by Maggie King
A while back, I had a conversation with a well-read young couple. Like me, they enjoyed mysteries, the classics, and literary fiction. When they asked what I was working on, I said I was finishing my third novel and planned to focus on short stories for a while.
“Really?” The man looked doubtful. “I know that writers like writing short stories, but do readers like reading them?”
“I’m guessing you don’t,” I said. “What is it you don’t like about them?”
“They’re too, well, short.”
The woman added, “Just when I’m getting into the characters, the story ends.”
Are their comments typical ones? I expect so.
When I asked my book group members if they read short stories, I got blank looks. One of them, a retired English teacher no less, said, “Well … we read them in school.”
My first short story was published a year before my first novel. Two people I know told me plainly that they would wait for my novel, as they had no interest in reading a short story.
I selected the following comments from reviews of anthologies published by the Sisters in Crime Central Virginia chapter:
“Short stories cannot deliver a good mystery to me. There were a few short ones that were good, but on the whole, not a great book.”
“I am not a huge short story person usually because I don’t feel like I get enough information. I only read this book because of a book club I belong to.”
“My biggest problem is that they don’t end with a clean-cut solution. You pretty much get a ‘feel’ for what will happen and then have to use your imagination to finish the ending.”
And some good reviews:
“Very much enjoyed! I’m a busy mom with not much time for fiction, so I loved that it was a collection of short stories. …. It was truly refreshing to be able to read a good short story and then move onto the next when I was ready! Interesting stories and well written.”
“My first ever mystery story collection. A friend recommended it and I really enjoyed it! Glad I branched out to try something new.”
I asked award-winning short story writer Art Taylor to comment on the reviewer who wished that short stories ended with clean-cut solutions. This is his response:
“Short stories don’t always tie everything up nicely at the end. They often end on an ambiguous note and the reader can draw her/his own conclusion. Sometimes readers complain, as they expect the endings that novels have.
“I do try to strike some balance myself—key questions answered (no information left out) but emotional issues still up in the air a bit, if that makes sense. Maybe what happened is explained, but the fallout is still to come, and the reader can imagine some of that rolling on into the blankness of the page beyond the final word.”
Despite the criticisms, many short stories are being published in anthologies, collections, magazines (the magazines are mostly digital now). For some time, I’ve been hearing that the availability of short stories in digital format has made them attractive to readers. But based on the above in-person conversations and online comments, writers need to do more than digitize their stories–they need to make them appealing. How can we do that? How can we satisfy the reader who wants “more?”
Such a reader might like a story collection. Anthologies present stories by different authors, but the ones in collections are penned by one author.
In Shooting Hollywood: The Diana Poole Stories by Melodie Johnson Howe the mysteries are not only beautifully written, but Diana Poole, actress/amateur sleuth, appears in each one. So if you take a liking to Diana, you’ll find her in the next story. And the next. Perfect for the reader who wants continuity and character growth. Other authors feature different characters and settings in each story of their collections.
Authors with published collections include Ruth Rendell, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Marcia Muller, Bill Pronzini, and our own Gayle Bartos-Pool with her outstanding Only in Hollywood. There are many more. Suggestions for non-mystery collections: Maile Meloy’s Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It, and Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge.
An idea from M. Louisa Locke, who guest-posted for Writers in Residence in 2020: she wanted to keep readers interested while they waited for her novels, so she started publishing short stories based on her Victorian San Francisco Mystery series.
In addition to short stories serving as a marketing tool, they allowed her to develop the minor characters in the series.
Read M. Louisa Locke’s post.
As for satisfying readers who want the clean-cut solutions they find in novels–that’s a tough one. Writers certainly want to please readers, but short stories are not just short novels. In my own stories, the reader will usually know who committed the crime, but vigilante—not traditional—justice is often served. I can only think of one story where I had the villain led away in handcuffs. However, I agree that some authors end their stories on overly vague, even abrupt, notes.
Likely there will always be readers who prefer novels over short stories—and that’s okay. Perhaps the best thing we can do is keep writing, stay true to ourselves, keep improving our craft, and the readers will come.
A parting idea: writers and publishers could work together to come up with effective ways to promote their short stories, collections, and anthologies.
These are my thoughts. Yours?
Coming in September: Short Stories: The Writer.
