Amazon Kindle discussion

As an author of short stories, I notice readers seem to have strong feelings about short stories, one way or the other. Some people tell me they find my work because they read short stories exclusively. They say they love knowing they can read them in one or two sittings. Other people tell me they are undecided on whether to buy my work because they generally don't read short stories. Some people even tell me they hate short stories. I find this really interesting and wanted to know your thought son short stories. Love them or hate them and why?

I typically don't like short stories and won't read them unless the description is amazing or many people have recommended it to me. I find that when I read short stories I would really get into the story and would always be left wanting more. I want something to sink my teeth in so to say. I want to be able to connect with characters and feel satisfied at the end. Short stories are just too short for me.

I don't generally like short stories, and will only read them if they are part of a series that I really like. I feel like they're over too soon, they don't give me time to get to really know the characters, get involved with the plot and the setting. I'm even disappointed sometimes with some shorter but technically full-length novels. And I really like series that can keep me involved for multiple books.

As a reader, I love short stories! I think it's a medium that is sadly fading away. Chekhov would be so disappointed. :P I love getting a snapshot of a character's life. Novels and series are great, too, but sometimes that's just not what I'm looking for as a reader. Some stories are just not meant to be dragged out to novel length. A story is done when it's done, I say; one shoudn't drag it out or cut it short just because one wants it to be a novel or short story, respectively.

I'm interested in character, in plot, and so forth. The length doesn't really matter much to me. If it sounds like something I'd like, I'll give it a shot regardless.

I also love writing short stories because they're a challenge. Every little detail has to count in a short story. You have to pick and choose what you tell the audience, what the audience has to be left to infer and what you cut out all together.

I never read short stories until I got my Kindle. Now I've read a few and I've enjoyed them. A couple have been written to show off the writers skills and they've been good.

So long as they keep them cheap, I don't have a problem. I've read ones by John Connelly, Tess Geritssen, Lee Child and Dean Koontz. They're quite handy when you don't have a lot of time to read.

Short stories are great if they're well-written. I don't like to be left hanging. I want a conclusion though I don't mind if it's implied there is more to come.

For instance, Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series has several short stories. Each story is self-contained with a beginning, middle and end. I don't have to read the other stories to know what's going on even though I am one of those people that has to read a series in precise order. lol


I'll read short stories, but I won't be happy if they leave me hanging at the end and they need to be well-written.

I have never really found that the length of a work has any real bearing on its quality. Instead, my experience has been that some skilled novelists produce very disappointing short stories, which will cause me to avoid that author's short fiction in particular.

I like short stories for when I have just a couple of minutes to read and don't want to get involved in something longer. I keep several of them on my Kindle for quick reads while I'm waiting in line or for an appointment. I agree that each short, even if part of a series, should feel self-contained.

I never really read short stories until less than a year ago. I really enjoy them! I like to read them when I need a break from reading rather long novels. I do find that sometimes, it leaves me wanting more...but that's good because then I'm more apt to find more works from that author. I look at it as a way of introducing a new author for myself. :)

I generally avoid short stories as I find that they are over too quickly and I am left hanging. That said, I recently read a short story collection by one of my favorite crime thriller writers. The character in the short stories was the same in some of the novels so I felt like I knew him. The short stories were crime mysteries and they were able to solve the mystery within the short story without me feeling it was rushed or too neat. So, I probably would not purchase a short story or collection of short stories from an author with whom I was unfamiliar.

I absolutely love short stories and always have. Back in the day, (ahem, we won't say how far back) I would read shorts in collections to track down new authors to read. It was a system that worked well for me.

I am also a horror fan and I do believe that some of the finest shorts ever come out of this genre.
Sandkings, The Yellow Wall-Paper and of course, almost anything by Poe or Machen.

I joined http://www.everydayfiction.com . They send a flash fiction piece (under a thousand words) to your email everyday for free.
When I want a break from novel writing, creating flash fiction pieces is my favorite way to relax. A good one should have a resolution and a surprise in the last sentence or two.

Charlene wrote: "I absolutely love short stories and always have. Back in the day, (ahem, we won't say how far back) I would read shorts in collections to track down new authors to read. It was a system that worked..."

I heard The Yellow Wallpaper was good, I will have to check it out.

Thank you for the information

I have a strong preference for full length novels. I like to get to know characters, place, and plot at a more leisurely pace than typical in short stories.

Thank you guys! This is so interesting.

I say a few posts ago something mentioned about "The Yellow Wallpaper." This is funny because I am a college student also and we had to read this for our assignment this week. I was actually surprised by this story. It is better the second time you read it. You definately get a better understanding of it.

