The Long and the Short of It

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


At a Southern Writers authors event a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of speaking with several novelists about their approaches to writing (you'll read about many of them in upcoming issues of Southern Writers).  When I spoke with one author in particular who writes both novels and short stories, I sought his perspectives on writing for the two different formats.

When I learned that his first step in creating his novels was to create a detailed outline, I asked if he plots out his short stories as well. "No," he replied with instant enthusiasm.  Short stories, he explained, are his opportunity to run free. When he begins a novel, he knows how it will end before the opening scene.  For a short story, he lets his characters take him wherever they want to go.

At first glance, one might think the short story would be the one warranting advance planning, since the novel by its sheer length could afford to let its characters wander off course a bit.  I'm even reminded of Abraham Lincoln's famed reply when asked to give an impromptu speech: 

"If I am to speak for ten minutes, I need a week for preparation; if an hour, I am ready now."

However, the short story—unlike the novel—isn't required to conform to the traditional three-act format we expect from a novel.  The hero's journey as explained by Aristotle, Joseph Campbell, Christopher Vogler and others will probably always have some influence on long-form stories, but the short story can afford to carve its own path. A simple contemplation of a single theme? A beginning-to-end chronicle? The sky's the limit with a short story.

By the same token, there are authors who outline their short stories while letting their novel characters cast their own fates to the wind.  Indeed, going back and forth between the two approaches (outlining versus not) seems like an excellent way to exercise both sides of a creative brain.

There are many good books to help take the guesswork out of outlining, such as K.M. Weiland's Structuring Your Novel, and even if flying by the seat of your pants is your preferred writing method, it's good to know the rules so you can break them with confidence.

Whatever your chosen approach, we invite you to forge a potentially new path by entering Southern Writers' 4th annual Short Story Fiction contest.  By popular demand, we've doubled the 1200-word limit and you can now let your imagination run wild up to 2500 words. The deadline is August 1st, 2015.

Visit http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/shorts for all the details, and good luck!  With a $500 grand prize, there's never been a better time to get short with us.

Outlining Versus Freestyle?

By D.J. Williams

The biggest question I ask myself when I begin to write a novel is whether I am going to spend the time outlining or if I am going to go freestyle. 

When I started The Disillusioned I spent days outlining to be sure that everything was mapped out before I wrote the first page. I thought this was the best way for me to work. What I discovered was that it slowed my creativity down. Spending all of my time outlining meant that I wasn’t writing. Sure, I was planning out the chapters but I wasn’t allowing the story to be my guide. My progress slowed to a snail’s pace and I grew frustrated that whenever I had a new idea or plot point I had to spend more time reworking my outline. Twenty chapters into the book and I decided to toss my outline in the trash. It didn’t work for me. I made a conscious choice to write towards zones, turning points in the story, and once I reached each zone I would then write to the next one. I stopped worrying about all the details and found myself lost in the story as I wrote late into the night. I gained momentum, spent more time writing, and finished my first draft.

As a writer, I’m still refining my process. What I have learned is that sometimes you have to break the rules to discover the excitement of telling your story. You’ll unlock pieces of that never would have made it into an outline because you had not lived with the characters. Of course, you need to have a beginning and an end before you start, but if you can discipline yourself to write to the zones in your plot then you may discover a more exciting, page turning, and story than you ever imagined. You have to ask yourself if writing freestyle is the best way to keep your readers engaged. For me, it seems to be the best way.

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D.J. Williams for the past sixteen years has worked in the non-profit and entertainment industry. He has produced media projects that have raised awareness to help those in need. With the DNA of a world traveler, Williams was born in Hong Kong, has ventured into the jungles of the Amazon, the bush of Africa, and the slums of the Far East, to share stories of those who are overcoming incredible odds. His first novel, The Disillusioned, released in May 2013. As an Executive Producer, Producer, and Director, Williams is part of a production team that have collectively produced and/or written over 400 episodes of broadcast television for SONY, The F/X Network, The Game Show Network, FOX Family, FOX Television Studios, Spike TV, NBC, ABC, and various cable networks worldwide. Currently they are the Creators and Executive Producers for shows in development with VIMBY (A Mark Burnett Company), Michael Maloy, Executive Producer of Extreme Home Makeover, and Australian Food and Entertainment celebrity, Nerida Conway. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djwilliamsbooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/djwilliams316

Website: http://www.djwilliamsbooks.com/