Hi everyone! You can call me Destry, or Des. I was very into writing as a child and teen, but now in my early thirties, I've found that I haven't written much in the last several years. I'm working on getting back into writing (and reading!) again, and finding a new passion for the artform. I'm mostly interested in writing science fiction and fantasy, although I am interested in exploring other genres as well. A big issue I've had in all creative pursuits in the past is scope, and I tend to never finish projects... So one thing I'm very interested in learning more about is writing short stories. That seems like a good way to hone one's skills. I'm very excited to find these forums. I haven't participated in any sort of forum in at least a decade, but I'm remembering how wonderful these kinds of communities can be. I'm looking forward to learning more and sharing in the learning experience with you all! I'm also looking forward to reading some of your work- as I mentioned, I'm getting back into reading after many years, and discovering more and more about what I enjoy in a story. (Recently I've been getting really into Le Guin!) It's nice to meet you all.
Hey Des, welcome! Well, you're in luck! It just so happens there's a thread in here about how to structure short stories (if you're interested in structure, rather than a pure pantser): Need help to write my first short story Or, if structure just isn't your bag, then feel free to pass on by. Either way, glad you found your way here.
Hello and welcome, Des. Glad you've found us. Looking forward to seeing you in the forums! It is! We have a monthly short story contest you might be interested in, and July is open-prompt, so you can write about whatever you'd like. https://www.writingforums.org/threads/july-short-story-contest.177188/
Thank you both for the resources! And I think the contest might be a great motivation to get to work and finish something. It's almost overwhelming how much information is here- I should start writing but I have so many tabs open with great info I want to take in first! Better get to work!
Don't try to absorb it all at once. It took weeks if not months to compile all the links for that thread, just read one or two a day or something. Bookmark the thread and keep going back to it.
