Friday, December 20, 2019

How to Write Short Stories and Get Them Published - #WritingCraft #ShortStories


Book Cover

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:

Lisabet Sarai said...

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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