I enjoy short stories. I remember reading them in high school for English class, and then for a long time afterwards, got away from them. I rediscovered my love for them a few years ago. I like the depth and description the author must craft into a work of art that is such a short length.

Bridget wrote: "I say a few posts ago something mentioned about "The Yellow Wallpaper." This is funny because I am a college student also and we had to read this for our assignment this week. I was actually surp..."

Bridget, there is a lot going on in that story. A little knowledge of medical treatments for women at the time is also helpful.

The Vampire for Hire Series by J.R. Rain are execellent but they are short they are complete. Books 3 & 4 left you handing so you would get the next book but the cases that she has are always solved. So I like but hate that it is short.

Charlene wrote: "I absolutely love short stories and always have. Back in the day, (ahem, we won't say how far back) I would read shorts in collections to track down new authors to read. It was a system that worked..."

Oh, The Yellow Wall-Paper. One of my absolute favorites! It's horrifying in its own way; the description of the woman "creeping" will stick with me forever. I studied it a few times in university, and I liked it more every time I read it. I remember sitting my sister down and forcing her to read it one night!

Jennifer wrote: "Charlene wrote: "I absolutely love short stories and always have. Back in the day, (ahem, we won't say how far back) I would read shorts in collections to track down new authors to read. It was a s..."

Jennifer, wasn't it good? Deliciously creepy. *shudder*

Hmmm, as an author I find this question very interesting. It takes a special gift to write a good short story... not sure I have it. As a reader I prefer a novella length to full length novel.

That being said, I love shorter dialogues (like plato) as well as shorter mythological stories or proverbs, so maybe i need to think more about short stories.

I think a poll would be intersting with this question to get some quantifiable info.. ok so Im goint to toss a poll out there. Hit the poll section about 5 minutes from now if you want to cast a vote!

Cheers

I may sound ignorant, but if you don't know the answer, ask, right?! I always thought short stories & novellas were the same thing, aren't they?? If not, what is the difference (other than length?). Thanks!

Pretty much just length, but with length other things change like the level of complication of the plot and the degree of character development.

Some people define a short story as anything less than like 7,000 words. I have seen definitions upto 20,000 words. A novel tends to be at least 50,000 words with most near or over the 70,000 mark. So that space between short story and novel is the wrelm of a novella.

So a title that is between say 20,000 and 50,000 words would pretty much be considered a novella by most people. Thats like 70 - 175 pages which the author can do a lot more with than less space.

Jeffrey wrote: "Pretty much just length, but with length other things change like the level of complication of the plot and the degree of character development.

Some people define a short story as anything less..."

Thank you Jeffrey! Your explanation clears it up for me. Thank you again for taking time to answer. :)

love them. It says on the ticker that Strangers in Death is 346 pages but I consider it a novella because it is the shortest book I've read. It might be the size of type or whateer, but the story goes quick.
I also love Stephen King's short stories, 4 to a book sometimes.

How odd. It could also be the margins. If its an ebook the author can do all kinds of crazy things to make the book page could look longer. Some people wont buy an ebook for more than 0.99 if it isnt a full length book.

I love short stories! I admire writer's who have mastered the short story genre. Every word has to count! Unlike a novel, there is no continuation to the next chapter. You can't leave your character hanging for fifty pages before explaining his actions.

I generally do not read short stories, as they only leave me wanting more of the story, which leaves me frustrated.

Depends on the writer, usually. Some can write fantastic short stories that are really my style, at least they make me feel like they're my style of what a short story should be. Stephen King often writes fantastic shorts, and Ray Bradbury. Most of Hemingway's is fantastic also.

I'm a huge fan of short stories, both as a reader and a writer. As a writer, they're great for instilling discipline, as the compressed space means you do have to make every word count as you develop your characters and plot. Every word has to drive the story, and the form forces you to be quite ruthless in terms of the number of characters you include, etc.

As a reader, I enjoy short stories because they're such a compact way for the author to convey their point. I'm mostly talking about science-fiction short stories here, which I don't often write myself. Bradbury's already been mentioned so I'd specify A Sound Like Thunder, which gave us the awesome image of a man changing history by treading on a butterfly, and There Will Come Soft Rains, wherein an automated house ticks its isolated way through routine chores in the wake of nuclear armageddon. And The Pedestrian, of course.

Short stories are so awesome that Philip K Dick wrote We Will Remember It For You Wholesale, inspiration for Total Recall as a short story. It is brilliant, but Hollywood has now twice ballsed up the attempt to convey the same ideas on film. See also Paycheck and Impostor. And Stephen King's Lawnmower Man.