Images courtesy of book.store.bg, abebooks.com, ElizabethStrout.com
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The Writers in Residence 
Maggie, your post is rich with great suggestions for reading and a superbly incisive look into the art. Short stories are in a class of their own. I have just finished reading every single one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes short stories and each is a perfect lesson on how to write one of these often-enigmatic offerings with a satisfying end solution. Some authors have said that writing a short story have led them into expanding it into a full-sized book, a novel way (sorry!) to get the juices flowing. Thanks, Maggie, for your terrific insight and research into a subject that both readers and writers, thankfully few, s often denigrate.
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Thanks for your comments, Jill. My favorite Holmes story is the Adventure of the Speckled Band. I’ve read it countless times, and it seems different each time.
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I have found the opposite reaction to short stories when I talk to people and do events with other writers. Most people tell me they don’t have time to read a novel, so the short story is better for them. But there are different ways to present those like you said in this post. Some books are anthologies of various stories with a different cast of characters in each tale. And then there are those like my Johnny Casino or Chance McCoy books that feature the same detective in all the short stories. New things are learned about the main character in each story, so the reader gets a better understanding of the hero after reading all of them. As for a short story that leaves the reader hanging, the writer needs to go back and finish his work. You have to give the reader a beginning, a middle, and an end. But at least we can keep people happy by turning out either a long or a short story for their enjoyment.
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Gayle, it’s so interesting that we’ve had different conversations. I wonder if the difference is in how we’re having them. An idea for a future post, perhaps? As you’ve turned out so many stories, short and long, I value your comments.
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I enjoy short stories, Maggie, although I read a lot more novels. But I certainly appreciate short stories and I’ve even edited a few short story books over the years. And my first published fiction was a short story, for which I won the Robert L. Fish Award for best first mystery story of the year–before I even knew what the Fish Award was! Thanks for an enjoyable post. I think it’s time for me to read, and maybe write, more short stories!
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Linda, I’ll look forward to reading your short stories. And congratulations on the Fish Award—new one to me!
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Miko here. Very insightful post, Maggie. I’ve wondered about the popularity of short story anthologies as well. You’d think with so many of us time-rushed today, not to mention the short attention span some have, short stories would be more popular. Part of the issue may be readers who truly enjoy reading enjoy getting immersed in a story over hundreds of pages, speculating what will happen next, which is impossible with a short story. And IMO the popularity of book series with recurring characters comes more from the time we spend with them on the page, often over many years, than with the plots.
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Miko, I agree with your comments about recurring characters. I often remember the characters in a story or series, but seldom remember the plots.
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I like short stories with the character(s) I already know. M. Louise Locke has a great thing going. (She’s now writing a short story about Dog-napping in Victorian San Francisco. She uses characters (dogs, kids, servants) from her longer novels. There is even a Cavelier, King Charles Spaniel, Linda!!) Gayle also does this. But…… I also notice that authors are coming out with “Prequel” stories on their mystery series. It’s a good way to get readers “hooked” and for me I like reading the shorter versions to see if I will like the series. And a short backstory mystery is fun too. I will also pick up a collection of mysteries if several of my fave authors have stories in them. Thanks for the post. I look forward to Part II.
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Sounds like I need to find that short story when it’s available!
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Jackie, thanks for supporting authors who pen short stories. I agree that M. Louise has the right idea.
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What an interesting post, Maggie. I love getting engrossed in a good novel. But when I am traveling, or rushing around, I read short stories. And love to re-read Agatha Christie, Conan Doyle – and of course our own Gayle Bartos Poole’s short stories. There are a few women’s magazines in England that always have at least 6 short stories each WEEK!! I’m so glad we have choices!
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Rosemary, you’re lucky to have those weekly mags. I bet they have great stories. Are they available online?
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A fascinating post that has given me a LOT to think about. I find it difficult to write a tweet let alone a short story but I am always in awe of writers who can write them because they demand a lot of skill and planning. There isn’t the luxury of time to set up the characters etc. I read them from a view of “I wish I could write this” but, dare I say, I’m now encouraged to give it a go. M Louisa Locke’s approach is brilliant. In fact, I think I’m going to explore that concept with some of my regular characters. Prequels seem fun to write too. Thanks for this Maggie!
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Hannah, I’d love to read your stories, especially ones based on your characters. Keep us posted.
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Sorry I’m late to the party, Maggie. I am old, and “way back when” short stories were very popular in my little universe1, and my very first published story was a short story in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine ( in the days when you got paper copies mailed to you!) Yes, the queen Agatha did it all! What a lady!!!
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Reblogged this on Words and Reviews and commented:
Booke and Review readers, what do you say about SHORT STORIES?
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