Quote:
Originally Posted by Teresa Edgerton  Are you saying that writers who begin by writing novels and never get around to writing short stories at all aren't serious, Locksmith?
And I think you are comparing two things that are in no way analogous. |
An interesting pick on a tiny part of my post. What I was actually saying with this comment, if you read it in context, is that a lot of "aspiring novelists" are actually procrastinating and aren't, in all honesty, 100% serious about writing for publication. More power to them. However, one way to get into the whole publication process - writing an entire, self-contained story, finalising a manuscript, sending it out, dealing with rejections, dealing with publishers, editing, re-editing, seeing your name in print - is to write short stories. It will help you become a better novelist. (Like all advice though, different strokes for different folks).
As Barney says, the original question was whether writing short stories may be helpful to novelists. They're clearly different beasts, like sprinting and marathon running, and if you want to do one exceptionally well, you need to focus on that goal. But, like running, there is cross pollination and a lot of aspiring novelists would do well to try their hand at short stories. (c.f. George RR Martin:
Frequently Asked Questions - George R. R. Martin's Official Website )
There was a humorous article on The Onion from the premise that novelists were, like screen writers, on strike, and no-one noticed. One of the lines that stuck with me was along the lines of "99% of strikers are writing their first novel".