The Power in the Short by Deborah Lytton: February Theme

One of my favorite books when I was a young reader was a collection of short stories by the very gifted Joan Aiken called A Necklace of Raindrops.

 

 

The main story about a girl with a necklace made out of raindrops captivated me and I read it over and over again. The magic of stepping into another world is what I loved so much about reading. A few years ago, my sister located a vintage copy of the book and gave it to me as a gift. Reading the book as an adult brought me right back to my younger self and I experienced the same joy when I entered Ms. Aiken's worlds. The book sits on my shelf near my writing desk where it can inspire me to write a story that will capture the imagination of a reader just as A Necklace of Raindrops did for me.

As an adult, I have found myself lost in the immensely powerful short stories of Margaret Atwood. She so brilliantly uses the form to break my heart into pieces in just a few pages. As writers, we all strive to craft that kind of story, a story that connects us to our readers. Studying and writing short stories will help us reach that goal. Exploring different forms for our writing can challenge us to hone our skills and just might lead us to some very exciting new works. So today, write a short story about a world made of dreams and see where it takes you.