Why Do Your Short Stories End With Cliffhangers

I think of my short stories as more of an introduction to an idea than a complete story. Personally, I have a hard time telling a full story in such a short length of prose. Instead, I like to give my readers something to think about while providing myself with what I might one day turn into a novel or even a book series.

short story

a story with a fully developed theme but significantly shorter and less elaborate than a novel.

I know that my approach diverges from the standard, but it works for me. Maybe one day, I will write a book of full-length, beginning-to-end short stories where I will develop my micro-stories into something more complete.

The average word count for a short story ranges from 5,000 to 10,000 words, but they can be as little as 1,000 words in length. Most of my short stories fall on the smaller end of the scale. The way I see it, if I’m going to write 10,000 words of a story, I might as well write 100,000 words and make it a novel.

My short stories are quick reads, something you can finish on your smoke or restroom break. Bedtime is good, as well, if you’re not wanting a late night.

Currently, I have 4 short stories up on my website (Short Stories tab): The Elevator Lady, The Traveler, Night Watcher, and The Ice Princess. The genres vary but I believe the content is entertaining and thought-provoking. Give them a quick read tonight and let me know what you think. For the moment, they are exclusive to Maxwell’s Silver Quill and I will be adding two or three new ones each month.