Writing Short Stories: A Writers' and Artists' Companion is an essential guide to writing short fiction successfully. PART 1 explores the nature and history of the form, personal reflections by the editors, and help getting started with ideas, planning and research. PART 2 includes tips by leading short story writers, including: Alison Moore, Jane Rogers, Edith Pearlman, David Vann, Anthony Doerr, Vanessa Gebbie, Alexander MacLeod, Adam Thorpe and Elspeth Sandys. PART 3 contains practical advice - from shaping plots and exploring your characters to beating writers' block, rewriting and publishing your stories.

Foreword Preface Part 1 The History Of The Short Story: Tania Crime, Tricks, And Tales: Genre And The Short Story: Courttia The Shorter End Of Short Stories - Boundaries With Poetry: Tania Stories: Those Little Slices Of Life: Courttia Reflections On Writing And On Books On Writing: Tania Reflections 2: The What, When, How, Why And Where Of It For Me: Tania Reflections On The Evolution Of A Short Story: Courttia The Evolution Of A Short Story: Under The Tree: Tania Reflections: Permission And Risk: Tania Part 2 1. Alison Moore 2. Anthony Doerr 3. Elspeth Sandys 4. Alexander MacLeod 5. David Vann 6. Jane Rogers 7. Edith Pearlman 8. Vanessa Gebbie 9. Di Speirs 10. Jenn Ashworth 11. Tom Lee 12. Toby Litt 13. Adam Thorpe 14. Ryan O'Neill 15. Henrietta Rose-Innes 16. Clare Wigfall 17. Alison Macleod 18. Olive Senior Part 3 A Note On Craft And Critique: Writing Is Not A Democracy: Tania From Beginning To End: Courttia Where To Start - Ideas And Inspiration: Tania Where To Start: Titles, Beginnings And Endings: Tania Movement And Syncopation In Fiction: Writing The Long Short Story: Courttia Plot Versus Story - Where's The Tension?: Tania Editing And Revising: Courttia Tenses: Tania Step Into A World - Thoughts On Structure: Courtta Structure And How To Use It: Tania What Gets Left Out And Minimalism: Tania Speaking Their Minds - Character And Voice: Courttia Writing Flash Fiction, Liberation Through Constraint: Tania A Brief History Of Time In The Short Story: Tania Another Perspective - Point Of View In The Story: Courttia Harvesting - On Writing Your Collection: Courttia Short Story Collections - How Do They Work And How To Get One Published: Tania Voice And Dialogue, Using Scenes: Tania Close Reading Of Between My Father And The King By Janet Frame: Tania Experimenting And Experimental Short Stories: Tania Publishing Short Stories: Tania Short Story Competitions - How To Make Your Story Stand Out: Tania 60 Favourite Short Stories: Tania And Courttia 50 Favourite Collections: Tania And Courttia