Short and Sweet

Why I LOVE short stories and why you should too !!!

This piece was first published on my website April 2021. I’ve updated it and am excited to share it here as well, so that others may join me in the land of Short Fiction. Enjoy!

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“I need to read more. I just can’t find the time.”
“My attention span is too short for reading.”
“I don’t know the last time I’ve read a book.”

These are all real sentences from real people I’ve heard in the last few months. Some said to me, some overheard snippets from conversations nearby. And each time, I just wanted to take the person’s hand, look them deep in the eyes, and whisper, join me in the Land of Short Fiction.

The Land of Short Fiction… well, it’s wonderful.

It’s got multiple characters wandering amongst its hills, each going on separate adventures. It’s not limited by genres! It’s not limited to one voice or perspective! This land contains MULTITUDES.

In one story, you can be deep inside the head of an insecure college freshman, and in the next? A pirate on a wild chase across the seven seas. You can experience ten stories written by the same author, learning who they are based on what they create. Or you can take a trip around the world, exploring Australia and Asia and Africa through the eyes of authors who know them best.

I love the Land of Short Fiction. But I wasn’t always this way!

Like most people, I gravitated towards novels. Perhaps it was because I grew up on books like Harry Potter, and my idea of “short fiction” was reading one or two chapters a night before bed. Or perhaps because the short fiction I was exposed to in school was, quite honestly, lackluster. (BRB going to write emails scolding my high school teachers for not introducing us to Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery or Daniel Keye’s Flowers for Algernon.)

Or, above all, perhaps it’s because… novels are just more popular than short stories?

But I wish this wasn’t so! I wish there were Short Story Book Clubs, where we would read anthologies and argue over which story was the most impactful. Can we make this a thing? Please?

“Challenger Deep” by Marina Keegan is my favorite short story ever. Full stop. I revisit her collection “The Opposite of Loneliness” so often that the pages are stained and wrinkled. In other words: they are loved.

I myself didn’t start writing short fiction until I joined my US writers’ group in August 2018. My mother tried to encourage me to try writing shorter pieces when I was younger, but I was young and dumb and set on becoming a world famous author, and world famous authors (as far as I knew) all wrote novels.

It was when I began writing short fiction that I began growing as a writer.

My short story “The Keeper” was published in Dandelion Revolution Press’s anthology “The Secrets We Keep” March 2021.

I’ve been a resident of the Land of Short Fiction for over six years. At times, yes, I stray. But I always find my way back. I simply love experiencing the beginning, middle, and end of a story in one sitting. The best short stories are the ones that make me feel like I have tunnel vision — nothing else in the world exists except for me and this story. (This week, I experienced that while reading Kelly Link’s The Specialist’s Hat.)

If you’re looking to take a little ~trip~ to the Land of Short Fiction but don’t know where to begin, fear not! It’s very welcoming. You can find a plethora of short stories online for no cost (free PDFs on the internet, pieces linked on author’s websites, or an abundance available on SubStack), and you can always message me and I’ll happily share my favorites.

Also, I happen know 13 new incredible pieces you can read for free right now: Check out Dandelion Revolution Press’s first ever online issue. The theme is ‘Transitions” and this issue includes short fiction, personal essays, and even a few poems!

(It may or may not include a short story by yours truly...)

DRP's "Transitions" issue cover (left) and table of contents (right). Artwork by the incredible Niki McQueen!

My writer friends and I started Dandelion Revolution Press because we wished to celebrate and amplify the female perspective, and we wished to do so by publishing — you guessed it — short fiction.

Since 2020, we’ve published three print and e-book anthologies. We’ve now expanded to publish personal essays, and remain committed as ever to sharing female-forward stories with the world. Our team is so excited for this new endeavor of publishing free & accessible online issues.

If you want to try reading more short fiction but don’t know where to start, be sure to check out the “Transitions” issue. You can also subscribe (for free) to DRP’s SubStack and new pieces will be delivered right to your email inbox. Pieces you can read during your lunch break, on the beach, riding the bus, while waiting for your coffee to brew — in short, pieces you can read anytime & anywhere!

I genuinely hope to one day convince everyone to join me in the Land of Short Fiction.

I dream of the day when it becomes natural for someone to hear “I need to read more. I can’t find the time,” and respond, “Have you tried short stories? They’re great!”

Until that day, I’ll continue to publish powerful short fiction and creative nonfiction with Dandelion Revolution Press, taking the world by storm with our multi-genre collections & dynamic female characters. And I’ll continue to be an advocate for short stories everywhere, because YES! THEY ARE WORTHY!

“Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales” I get a lot of inspiration from Ray Bradbury’s short stories, but still have many more to read from this book.

My question for you, dear reader: What is your favorite short story?
Bonus points if you share the link in the comments. 💛