Something I’ve been wondering lately: do readers of m/m romances/erotic romances like reading shorts? No, not the ones some hot guy is wearing…I mean short stories.I enjoy writing an occasional short story. They take me more time than I’d like since I tend to rewrite more than I write, but for the most part I enjoy the freedom of putting together something shorter than my normal work. Something where I can try a new character without committing to a longer story arc. Where I can play with a sex scene that might not fit any of my other characters. Where I can take a kernel of an idea and run with it, rather than worry whether a plot has enough meat to carry any entire novella or novel-length book.
I’ve got a couple of free stories available on my website. My hope was that they would give potential readers a sampling of my work before they invested in a new author’s first book. But now that I have two books out, I’m debating if I should write any more shorts. I have at least one more I need to finish editing. But after that, I'm wondering if I should write another if the muse strikes. Do readers enjoy an occasional short story from authors (either as a freebie or for sale) or would you prefer authors spend their time working on longer stories? Any authors out there care to share if your shorts are doing well with readers?
Do you enjoy reading shorts at all? Why or why not? Do you find they are usually representative of an author’s other work? Or are you frustrated and wish an author would stick to one length (either shorter or longer)?I’d love to hear what anyone thinks on the subject of shorts (even if you just want to comment on the pics of the guys in shorts I shared).
For anyone interested, you can check out my website for my free m/m erotic romances.
Thanks for listening and for any opinions you’d like to share.
Sloan Parker
www.sloanparker.com
19 comments:
I like short stories; they're just the thing for a quick read and if you don't have time/attention to delve into a much longer tale.
Love 'em!
I'm more of a Novella reader,17500k and up(just call me greedy)
SassyMoRo aka Ro
Hmmm. Good question. As a reader, sometimes a short story is exactly what I'm looking for because I don't have time to get involved in a longer story at that moment.
Most of the time, however, short stories work best for me if I'm already familiar with the characters and this is just a continuation of their story to some extent. You don't have a lot of time to get emotionally invested in a set of characters from a short story and most of the time, that is as important to me as the rest of the story.
As a writer, I find the return value on short stories doesn't equal the time input. So I would probably use my time writing longer stories instead from this point on--unless you just happen to get on fire with an idea that lends itself to a couple of scenes.
:-)
Its not the length that matters, its if the story has been told. If a short story leaves me going... but, but.. what the... then its no good. Just frustrating.
If an author can tell a story in 1K, or 3K, or 10K, and the story is emotionally satisfying, then its good.
I read both of yours. They were good. I'd read others if you wrote them, (especially if you stick to the teacher, library, campus thing... that's hot) and I have no problem paying for a good story no matter the length.
@ladyauthorsld: Thanks for sharing! I was never much of a short story reader (hence my questions) so I was surprised when I started writing them and found it was a great deal of fun.
Ro: It's not greedy to know you want more than a short. :) Like I said in my other comment I was never much of a short story reader, so that's why I was curious to see what others thought. The novella length is something I haven't written yet, but I definitely plan to.
I love shorts. I love being able to read an entire story in one sitting with my coffee.
I'm also fine with an ambiguous ending. Not all shorts are able to be wrapped up in a nice bow, and not all should be, either.
I like to be left wanting more, a good story will stick in my brain all day.
I like reading short stories. Sometimes it's nice to get lost in something for just a little bit. The only time I get frustrated reading them is when it isn't clear that it's a short story and I'm expecting something longer. I don't require everything to be wrapped up neatly, either. I like to use my imagination to think about how the characters ultimately end up.
@Sarah: That's a good point about existing characters. I should have asked that. I have loved shorts about characters that are part of a series. Sort of holds you over until the next book is out. Thanks for your insights as an author too. Perhaps the next time I'm in the mood for a short I should write an epilogue scene for one of my books.
@LB: Thank you! Appreciate you checking out the shorts. I have an outline for more with Scott and Mark, hoping it'll be my first novella length (or at least a shorter novel). Excellent points about the content vs. length of the story. Maybe that's why some people are turned off by shorts. They've had too many bad experiences with wanting more. Thanks for the comment.
@Kimberley: A short romance over coffee...sounds like a nice way to start every day. That's interesting about the ambiguous ending...maybe that's why I'm enjoying playing around with shorts. You don't have to get all the way to that HEA. Good points. Thanks.
@Kerry: That would be frustrating to not realize it's a short. You start getting into it and then, wham...it's over. *making mental note to label mine clearly in the future to avoid that reaction* And of course you'd like to use your imagination...you're a writer. I wonder if non-writers are more annoyed by ambiguous endings...hmmmm
Thanks for all the food for thought, guys.
I think it can be difficult to fit an entire story into the boundaries of a short.
I've read a number of novellas that seemed rushed, as if the resolution was contrived, just to fit it into a set number of words.
For this reason, when it comes to erotic romance, I favour either category-length or novel-length works.
It takes surgeon-like skill to world-build and make us care about characters in fewer than, for example, 30,000 words. When it happens, when you find a gem, it's glorious, but it's all too rare.
I get much more involved with the characters if there's more of a natural unfolding to their resolution, rather than a sense of "Quick - we only have 5k words left! Hurry up and find the HEA!"
I'm a size queen. What can I say?
@Scarlett: A size queen, huh? Interesting point about the "happy ever after." I think sometimes the best a short can manage is a "happy for now" ending. Although there are gems like you said that can do more. Loved this..."Quick - we only have 5k words left! Hurry up and find the HEA!" LOL!! Thanks for sharing.
I love short stories. They can say so much in so few words and they're perfect for when you want to read a finished story, but don't have the time to read a novel in one go.
Cayendi: Thanks for sharing! I like what you said about shorts saying so much in so few words. Definitely the ones I've enjoyed conveyed a lot of emotional depth and powerful characterizations. Those are the real gems like Scarlett mentioned.
I love short stories! So do others. In fact, Tam and Jenre just started a new blog, Brief Encounters, devoted to reviewing short m/m stories (<20k).
Both your freebie shorts were great, Sloan - especially the first one. *fans self*
Chris: Glad you mentioned Brief Encounters. I saw a post about it at Wave's but hadn't had a chance to really check it out before now. It looks great. I think it's a fantastic idea. Not too many shorts get reviewed at the other review sites.
So glad you liked the freebies! I can't wait to write more with Mark and Scott.
I definately like short stories that use characters from a previous novel or hint at a novel to come. I invest most of my writing skills to characterisation and not plot, but when I do the odd stort I stick to plot and make it as steamy as I can. Fun. That's the key word. Make it fun and have fun doing it.
Hi Penny! Thanks for the comment. I agree about having fun. Whatever I'm writing, I try to enjoy the process and find passion for the story, even when the writing takes more effort. :)
Some of my favorite shorts are those that have characters from other books, especially when the short is part of a series. Something to read while you're waiting for the next book to come out.
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