Five Reasons Why You Should Read My Short Stories

Here is the sales pitch for my work. Writing this goes against my understanding of both literature and my instincts. I’ve been writing privately for about ten years, perhaps a little longer. When I say privately I mean I have written substantial pieces but have not shared them with more than one or two people.

Before I get into my ten reasons I also want to explain the idea about literature expressed above. A couple of authors, whose work I admire, had strong principles against self-promotion. I believe the talent they had for their art (one would refer to it as a craft) superseded the need for self promotion. I wasted a lot of time when I was young and I believe the roughness of my writing makes that fact self-evident. But this isn’t about me so much as my perception. From the period that I began to take writing serious, I was also employed full time, but from then I always had it in my head that if I kept writing my work would achieve a level of quality and people would take notice. Candidly, I’m past that point in my life’s expectations. I do not mean that my writing is at a level to attract attention, instead, I am at the age where I hoped I would have already gotten some recognition from it.

Egoism aside….

Five reasons why you should read my short stories:

1. Short stories have the ability, unlike a book, to transport you in a short time to somewhere distant. Perhaps it’s a place you have been before, maybe it’s a weird place, maybe it’s somewhere peaceful. I try to vary the scenery and the type of people you will encounter in my stories. But I do have an affinity for the rural community where I grew up.

2. You can see a contemporary event from a different perspective. Do you find yourself wondering, “How the hell do these people think this way. They must be idiots.” That is a gauge for your level of empathy. It is possible to feel empathy for people whom you absolutely disagree and find their opinions hateful. These ideas and opinions come from somewhere and with my work I attempt to explore these origins. After you read one of my pieces you may find yourself confronted with one of these ignoramuses on the news, but, with the different perspective my story has provided you, you may not want to throw a brick at the television, maybe.

3. You might learn something. Well I can not guarantee you will learn something of value but knowledge has this way of being a web. Each piece is connected to another piece. So if you know about X, very often, it is easier to learn about Y.

4. Through reading my work you will be exposed to other authors. I read as often as I can make time. Highlights of books I have finished over the last couple months: (a) The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison; (b) Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan; (c) Short Stories by Bulgakov; (d) Operation Shylock by Philip Roth. I enjoy reading books that challenge both my perception and my opinions. Two of the above books conflicted with me and the world around the author. If you read my work you might get the rub on some literature you don’t have the time or the inclination to read.

5. You’ll motivate me to write more. Reading your comments and feedback will help me create work that people in general are interested in. That is not to say I will agree with every criticism you have, or that I will write what you want to hear, but when you engage with my work you will change it for the better.

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a nice day.