By
Ashley Lister PhD
The
three greatest pleasures in life are sex, alcohol and short stories.
Of these, the short story is clearly the greatest pleasure. Alcohol
is bad for the memory. And the liver. And the memory. Sex is good,
but the fun part is over after 30 seconds. But a short story, a
really good short story, can stay with you for ever.
The
first piece of fiction I ever sold was a short story. This was back
in another century. The thrills of receiving that acceptance letter,
seeing my work in a magazine in a local newsagent, and then actually
cashing the cheque, remain bright in my mind’s eye: much like the
memories of my first encounters with sex and alcohol.
But
the cerebral pleasures of a short story go beyond what we can expect
from physical or chemical stimulation. I’ve never tasted any
bourbon that’s moved me as much as Poe or Saki. And, whilst I’m
not going to claim that The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is
better than sex, I will point out that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s
stories have kept me enthralled for far longer than the
aforementioned 30 seconds.
Which
is why I’m such an advocate of short stories. I’ve written (and
published) more than 100 short stories. I’ve produced a PhD thesis
on the relationship between plot and genre in short fiction. I’ve
taught countless students to write short fiction and I’m proud to
say that many of them have gone on to publish their work.
The
PhD was a genuine pleasure to write. I’ve spoken to other doctoral
students who say, halfway through a PhD, it’s common to be bored
with the subject area of a thesis. I can understand this. Immersion
in a single topic, to such an excessive and exhaustive extent, does
run the risk of being overwhelming. But I was lucky. I was writing
about short stories (and the writing of short stories) and it’s a
subject that never ever grows old.
Which
is why it was so easy for me to write How to Write Short Stories
and Get Them Published. The book is filled with advice, guidance,
suggestions, examples and exercises. If you do enjoy writing short
stories, and I sincerely advocate it as a pastime and an outlet for
creativity, then you’ll want to treat yourself to a copy of my new
book, How to Write Short Stories and Get Them Published. If
you have a friend who enjoys writing short stories, you’ll want to
treat them to a copy of How to Write Short Stories and Get ThemPublished. I sincerely believe it’s essential for the library
of every writer.
The
definitive, indispensable guide to writing quality short stories and
getting them published.
Learn
to plot like a pro, master the art of suspense like Poe, craft
captivating dialogue like Twain and - most crucially - get your short
stories published.
How
to Write Short Stories and Get Them Published is the essential
guide to writing short fiction. It helps the aspiring writer at all
stages of their creative journey, from how to cultivate ideas and
express them on the page through to potential outlets for publication
and pitching proposals to publishers.
Along
the journey this guide considers the most important aspects of
creative writing, such as character, plot, point of view, description
and dialogue. All of these areas are illustrated with examples and
are accompanied by exercises that will help every writer hone their
natural skill and talent into the ability to craft compelling short
stories.
About
the Author
Ashley
Lister is the author of more than fifty books and countless short
stories. He has lectured in Creative Writing for more than a decade,
writing and running a broad range of courses. He recently completed
his PhD in Creative Writing where his thesis considers the
relationship between plot and genre in short fiction.
For
any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the author me
[at] ashleylister [dot] co.uk
1 comment:
Sounds like a great book, Ash!
Readers - if you've ever read one of Ashley's short pieces, you'll understand that's he's more than qualified to write this book!
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