What the masters think of short stories...

If you don't have a lot of time on your hands, a short story can be just the ticket to take you away on a mini-vacation. The art of the short story is often overlooked. But it takes real talent to fit a full story into a small space.

What do writers think about short stories? Here are a few quotes from a few great authors:

“A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it.” ~ Edgar Allen Poe

“A good [short story] would take me out of myself and then stuff me back in, outsized, now, and uneasy with the fit.” ~ David Sedaris

“Short fiction seems more targeted - hand grenades of ideas, if you will. When they work, they hit, they explode, and you never forget them. Long fiction feels more like atmosphere: it's a lot smokier and less defined.” ~ Paolo Bacigaliupi

"I used to take my short stories to girls' homes and read them to them. Can you imagine the reaction reading a short story to a girl instead of pawing her?" ~ Ray Bradbury

"I decided to write short stories because they got rejected quicker." ~ Caroline B. Cooney

In short, short stories are fun!

Check out a new website, Lunch Time Reads, to browse through a variety of fun short stories that are available for your kindle!

The Power of the Short Story

In my busy life, there are times when I want to get lost in a story but I don't have time to get lost for long. What to do? What to do?

Read a short story, of course!

There are some who hate the short story. They feel cheated. Not me!

As a writer, I'm amazed when an author can tell a full story...let me fall in love with the characters, and hurt for the characters...in a short period of time. When that happens, it's magical. And magic is the power of the short story.

There's a new website celebrating these "bite-sized" reads called Lunch Time Reads. The stories I've found there really do prove the axiom: "Good things come in small packages." Check it out.

************************

NEW RE-RELEASE! A short mystery set in Hawaii.

BIRDS IN PARADISE BY DOROTHY MCFALLS

A bumbling P.I. with a big heart.
A missing sister.
And a hunky detective who is nothing but trouble.
Things are about to get messy!