Three of them were also in the public domain and therefore older stories. However, it would have been good to see at least one female author among them. It was good to see a range of stories in different genres. Henry (uplifting), Steven Leacock (humorous) and John D. A literary story by the author and others by Jeffery Deaver (crime/suspense), O. The remainder of the book included five examples of short stories. Chapter 6 was particularly useful in providing step-by-step instructions for uploading your story onto the Amazon Kindle platform. Chapters 5 and 6 give advice on how to publish short stories. It assumes that readers already know the basics of creative writing and now want to branch into short stories. The first four chapters give some hints for writing an engaging short story, though there wasn't a lot of detail. Once you've been through this book, even once, you'll be well on your way to crafting short stories that readers love-which will build your fan base and boost your long-term writing career.Īs the title suggests, this short book by bestselling author James Scott Bell gives tips on writing short stories.

In addition, five complete stories are included to show you the master key in action. This book uses examples from the best stories by undisputed masters of the craft, including Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, John O'Hara, John Cheever, Stephen King and Irwin Shaw. Writers can use stories to increase discoverability, grow as a writer, generate some side income, and get back in touch with the sheer joy of writing. With the coming of the digital revolution in publishing, short fiction presents possibilities beyond a one-time sale to a literary journal. Which is part of the strategy for short story writing today. He shows how any writer-whether planner or 'pantser'-can use this key to unlock infinite story possibilities. In this book, #1 bestselling writing teacher James Scott Bell explains the essential ingredient for a successful short story, no matter the genre. To be successful, a short story needs to have 'emotional wallop,' and in under 7,000 words. Now, learn the master key for writing great short stories, and the strategies for using them to advance your writing career As most writers will tell you, the hardest fiction form to master is the short story.

Use short stories to write autobiog