I... struggle to understand the thought processes of those who don't like short stories because they leave them wanting more. So, you lke to read a novel until all joy and interest in the characters is burned out beyond all hope of salvation? Leave 'em wanting more is the classic showbiz mantra, and I'm happy for short stories to employ it to deadly effect.

I have to say, I'm not a fan of short stories. Once in a while a Christmas one will get me, but I rarely read them. I don't want to be left wanting more. I want the build up of characters the meat of the story and the burning out. It is a natural consequence when a story is done unless there are sequels. I want to move on to the next great story.

I think there's a time and a place for short stories, either when you don't have time to delve into something more weighty, or sometimes as a 'palate cleanser'. And of course, sometimes it's just the right medium for a particular story!

I wrote nothing but short stories from 1990 through 1997. Then I sold my first novel, and I soon realized that most of my short story ideas could work for novels, and novels if successful can give you much more financial and publicity success. So I wrote almost nothing but novels from 2000 through 2008. But, more recently, I've gotten back in touch with the quicker fix of joy with a short story, and have been writing more short stories, along with the novels.

I read a mix of everything. I often read short stories on the kindle or before bed as I can read a story or excerpt and not want to stay up until 3 am and finish!

I think so long as it is marketed as what it is, that is fine. I have seen books on Amazon of 10 pages for quite a bit.

There is a place for short stories, as much as novels. At least I think so, but each to their own.

Sometimes a story says all it needs to in a few pages. Sometimes something augments a full-length novel, but doesn't fit well in it. All of mine thus far on Amazon are short, but the few reviews I've gotten have been decent.

I've read a lot of novels that I wished were short stories, so I could finish them quicker and get on with my life. I've rarely read a short story I wished was any longer.

I think that short stories are a future format. People have a limited attention span , so quality short fiction will keep gaining popularity. I hope readers will re-discover old masters like Chekhov, Akutagawa Ryunosuke or Gogol who wrote many great short stories.

I am not a fan of short stories, most of the ones I have read just when I am getting really involved and everything gets going there is a quick wrap-up out of the blue and I am left feeling like I missed out on a lot.

When I was going to High School. Short stories were a required reading. The first story I read was "The Mask of the Red Death" by Edger Allen Poe. It was followed with all the other great writers. I write short stories not because they are great,Its only for a message that I include with each one.

I really enjoy short stories. I think more authors should pursue them because many novels would have made better short stories. I have a inconsistent attention span so sometimes a short story is what I need. My favorite books to buy are anthologies.

Writing short stories is the best way for young (and old) writers to hone their skills within a contained structure and space. It is similar to the difference between a copywriter writing copy for a multi-layered Web page environment (with infinite links) versus a single sheet of confined paper. Being able to say more with less is important.

I like short stories.. I miss the magazine called ""true stories"" that was an awesome my FAv magaine ever and than it stopped!

Short Stories can be just as satisfying as reading a good novel. I especially love scifi/fantasy ones. Its comparable to watching twiglight Zone episodes. If you love films AND short TV show episodes with standalone story episodes then then its just as fun with novels and novellas. Then there are those that write a prequel/sequel Novella to a main series of novels which serve as tantalising tasters. Two in particular I have read recently are by Gayle Ramage. Cigs, Bolan & Strange Men With Guns and The Shoemaker's Son. Very witty prequels to an upcoming series of full length novels which I look forward to.

A good standalone story I read was Greener Grass by Michael J. Sullivan. Sorry, I'm a time travel fan, so all these books I mentioned all have time travel as a theme, lol.

Here's a place for free short science fiction, including my multi-dimensional "Extra Credit" http://buzzymag.com/extra-credit-by-p...

I enjoy reading short stories (125 pages or less for me). I usually will read a short story in between a 300 or more page book especially if I feel the book is moving slow in content.

I don't read them much anymore. I don't write them much anymore either (mainly because there doesn't seem to be much demand for them). On a rare occasion if it's by an author I already like, I'll read one. I generally only read short stories by authors I already like. I don't use it to discover authors as I've found that often short stories have nothing in common with the style of a novel, even if the novel and short are written by the same author!

As others have mentioned, a quality short story is a fine thing. I've read plenty of novels that seemed padded out, and I've read plenty of short stories I'd love to see expanded. As a form, I don't know that there's much to say about it - it's all about the execution.

Personally for me I prefer longer stories, preferably in the 400+ range, because , for me I like to spend time with the novel and its characters and adventures. I am such a book nut, that I never want to finish a book. It feels like I have lost a friend when the book comes to an end :( And with short stories, while I have come across many wonderfully written short stories, they end so soon, that I don;t get a chance to really connect with the story.