I’m Taking a Short Story Writing Class
Theodor Kittelsen
Time to hold myself accountable for claiming to be a writer. That is, a creative writer. I write a lot for work, but that is no excuse for not writing for myself. When I do get some time to write, I pull the old “my favorite authors, according to themselves, have read anywhere from a million to a billion books, so I should do the same before I start writing.” No disrespect to my favorite authors, but I don’t believe they have read as much as they claim to have read. Kurt Vonnegut said something about letting people think you are writing a lot more than you are, perhaps writers do that about reading, too.
What I am getting at is work and reading can no longer be an excuse for my lack of writing.
With hopes that it will add a little structure to my writing habits, I have enrolled in a Short Story writing class at UCLA. I am going to share every story I write so you can follow my progress – let’s hope there is progress.
Here are a few short stories I enjoy:
“The Potato Elf” Vladimir Nabokov
“A Diamond as Big as the Ritz” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“The Ballad of the Sad Cafe” – Carson McCullers
“The Shell Collector” – Anthony Doerr
“The Laughing Man” – J.D. Salinger
“Harrison Bergeron”- Kurt Vonnegut
“The Pearl” – John Steinbeck
“The Bulgarian Poetess” – John Updike
“Darling Loraine” – Paul Simon (it’s a song, but the lyrics tell a story)
For so long I was convinced I’d end up a writer, and somehow forgot to actually write anything. But for me, not writing was wrapped up in fears of inadequacy. I’ve realised now that you don’t start a perfect fully formed writer, it takes practice! It’s nice to see that other people are it, something of, the same position! Now to make my way through that short story list you’ve curated.
Thanks for the reply! I can empathize with the fear of inadequacy. Since I’ve started my class, I have been a mix of feeling optimistic and excited to write and feeling inadequate. That being said, I’m going to start publishing my stories, and would love to know what you think. Publishing the first one soon.
Can’t wait to read it!