Another Column at MyShelf.Com

Beneath the Covers,Past
A Romance Column
By Carol Ann Culbert Johnson


The Short Stories of Romance

Romance comes in all genres and I find the short story format an added bonus of romance. I fell in love with short stories when I was around fourteen years old, and I started reading black romance confessions. The stories were out of this world to say the least. I found this genre of writing fascinating.

Short stories according to Wikipedia are “a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in a narrative format.” I found myself buying black romance magazine every month and enjoying the short stories. I also like short stories because they are short stories.

As I browse Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, I find authors are adhering to the clone of short stories.

Anthologies are coming out with different writers, in a format of short stories. I believe this is the new genre of fiction and non-fiction writing for the future just like the ipad, and the Iphone.

KINDLE FIREThere are collections of short stories, including my I Confess series, and many others, in e-book format and print, which will showcase some talented writers along the way. It’s like a genre of poetry; short stories have their own right-of-way. I love to settle on a short story about love and romance. How easily can a writer create two main characters, give them some conflict, and let them live happily ever after at the end of the short story? It can be done.

Short stories run from 1,000 to 8,000 words depending on the author, and it portrays a vision of a short finale in a little amount of time. Short stories have their disadvantages meaning you can’t really get into the history of the characters. The conflict and plot is the eroding upset of the story, and finding a solution; and in romance, the two main characters finding happiness at the end of the rainbow.

And there are some short stories that needs more than a short story media, of course. The tide has to continue with a novella, and eventually a novel so the readers can attempt to get to know what makes the main characters tick. When I read or write a short story I fall in love with the two main characters, and I want to continue the trend. The characters become much more important to me, and I give them a life, as most writers do. This is also the birth of sequels in novels. Short stories can be the stepping-stone to best selling novels.

In my mood swings, I like to read a book of short stories, and focus on that one particular story, and then move onto the next one. It gives me a feel for the author and her style of writing. The author mixes romance, contemporary, historical, and mystery combined in elements of different short stories. I find myself liking the author, and her writing style, and bent on making sure that I read the rest of her short stories. This is the rebirth of the initial being of my I Confess series. I love writing the different short stories on the mechanics of every day reality, trials and tribulations.

So sometimes when you don’t find yourself in the mood to read a novel, check out a short story magazine, or a collection of confession short stories. The objective is to read, read, and read, and take a ride with the evolution of romance in all genres. Why not? Remember, reading embraces the soul, and enhances the intellect; not to mention, it educates the mind.


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