As writers, we sometimes think the hardest part of writing is getting a full length novel completed. But I’m here to tell you that short stories can really give you a run for your money.  It takes real talent to pack a punch in only a few words.  The reader has to be drawn in immediately. There is no time to fool around trying to give so much to the story, that the middle and ending are left wanting because you feel you have to get to the end. 

Writing a short story takes slow and careful deliberation at times. It is a process that only the writer can feel and know how to unfold. In the unfolding there is sometimes the tendency to rush forward, get it done. But a short story needs to marinate and be given the kind of attention one would give a newborn baby.

I enjoy writing shorts stories and personally find it much more challenging than novel writing. But I welcome the challenge and hope many more writers will step into creating those little hors d’oeuvres of literature.  They are the snacks for readers who want a little something in between books. Something to chew on while they decide what their next big read will be.

Even more, short stories are the gems that often change lives in ways unexpected.  Many a great film has been made from short stories–movies such as Minority Report, a short story written by Philip K. Dick.  Underestimating their impact would be a disservice. Short stories are, in many ways, in integral part of writings the world over. They are strong and stand the test of time, right alongside many great novels in history. 

Speaking of which, I have a short story to write. Until next time…

Zaji is an author and lover of life.