Writing Short Stories: A Writers’ and Artists’ Companion

For a lot of writers, the short story is a lost art. But learning this particular art form well can be the best way to open doors for writers on the road to publication. Courtia Newland and Tania Hershman, both with many published short stories as well as other published works to their names, have put together a compact guide to writing this specific form. The opening section of the book is a retrospective of the form, covered in nine rich essays by the authors that go into such topics as the history of short stories and reflection on the evolution of the short story. Part two contains twenty strong, beautifully written, inspiring essays by different writers on such subjects as being brief and setting and voice. Part three has twenty-two essays covering every aspect of the form, from ideas and inspiration to structure to publishing. The writing throughout is exceptionally accessible yet clearly shows the writers’ expertise. The information is useful and comprehensive. Throughout are suggestions for reading great short stories to see what works. Last are lists of sixty favorite short stories and fifty collections, a great bibliography, and an index. This is a must-have book for fiction writers.