Why I Write Short Stories as a Novelist: Surrendering to the Medium the Story Requires
By Crystal Smith Paul
“You’ll have many books. And tell many stories,” he said.
During the messy throes of writing Kitty Karr, I was defending the importance of the years I was taking to “finish” it to my Dad. I was livid when he rebuffed not only me, but my concern about the improbability of ever being traditionally published.
His reply was dismissive of my self-doubt, which fought back as my eyes rolled, “Not if this one never comes together.”
Turns out, my Dad was right. And so was my Mom. More on these two to come.
How Writing My Debut Novel Taught Me to Trust the Process
At the time, I was gathering the strength to work on yet another draft of what would be Kitty Karr. Each draft was getting deeper, the story was starting to show itself…the muse was peaking out but some days she didn’t show at all. It wasn’t a matter of showing up. Kitty had me in a chokehold. I had already left journalism but I also stopped blogging. I couldn’t work on any other writing until it was “finished.” It was the gateway and on the good days, I knew it.
The foray into novels always begins with short stories. Sometimes only a single sentence or three or ten.
But when learning to tell a story, simplicity is where we start.
Just as when a child is learning to read, they start with short, simple words that then build into short sentences that eventually compile to become books.
Why Short Stories Were the Right Creative Vehicle After a Decade of Novel Writing
Whatever vehicle they arrived — books, TV shows, films — I’ve always loved stories, and while I love to sink my teeth and mind into the novel writing practice, short stories were the right vehicle for me to expand on the fictional history of Blair House, a covert network of passing and non-passing Black women first presented in my debut novel, Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?
Writing a novel is both pleasurable and painful. It’s like wading through a dark forest, waiting for the light to peak through the tree limbs.
The darkness is intimidating but the shards of light give you a reason to keep going. The story parts reveal themselves a little at a time and you just have to keep walking, searching for and then following the path of clues until those pieces culminate into fifty, seventy-five, or a hundred-thousand words.
To say I needed a break from novel writing isn’t an exaggeration.
From Reese’s Book Club Pick to Short Fiction: Finding Creative Balance
After a decade of writing my debut while working full time as a copywriter and consultant for e-commerce companies, launching Kitty Karr — being named Reese’s May 2023 Book Club Pick, going full time with writing — and then diving into the arduous task of writing my second novel in only 18 months (out in 2027!), writing the stories of the Blair House characters were a gift to myself.
For me, writing a novel takes years. And even if, as my career progresses, I am able to write faster, the publication process still takes at least a year. And sometimes a year, let alone a few, just feels too long. On the other hand, I found journalism to be too fast. An hourly but certainly daily grind, which felt like it could take up your entire life, even twenty years ago at the onset of emerging online outlets.
Writing short stories gets me closer to an instant creative gratification and provides a happy medium between what was required as a journalist and now being a novelist.
What Is Blair House? Short Stories That Push the Boundaries of Form
Some of the files (what I call each article in Blair House) could be classified as a novella — stretching to longer than 20,000 words. The first file on Mrs. Billie Long is just over 15,000 words. I use the term short stories liberally…
If I had my way Blair House short stories could be called novelettes.
(I didn’t because iykyk and most people don’t know what a novelette means. And for marketing purposes, we made it simple.)
Although, I’ll admit writing this we may change it because the word has a nice ring to it. Welcome to my Libra rising mind. And yes I’m into astrology and mythology and conspiracy and past lives and… all the modes of philosophy and thought. I’m also a Reflector, if you know what Human Design is.
Why Every Story Has Its Own Timeline
An artist can always find something in their own work to change, because the job is to reflect and interpret life. Life is in constant flux. But at some point you have to walk away, even if you come back a few times. And in a way that is what Blair House is.
Eventually though, you have to be okay with never returning.
I’m not there with Blair House obviously, so expect your story subscription to run at least for the next two years.
But then again, (hey once more, Libra rising)…
I grew up on Babysitter’s Little Sister and The Babysitter’s Club so Blair House could go on forever.
Want more behind-the-scenes on the writing life? Subscribe to The Annex for free to receive my musings on writing, inspiration, and how it all gets done. And if you haven’t read Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? yet, grab your copy here.
Crystal Smith Paul is the author of Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? She writes historical fiction that lives in the gray areas—the spaces between black and white where rules are made and secrets are kept.
Her next book is coming in 2027! In the meantime – you can learn more about the Blair House characters in Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? By subscribing to Blair House on Substack.
Crystal also publishes personal essays about the writing process and creativity on The Annex.
