Did you know May is National Short Story Month?
Though I don’t believe it’s officially recognized–like April as National Poetry Month (established in 1996)–there is growing momentum to recognize this form of oft overlooked writing.
“Short stories are one of fiction’s most vital and necessary exports, though often they are not read with the frequency or fervor of longer novels. Stories are seen as gateway writing: get a story published in a venerable literary magazine, get a book deal.” – From an article by Rachel Syme on the NPR site. See full article here.
Short stories are ideal for those readers craving something to read but who find themselves pressed for time with our fast-paced world. Most short stories clock in at 20 pages or less, and there’s even some stories, called flash fiction, that are less than a page! It can be a great way to sample an author before investing the time to read a full-length novel.
Where can you find the best stories to read? The most common places are in literary or genre magazines (either print or online formats), anthologies of collected stories by various authors, or a collection by a single author with stories that may or may not be interconnected. Libraries are a great source for finding collected short stories. These are often located in the nonfiction collection where literature and literary criticisms may be found (look for call numbers beginning with 808 or 813 or ask a librarian).
In support of May as National Short Story Month, look for reviews of various short works of fiction here at The Poisoned Martini.
For more on the history behind National Short Story Month and ideas on how to celebrate, check out this article from the Seattle PI.
The Poisoned Martini 