May 13, 2009

National Short Story Month

Did you know that May has been declared Short Story Month? Dan Wickett at the Emerging Writers Network has been covering it with a ton of new posts every day, blogging daily about three short stories: one each from a published collection, a print periodical, and an online journal. A very impressive feat as well as a very dangerous procrastination destination for writers who are supposed to be, ahem, writing.

Along the same lines, the National Post's excellent literary blog The Afterword is doing Q & A's with short story writers this month, starting today with yours truly.

Since I've been working away on this novel lately, I've been wondering whether it actually, in general, takes longer to write a short story than a novel ---- in terms of time average time spent per sentence by published authors. Maybe the very fact that I'm contemplating this study is a sign I should get back to work..?

But seriously, what's the fastest you've ever written a (passable) short story? I'm curious. For me, it was three weeks, but most of the ones I've written have taken much, much (MUCH) longer.

4 comments:

Jonathan Ball said...

the fastest i've ever written as passable short story was recently, and it took four days. but it was less than 1000 words.

Jonathan Ball said...

i mean A passage short story, of course. i should remark that was the first draft. but a good, passable first draft.

saleema said...

that's really fast...but also pretty short. is that the one you've been editing?

Jonathan Ball said...

no, i haven't done a second draft yet. it's a short called "Narcissus" i will send you the draft when i'm back in calgary.