Little man’s complex: Short stories that pack a powerful punch
by Kat Latham
I love short stories. I studied them in college and some of my all-time favorite authors (like Flannery O’Connor and Angela Carter) wrote brilliant short stories.
I’ve never been a big fan of romance short stories, though—until recently.
Last year I won a copy of Jeannie Lin’s The Taming of Mei Lin. It sucked me right in, and, best of all, I didn’t have to stay up late and go to work bleary-eyed just so I could finish reading it.
Then, recently, the amazing Suzanne Johnson posted a short story on her site. Now, Suzanne’s one of my critique partners and I get to read her stuff regularly, but her first novel isn’t being published until next year, so her short story Chenoire is a (free!) taster for the rest of you. Let me tell you, the world Suzanne has created is amazing. Think about all the strange things you hear about from the Deep South. Now add fantasy and paranormal characters, and a wicked funny voice. That is the recipe for a Suzanne Johnson story.
After reading the wonderful Chenoire, I discovered Kelly Fitzpatrick was giving away her short story Holiday Hostage. Kelly is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter. Every conversation I have with her leaves me clutching my sides. So an opportunity to check out what her writing style’s like? I’m all over that. Holiday Hostage is funny and full of attitude—like Kelly’s tweets, but longer. Even though I never ever ever buy e-books (no e-reader, and I hate reading on my laptop), I bought Kelly’s debut novel Lily in Wonderland. Yep, couldn’t help it. The short story gave me a taste of Kelly’s voice, and I had to have more.
Three authors. Three vastly different voices and types of story. All awesome. And two of them—Jeannie Lin and Kelly Fitzpatrick—made me fans of their work by tempting me with a well-written short story first. (I confess, I was already a huge fan of Suzanne Johnson’s writing.)
Aside from being short and easy to consume when you don’t have much time, one great benefit of these stories is that they’re cheap (or free) ways of trying out a new author. You don’t need to invest much time or money and end up disappointed and broke.
Do you like reading short romance stories? Have you ever bought an author’s novel after loving their short story writing style? Comment to enter to win ON THE HUNT.
Kat Latham has been reading romance for a couple of decades. With degrees in English lit and human rights, she loves stories that reflect the depth, humor and emotion of real life. When she’s not writing contemporary romance novels, she can usually be found blogging or tweeting overly personal information. She loves meeting other readers and writers online, so follow her on Twitter or check out her blog and say hello!
I love anthologies because they open me up to new authors.
I love short stories, IF they are done well. I’ve read ones that are just wretched because it seems as if the author just sliced and diced a longer work and there are gaps and huge info dumps that are jarring. But if the author can avoid that, I love them. My Kindle is no where near me, and I can’t think of any off the top of my head…except for Victoria Dahl’s (writing as Holly Summers) THE WICKED WEST — that was a good one.
I like anthologies because it’s a good venue to read new-to-me authors before jumping on their bandwagon and they also provide a place where my favorite authors can write about beloved secondary characters that don’t really warrant a full-length novel.
I enjoy short stories, but have a fear of reading them. I don’t want to get to the end and want more of the characters. With most novels I can get to the end and be satisfied because I had the characters for twice as long.
Since I do not read short stories on a usual basis, I would say that am not convinced to purchase an author via the short story route. I just like taking chances on recommendations from other authors, reading the blurbs, or my fav trope.
I enjoy anthologies at times because they are quick reads and like being exposed to different authors. I have found many authors that I like and look into their full length books because of their short stories.
I like shorts because I don’t always have the time to invest in a full-length novel, but I’m wary of buying anthologies when I don’t know who half of the contributing authors are. However, it is a great way to get to know new authors! I read Patricia Briggs’ short in On the Prowl (my first time reading anything of hers) and immediately went out to buy the rest of her “Alpha and Omega” series.
This is a coincidence of timing. A while back, I read an anthology that I thought was overall pretty bad, but one story, by Jeanienne Frost was excellent and I decided to try her series, set in the same world. I absolutely love it! And I was regretting having gotten rid of the anthology, because I wanted to reread her story in context.
Yesterday I was finishing up the book that comes chronologically right before the short story, when I got the notice that it was available for checkout from the public ebook library. I’m reading it right now. 🙂
I’m overall not a big short story/anthology fan (in the romance genre), but those occasional gems keep me trying.
I enjoy reading anthologies because they introduce you to authors you might not have read and you get to read shorter works by authors you already love.
I like short stories but I don’t like them at the same time. I like that I can read a story real quick but sometimes I feel that the story itself is a bit rushed. I normally only buy anthologies if it has stories by authors that I know and they happen to be stories that go along with the author’s series.
I like short stories on the whole. But it can be painful as well, I am reading an anthology now and I starting to skim through because it just isn’t working. But when it does work, love them!
I’m not normally a short story person but occasionally I have read anthologies and enjoyed some of the shorter stories. They are great when I’m really busy and don’t want to devote a lot of time to a longer novel.
I like short stories, but not as much as a full sized one. I did get The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance. There are some authors that are new to me in it that I want to get more of. So the shorts do give me a chance to get to know new authors. I like new. : )
I have bought an author’s novel after loving their short story writing style. I think anthologies are a great to be introduced to new authors.
I do enjoy short stories. When you don’t have a lot of time but still want to get some reading in,these fit the bill.
I have found a lot of new authors through anthologies.
Oh, yes. I’ve found many of my favorite author’s through short stories.
I have rad several short stories. they are fun because every word counts and I love seeing themevolve. i ahve bought other stories based on short ones. I have found some wonderful authors that way.
I just read Amanda Hocking’s Letters to Elise. I tried it because it was free. I read it in a few hours. I loved the Novella, and as a result I now own all of her books.
I love anthologies as an introduction to authors I haven’t read yet and as a good “at work” read of authors I do read. The shorter length of the stories in anthologies ensures I can usually read them in my two fifteen minute breaks and hour lunch at work.
I enjoy reading anthologies. It’s great getting an idea of what a new author is like.
I love anthologies and have a bookcase full of them. The shorter format of the stories makes them perfect for times when there really isn’t time to get involved with a “real” book. Anthologies are a bit longer than short stories, but serve the same purpose. I have been able to sample a new genre and the sub-genre within. With paranormal and urban fantasy especially, there are so many very different variations the anthology has been wonderful for checking out many of them. I get a short, easy way to see if I like that sub-genre and whether the author clicks for me. I have discovered many authors that I have like and started buying their books afterwards. The short stories are good for a taste, but you need the full books to really savor their style, their stories, and their voices.
ON THE HUNT would be perfect for me.
I do love short stories. Have found a lot of new authors that way.
It takes talent to be able to write a short story that satisfies and I love them when they are done well.
I actually don’t like short stories because the characters are usually never well developed enough for me to enjoy it!
I like reading short stories. I found out I like J.R. Ward that way! 🙂
I also enjoy reading short stories. They are a great way to find about new Authors. That’s why I love the Mammoth books so much. I found a few new Authors through reading anthologies.
Carol L
I enjoy short stories!
I do like reading short stories. Sometimes my life is too busy to focus on a full length novel. Reading a short story helps me feed my addiction to books without having to commit more time than I have available.
I like short stories. I usually find new authors when I read a short story of theirs in an anthology that has one of my favorite authors. I love getting a little sample of there work to see if I will like their style.