The long and the short of it by Sue Russell
(This image is totally irrelevant, but cheering, I thought.) I've been thinking about the relative merits of different lengths of fictional pieces. My own are all novel-length, though not door-stoppers, and I've found this form most congenial. This may be partly because I enjoy reading longer works, relishing the opportunity to immerse myself in fictional settings and get to know characters at a deep level. However, I have a body of short stories, written over a number of years in response to assignments set by one of the writing critique groups to which I belong, and I have reason to be thankful for them. They kept me going at a time when the creative wells were dry and I was writing little besides - if nothing else they provided a necessary discipline. They also show most vividly how I've developed as a writer; many showcase flaws I shudder at and would cringingly avoid today. Sometimes I churn out a short piece of fiction out of sheer shame that I contribute so lit...