If you check your calendar, you'll see that it's now National Short Story Month. What's that you say? Your calendar doesn't have any such red-letter-day label? Hmmm. You obviously have a defective calendar. Because it is, indeed, once again time to celebrate short stories.
As I said last year, "We have a National Soft Pretzel Month, a National Bird-Feeding Month, and a National Stamp Collecting Month, so why not an entire four weeks dedicated to the art of short fiction?" This year, I'll once again be devoting an entire week to feting the short stuff. I don't have enough time or energy* to go all out with a month-long party, but there are plenty of other places around the web where you can find 30-funderful days of short fiction. Check out the Emerging Writers Network, for instance--they're on Year 6 of NSSM and still going strong. (The 2012 Short Story Month logo, by the way, comes to you courtesy of EWN and designer Steven Seighman.) Or visit the Fiction Writers Review where they're going all out with reviews, interviews and giveaways.
Here at The Quivering Pen, several authors will join me this coming week to talk about why they love short stories and to give some of their favorite examples of the form. Stayed tuned for guest blogs from Bonnie Jo Campbell, Kathy Fish, Eugene Cross, Alyson Hagy and more! Until then, go finish that Tolstoy door-stopper, then come back here and get ready to get short.
*I'm still getting up at 3:30 a.m. every day to blog, sort through email and read a few pages of my latest book. On top of that, I've started revisions on my second novel and am simultaneously draft a third new book.** I wish I had more T & E to devote to reading and discussing short fiction, but right now it's just not in me. So, I'll let other writers take the controls for a week; my supreme thanks to them for helping me out at a time when I'm feeling pretty drained.
**I realize this is a good problem and I have no reason on earth to complain.
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