is the Old Testament), find the core of the plot, and use that plot with different specifics.

Take an oft-used story plot and use an opposite ending.

Some lessons:

Writing a 2,000-word story was hard. I tried twice in vain (2,400 and 2,100 words).

Writing a 1,000-word story was hard. I tried once in vain (1,300 words after three rewrites). I will try again at least once more.

Writing 5,000- to 10,000-word stories comes much more naturally. I think that means I am more suited to writing novels instead of short stories, but I'm not sure.

What is ahead?

I will keep writing. At some point - after 25 or 30 stories - I may go back and work hard on some of the stories.

Perhaps in the fall, I will start submitting stories to university short-story publishers.

Books: 

While writing these stories, I have read three books on fiction and short stories. These are:

• "Creating Short Fiction, The Classic Guide to Writing Short Fiction," Third Edition, by Damon Knight, 1997, St. Martin's Griffin.
• "Creating Characters, How to Build Story People," Dwight V. Swain, Writer's Digest Books, 1990.
• "Techniques of the Selling Writer," Dwight V. Swain, University of Oklahoma Press, 1973.