I've become convinced that unless I can learn to write short stories, I will never be a really good writer. I've heard that writing a novel is supposed to be hard, and I agree, but I find writing short stories twice as difficult. And it's not because I can't say things in few words. It's simply because I can't light on any ideas. Due to the Theory of Creativity, I'm obsessed with ideas that are totally unique. I've got plenty of those for full-length novels, but I've never been able to come up with any for shorter works. All my ideas need so much room to move around. I've never been able to think of a really brilliant plot that can have justice done to it in under 5,000 or even 10,000 words. And until I do, I can't really be a writer.
The thing about short stories is that they take place in a very brief space of time (usually). You have fewer conflicts, fewer plot elements, and a narrower plot arc in them. And in order to stand out from the plethora of other short stories by other authors, they have to be Epic.
I'm a novelist. I write extensive books with huge plots and many conflicts. I don't know how to write a really good short story. But I should. I could learn how, if only I could get any ideas. Despite the millions of ideas I have all the time, I've never been able to find one that Works.
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