What short stories and novels share 


Other than each employing the written word (obvious, huh?), the best taking care with the words, paragraphs an phrases the writer chooses, both forms share certain things.

In my many years of writing, I think I've learned enough to speak about it. I'm still learning. A writer should always be willing to learn from writing. If not, he or she may risk becoming complacent. Or, even worse, stale. A well defined idea, and characters to bring it to life, is where the writer should begin. I say begin because I think it is advisable to have the beginning, and the characters to support it, worked out before the writing starts. If that proves difficult, try writing with your ending in mind. That way, everything, can lean to a winning conclusion, which should be the goal of every writer. Your writing can benefit by self- editing, at least to know whether a phrase,  paragraph, or passage fits your story. Don't by shy about cutting problems out, it could  be the difference between a good story or an average one. Give your character, at least you central one, a problem to solve. Your story will be better for it. Admittedly, working on these things in the short story can prove challenging, but these are among the things why I prefer the short story in my fiction writing.