I’ve been learning so much lately about writing short fiction. It’s not that I’m new to short stories, but I believe it’s important to sharpen your craft from time to time. That doesn’t mean I’m a professional writer, either. In fact, I think professionalism involves continuous learning. It doesn’t have to be something you borrow from external sources; you can always DIY your own syllabus and choose what works for you.
This month, I’m using a very freestyle approach to focus on short stories. I plan to shift to a different mode of writing next month, but for now, I’m really enjoying it. I’ve been reading and listening to short fiction from various world literatures and different eras, and I’m even reading in different languages to get an authentic glimpse of these works. One of the aspects I’ve appreciated most on this enjoyable journey into short fiction has been the science fiction stories written in the early 20th century.
Some of these were quite boring to me because they felt more like philosophical essays disguised as stories, or just monotonous dialogues between two characters—one of them giving an exposé on some topic, like reincarnation, which fascinates me. Others were more science than fiction. Still, many were interesting, not just from a science fiction perspective, but because they offered a window into the world of the 20th century—its aspirations, dreams, and fears. You could easily find correlations between the story plots and what humanity was going through at the time.
These stories piqued my interest in space topics, even though that’s not usually a favorite of mine. I enjoyed the witty takes on Martians and how they were compared to humans. Beyond that, I also explored short stories from Russian and French literature, as well as a few from Egyptian writers. So, I’ve had a bit of everything. I’m also interested in short fiction by Asian writers, though I’ll be reading them in translation.
Short fiction, in my opinion, is a matter of taste. Some, like me, love it, while others don’t care for it. But I believe every fiction writer needs to explore this art form from time to time. I’ve also watched a lot of YouTube videos on short stories. One of them featured a writer talking about her experience publishing short fiction, which gave me some inspiration that I hope to apply to my own stories soon.
I hope you’re all enjoying what you’re reading right now!