Welcome to a new week! Glad you could join us here at GWN. Today we have Vicki Batman talking about why she likes short reads.
Here’s Vicki!
Ick! I’ve heard people say. Short Fiction? I’d rather read a book.
Well, I would too if the pieces I’m talking about were like the ones I read in high school. My brain still shudders over memories about the one with the killer ants in South America. I don’t mean those kinds of stories.
I confess, I write short romantic comedy. I like to write funny. I like witty banter between the hero and heroine. I like to entertain and give readers something to laugh about. It just comes out of me. And I find it to be just as satisfying as a long book.
I don’t leave out the setting, I describe the characters. The hero and heroine have a problem and 5,000 to 13,000 words later, overcome it.
Frankly, some books should be this short. 🙂
Recently, short fiction has become popular with smart phones. People are reading on the bus, at lunch break, wherever. It’s nice and sweet and gratifying, all in one quick read.
I’ve written as short as 800 words for Woman’s World magazine. Those stories usually are called sweet meets. I’ve sold fourteen stories to the Trues–Love, Romance, and Confession–which are sometimes labeled the sin and repent stories. Only mine aren’t. And I’ve sold to other e-publishers.
So what about you? Are you thinking short fiction isn’t for me? Or maybe you might want to delve a little. Coffeetime Romance has a small piece of mine entitled “Bug Stuff.” Check it out here: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/FreeReads/bugstuffbyvickibatman.html#.UbJX5-Io7cs
And if you like “Bug Stuff,” maybe you’ll like “San Diego or Bust,” available at: http://museituppublishing.com
Let’s hear what you think: Short? Long? Anything?
Find Vicki at:
Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com
Plotting Princesses: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com
Find San Diego or Bust at:
MuseItUp Publishing: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/San-Diego-or-Bust-ebook/dp/B00BXNNO2Y/
And B&N and Smashwords
Cindy here again!
I love writing shorts but I haven’t read many shorts. I will remedy that!
Happy writing.
Cindy
July 8, 2013 at 9:30 am
Hi Vicki,
I’m envious. You’re doing fantastic. Isn’t it cool to find your niche! I love the same things in a book; banter, making people laugh. But you have a talent that I’m missing with the shorts. I tried and couldn’t even pull off a 100 page novella. Guess I’ll just have to be content writing books.
July 8, 2013 at 11:20 am
Hi, Pam! Writing shorts requires a slightly different process. Less is more!
July 8, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Hi, Vickie,
You have definitely found your niche. Normally I don’t write short–it takes 100 words for my characters to say hello! But I did write something short, almost by accident, and you’re right, it just came out of me. After I’d written it, I wasn’t quite sure how it had. I think it’s all about writing what you’re good at, and where your heart is, because if you aren’t having fun writing, neither is your reader reading it.
July 8, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Hi, Linda! You know I didn’t begin with writing shorts. And now when I write longer, I get back you write too breezy. lol I have to work at adding more emotional depth and adjectives when writing shorter. Sometimes, the story just comes the way it comes.
The trick could be the way I learned. To critique six to eight in a row. Osmosis sets in and then an idea may come. That’s what happened to me.
Thanks, my friend.
July 8, 2013 at 12:30 pm
Vickie, I love your short stories and so does my daughter. She claims that’s all she has time to read and your books are very satisfying to the reader. I’m working on a Novella, and I’m pushing to make it to a 100 pages 😉
Good luck, I’m picking up another one of your books today!
July 8, 2013 at 12:40 pm
Hi, Geri! Thank you so much for the kindest words ever. Means the world to me and to have your daughter love my work too–I hit big bonus bucks today. Work on that novella, girl. You can do it. Sometimes, writing short makes the writer a better one. We get to the real nitty gritty of the story.
Hugs, GF!!
July 8, 2013 at 2:22 pm
Vicki, my friend, you know how much I love to write short stories. I have you to thank for introducing me to the Trues. I love your stories. Like you, my shorts for the Trues weren’t sin and repent, but pure romance. I’m happy short stories are gaining in popularity. You and I knew it was only a matter of time.
July 8, 2013 at 5:19 pm
yes, ma’am we knew! and are we having fun!! I think we are doing great too> You keep on and I’ll keep on and show the world how fun shorts are. ox
July 8, 2013 at 2:52 pm
I love good short fiction, Vickie! I happen to know you write GREAT short fiction. Story length isn’t a big deal for me as long as there’s a complete story there.
July 8, 2013 at 5:21 pm
Thanks, Barb, for the compliment! If the story is great< length doesn't matter. hugs
July 8, 2013 at 3:11 pm
I love this idea.
I’ve been concentrating on two full-length novels, but I’m going to try to fit a couple of short stories in here and there.
Your short, Bug Stuff, was fun and flirty.
Thanks for the post.
July 8, 2013 at 5:32 pm
Hi, Kristi! Thank you so much for the compliment. I love “Bug Stuff,” too. Handsome said something funny and my head went bing! The story came forth. I hope you can try short and please let me know how that works for you. hugs
July 8, 2013 at 3:59 pm
Vicki, I love your stories. I just got into writing novella’s and short stories and find they are a way to keep the juices flowing when I’m not working on a book.
July 8, 2013 at 5:33 pm
Hi, Marian! Yes, stories do keep your hands in the game-lol. And ideas continue to flow. I write snippets down just in case I might need something one day. Thanks for visiting, my friend.
July 8, 2013 at 4:26 pm
I love to write short stories and read them. Anthologies used to be the only place I could find short stories but now with ereaders, I’m in heaven!
July 8, 2013 at 5:35 pm
Hi, Melissa! You are right about anthologies used to be the only place we saw short, especially in romance. The short stories I grew up with were not those. They were more literary. I didn’t read the TRUE magazines and had no idea about romantic ones. But now, I am flying. Continue on, girl!
July 8, 2013 at 9:45 pm
Hey, Vicki. This is way past lunch, and even past supper. 🙂 Been swamped trying to finish the galley edits, but had to stop by and say hi.
July 9, 2013 at 11:38 am
Hi, Marsha! We do have those crazy days and Mondays bring us back to reality. Thanks for stopping for the HI! hugs