It is hard for me to believe, but L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future, Volume 41, launched on April 22, 2025. I never thought a story I wrote would be published, and certainly not alongside such high-caliber talent. We are talking fifteen short stories — twelve by Writers of the Future winners. Each one was given original artwork from the eleven Illustrators of the Future. They may be science fiction and fantasy tales, but they are not alike, and that is what I enjoy about short stories. I can read different styles and perspectives in a single book or magazine.
I was drawn to short stories because of the versatility and speed at which I could produce new tales. My stories typically range from 3,000 to 4,000 words, but I’ve noticed that I’m creeping up to 5,000 words. I entered “Storm Damage,” for example, at ~3,800 words, and I submitted my WotF 24-hour challenge story, “Lean-To,” at ~3,300 words
At one of the WotF workshops, I was asked if I planned to write a book. Not any time soon. I am not sure I mastered the short story (a single win does not a master make), but more importantly, I enjoy the freedom that it provides.
A friend recently pointed me to a Writer’s Digest article titled “The Long Art of the Short Story,” written by Elly Griffiths, in which she quotes essayist Lorrie Moore: “A short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage.” Elly provides some excellent advantages of writing short stories (and I agree with them all), but I have a few more that I found to be especially true for me.
I can fully explore an emotion, event, or idea by focusing exclusively on it. For me, the idea of a short story is to find that one event and capture it. It is less about world-building or character arcs, though both are important. It is zeroing in on a choice, a single magical moment, or an epiphany.
It is also a personal challenge. How many words do I really need to tell this story? What excess can I remove to maintain the focus on the story’s key elements?
I can move between ideas and stories much quicker than I could if I were writing a book. Currently, I have the opposite of writer’s block (no idea how long that will last), so I have more ideas than time. It allows me to explore much more than I might if I were concentrating on a single story.
The time commitment for a short story is considerably less than that of longer forms. I can “get to market” quicker to learn what sells and what doesn’t. I would hate to spend years on a project to learn later that it flopped.
There are downsides, of course. I suspect I cut out too much. “Storm Damage” shot up to ~4,500 based on feedback from Jody Lynn Nye (which made a better story), but the biggest may be the payout. While novels are sold as books, short stories are typically sold to magazines at a rate per word. With the usual rates at $0.06 to $0.10 a word, I will not be rolling in the money (not that many writers are, anyway).
Over the next three months, I will be highlighting each of the Vol. 41 short stories. I’m eager to explore them, so get your copy and join the conversation.
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