What Purpose Does Short Fiction Serve?

[ellen_datlow]

I and several other editors were asked the above question by SF Signal's John De Nardo. Here are our responses:
Mind Meld

Comments

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

(And on a completely different topic)



Happy Valentine's Day (from your friendly neighborhood Valentine Fairy)!

:)

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

And with apologies to Ellen, and completely hijacking this comment to take it even further off topic, I adore your icon. Trixie Belden! Love! (Also, see my icon.)

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

Oh, yay! I always love it when people on LJ tell me they also liked the Trixie books. :) It's such a fun series, and I don't know that many people IRL who've read it (well, except for my sister, whose books I stole and read when I was small. :) Although I guess with the reissuing, more kids might be reading it now.

My journal is on a Trixie theme, (not because I'm obsessed or anything, just because it was a fun idea to do) and about 1/3 of my icons are Trixie.

P.S. Heroine Addict icons are awesome.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Awww-thank you!

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

Thank you for pointing that out, it was full of excellence.

I write short stories because the stories that come happen the way that they happen and then they are finished. I am writing a novel, but it came as a very long plot with many things happening and which will take a novel's number of words to tell.

I hate word limits and required word lengths on submissions, because the story has already happened and sometimes works for everything in the guideline except that one specification. I am learning to write to that specification, but it's far easier for me with nonfiction and reviews than it is with fiction.

I read short stories because they are there. Same reason I read novels, websites, newspapers, and journals. And cereal boxes, for that matter. I must read, in the same way that sharks must keep swimming or drown.

[kaolinfire.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this. Much of the usual being said but it was interesting to see where various people leaned. :)

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. I'm glad that it seems to have started up some side discussions of short fiction vs novels. I don't believe any editor thinks that every writer can write both forms equally well. I'm a short fiction fanatic so of course I'm going to encourage the writing of short fiction.