Reading and Writing Short Stories
Recommendations from Zoe Gilbert and a short Q&A with award-winning short story writer Ruby Cowling!
How do you write a short story?
This question prompts a prequel question, or at least one that we should think about alongside the question of writing: how do you read a short story?
The short forms, from flash to novella with short stories of all sorts of lengths in between, do require a different kind of attention from a reader from either poetry or longform prose. Some people talk about slowing down; others about reading at least twice. There’s yet another layer to it for the reading writer, seeking clues to how to machinery works.
If we know how to look, we can learn a huge amount just by reading carefully, attentively, and this is just the sort of learning that can be grist to the writer’s mill as opposed to a series of intimidations. We begin to notice, and the subconscious files away an interesting metaphor, or a clever construction. In the end, these noticings filter through to our own writing without us having to force it.
Here are a couple of places where you can find gentle, curious guidance into short stories and how others read them. Hopefully they’ll inspire you, and encourage you to test your own responses to stories to see whether you agree with others about what they’re up to, what makes them tick.
Jonathan Gibbs invites writers to create anthologies of short stories, many with online links, and introduce their selection. A fantastic, browsable resource that will whet your appetite and lead you to new short story authors.
Listen to great writers read stories they love aloud, and discuss what fascinates them about the work and the author.
If you’re interested in getting started writing short stories, or are already addicted but need a bit of oomph back in your writing practice, you can join Ruby Cowling for her special online course, Short Story Gold Rush: Write your Way to the Treasure! We asked Ruby some questions, here’s what she had to say…
Tell us about a particular short story that excited you, and why.
My most exciting short story moment ever – a complete writing-life-changer – was stumbling across ‘Sea Oak’ by George Saunders. I had no idea about his work before I read it, thinking, ‘“George” seems like the name of a sensible middle-aged man: I shall sit down sensibly and read what I expect to be a serious, moving, subtle story about a racehorse called Sea Oak. My friends, IT WAS NOT THAT. Until that moment I had no idea that you could do that kind of thing with a short story – wild, hilarious, transgressive, insane, unpredictable and absolutely voice-driven. Basically, everything opened up in front of me. What a feeling!
What made you start – and then continue – writing short stories?
It’s a bit embarrassing, but I started because I’d written a novel (as most of us do) that didn’t get anywhere because it wasn’t very good. I realised I didn’t know what I was doing and needed to learn, fast. I decided a good, intensive way to learn about how writers tell stories might be to read an absolute ton of short ones and try and work out how they were done – which I still do. I suppose I also saw that there were short story competitions around, and magazines, and that you could maybe build a CV (and get some kind of response from the world) by getting shorter things published. So, two very practical reasons, which turned into a genuine love for the form.
Ruby’s course combines motivational sessions with assignments that will introduce you to fantastic short story material and how to analyse it, as well as expert guidance from your tutor. Ruby is not only an award-winning short story writer but has spent many years editing journals and reading for competitions. You can read more about Ruby and the course, and book a place, here.
Other courses and masterclasses:
Writing Our Health and Care Stories | 2-4pm Saturdays | 3 x 2hrs sessions | April 27th, May 11th, May 25th | £75
Write Your Self: Intermediate Course | 6-8:15pm Wednesdays | 4 sessions | 10th April – 22nd May | £249
Managing the Inner Critic | 2.5hrs | Saturday 18th May | 3pm-5:30pm UK Time, UTC+1