Which do you prefer writing; short stories, standalone novels or
series? Why?
by Paul D. Marks
Each form comes with its own set of challenges. But with
each there’s the thrill of starting something new. And then with each you reach
a point where you just wish it was done and you were on to the next thing. It’s sort of like starting a project around
the house. At first you’re all eager and pumped. You can’t wait to see the
results. But about halfway through you wish you’d never started it and just
want to be on the couch watching an old black and white movie like Double
Indemnity or Out of the Past, eating pizza and wishing you could write
something like that.
Short stories have the challenge of doing it all in a short
time. You have to weave everything
together in a small amount of space. And
in some ways this is the most challenging thing to do. As a “pantster,” I find
myself writing way too much and then spending most of my time editing and
cutting out the fat. Short stories have to be pithy and get to the point without
a lot of extraneous details. But at the same time you need to make the little
details pack an extra punch, so you have to be meticulous in picking the right
words, actions and characters.
Series novels present their own challenges. What comes to
mind first is the task of keeping the series character/s interesting and
growing. In the first book you’re
setting everything up and intro’ing everyone so everything is new and fresh to
you, the writer, as well as the reader. But by book nine what do you do? Check
out some of your favorite series where the plots and characters seem to have
grown tired. Or is it just the author
who’s grown tired? And though I only have one novel published, I do have the
sequel written (the reason that it hasn’t been published yet is a long, winding
and torturous road, best left for another time). But in the sequel it was a challenge to be
consistent with what had taken place in the first novel. Sort of like being the
continuity person on a movie set and having to make sure the vase of flowers is
in the same position as before when you change camera angles in a scene. Plus
you have to backfill a little on the plot and characters in the previous
novel/s for people who missed earlier entries in the series. And there is an
art to doing that without it reading like a laundry list or boring the reader
with exposition.
Standalone novels can be fun because, unlike a short story,
you have the freedom to develop plot and characters, the way you did with the first
book in your series. You’re inventing a
new world from the ground up and that’s always exciting. Whereas in a series
you sort of already have some things worked out for you – you know the
character and the setting and you have a starting point (usually the end of the
previous book) so you have something to work with.
As to which I prefer, basically whatever I’m working on at
the moment...until I get tired of it and then I prefer what’s next at bat and
start working it up in my head, and go after that one with all my
enthusiasm...until...
* * *
And for a little BSP. I’ll be at Bouchercon next week. Here’s my sked:
Thursday: 4pm, Regency D. “Short But Mighty––The Power and
Freedom of the Short Story.” With fellow Criminal Mind Art Taylor. And Travis Richardson (M), Craig Faustus
Buck, Barb Goffman, Robert Lopresti.
Friday: 6:30pm: The Shamus Awards banquet, where I’ll be a
presenter.
Saturday: 2:30-3:30, signing books for Down and Out Books in
the book room.
Come by and say hello.
