I mostly don't have short story shaped ideas. I've sold... a few. I've just realized I've lost count. But maybe six? As a writer, short stories are not my form. What I feel exactly the way you say about is poetry -- if someone's giving me actual money for poetry, that I'm just going to produce naturally as the otter produces attar of roses, well, isn't that cool.
But as a reader, I like reading short stories. When I lived not ten miles from where pigeonhed lives I read F&SF and Asimov's all the time, and Dozois's Year's Best SF every year without fail. I still do -- I don't subscribe to any SF magazines (except Locus, which doesn't count) because what I really like is being able to just walk into a shop and have the thrill of seeing a new one is out and pouncing on it to see if it has a Robert Reed story in it. And a new Dozois's Year's Best feels like a great big box of chocolates. I also do the thing where I read a short story and watch for novels from that person. I've been doing this for the last twenty years at least.
And the more I think about it, the less I think I'm doing it for the "churn", even though I think there are exciting things being done at short lengths. I think I do it because I love reading SF and there are writers (Tiptree, Waldrop, Varley, Turtledove, Chiang, Reed, etc.) who do their best and most amazing stuff at short length because it is the best form for them.
But I seldom come across conversations about short fiction, you're absolutely right there. I wonder if this is something it's possible to do something about -- more convention panels, more online discussion?
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momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2007-10-24 12:36 pm (UTC)But as a reader, I like reading short stories. When I lived not ten miles from where
And the more I think about it, the less I think I'm doing it for the "churn", even though I think there are exciting things being done at short lengths. I think I do it because I love reading SF and there are writers (Tiptree, Waldrop, Varley, Turtledove, Chiang, Reed, etc.) who do their best and most amazing stuff at short length because it is the best form for them.
But I seldom come across conversations about short fiction, you're absolutely right there. I wonder if this is something it's possible to do something about -- more convention panels, more online discussion?