by Jeanette O'Hagan
I don't know about you, but I've always struggled with words - that is in writing too many.
With essays and assignments, I'd usually spend a good proportion of my time removing the huge pile of words over the word limit. In one Arts assignment on medicine in ancient Egypt, after shaving off all the that I possibly could, I 'killed my darling' and surgically remove a beautiful paragraph on the Egyptian pregnancy test.
So. Hard. To. Do.
So it won't surprise you that most of my stories turn into novels and my novels turn into series and my series beget other series.
When various pundits suggested short stories as a way to hone one's writing, I was sceptical. I didn't know how to write short stuff. But I gave it a try - first for a charity anthology - Tied in Pink.
The word limit was 5000 words - so not as restrictive as many such enterprises. In the end, it took me three tries and three stories to hit the mark - Wolf Scout, Full Moon Rises - and finally The Herbalist's Daughter. Each one of those stories included a mention of a pink ribbon (part of the requirements of the anthology), but it was the last that made it within the word count and into the anthology.
The Herbalist's Daughter, in 2014, was my debut into publishing. And I discovered along the way that, yes I can write short stories - usually long short stories - but short stories none the less.
(Here's another confession - it took me two goes to hit the more generous word limit of 7000 words for the Glimpses of Light anthology - Heart of the Mountain (which later became the first novella in the Under the Mountain series), was my first failed attempt, with the second attempt, Ruhanna's Flight coming out at exactly 7000 words.
Strangely enough - I have more success in keeping to 700 or even 500 words than 3000.
From being a sceptic, I became a believer. I love short stories because:
*Getting a short story accepted is easier than finding a home for a novel
*It's fun to write them
*They help sharpen writing skills
*It's encouraging to collaborate with other writers
*While not exactly easy to write, they do take up less time (I almost said lives) than a full novel
*Short stories are a great way to experiment or try something new.
Since that first heady acceptance, I've continued to write and have short stories accepted and published - as well as a few knock backs. Mostly, I'm neck deep in edits of my novels - and probably will be for a while as I hone and polish my next two or three drafts.
At the beginning of the year, I jumped at the chance to write a new short story for submission to the Starlit Realms anthology. Writing a new story revitalised me. Even though I linked the story to my other stories in the world of Nardva (in this case the prequel to Ruhanna's Flight), I explored new characters in a different time and background.
The story made it into the anthology along with the stories of a bunch of other great writers - including some fellow travellers - Elizabeth Klein (the mastermind and editor), Adele Jones, Rebekah Rodda. Sally Odgers and Jenny Woolsey.
Starlit Realms: a fantasy anthology - is free on Amazon and other retailers. So why not download it and enjoy :)
Ten unforgettable stories of mystery and adventure from ten fantasy writers are woven together by the great Storyteller's own eternal magic.
*The mysterious Logunder Library houses no ordinary books, but those created from trees from the Enchanted Forest in a bid to save itself.
*A young princess must choose a husband from four unlikely and undesirable suitors.
*A girl's father goes off to battle dragons in an alternate war and she undergoes dangers to find him.
*A shape-shifting queen risks her life for a family condemned by age-old prejudice.
*One young slave girl risks her life for the sake of reading sacred texts.
*The final day of one of the waterfolk is celebrated with songs and music as she wanders back into the sea.
*A magic boot takes a young couple for the ride of their lives.
*A poor girl deceives the royal family to snag a husband, but it is not as easy as she thinks.
*A biological lab covers up the truth about its research and sends two science students into danger.
*On the summer solstice at Willow Woods Peak, animals may speak and a cat enlists the help of a human to unravel a secret.
And, if you haven't already, give short stories a go.
Jeanette O'Hagan has spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight. She enjoys writing fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, millennia and cultures. Some involve shapeshifters and magic. Others include space stations and cyborgs.
She has published over forty stories and poems, including the Under the Mountain Series (5 books), Ruhanna's Flight and Other Stories, Akrad's Children and Rasel's Song, the first two books in the Akrad's Legacy series - and new short story in the Starlit Realms: Fantasy anthology.
Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life.
G'day Jenny, I'm like you and find it difficult to write 'short', but stuck with it and can -sometimes- manage even flash fiction. I find 2000 to 5000 easier though. I've recently submitted a story I wrote some time ago; it was nearly 3000 words but needed to be 2500 for the competition. I managed 2499. It certainly tests one's ability to write, then edit effectively. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on getting your story to 2499 for the competition. I think having to shave off extra words does help us think about writing tighter. Thanks for the comment and all the best for the story in the competition.
DeleteI'm still grinning after reading your post, Jeanette, for your sure do know how to spin epic tales. :) That said, I have enjoyed many of your shorter stories too and appreciate your advice on honing the art of the short story. I too found this a challenge after years of writing "off the leash" (as far as word count goes), but have discovered the fun and satisfaction of being able to write a short story around ongoing novel WIPs. Well done on this new release. (And congratulations to mastermind Elizabeth!) Free for download is a very cool deal. I hope many take advantage of this opportunity.
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