I’m going to use advice from people who, in addition to writing novels, have also spent plenty of time “interning” with short stories. While most of them are speculative fiction writers, I’ll also be looking at plain, old, effective short story writers. The advice will be in the form of one or several quotes off of which I’ll jump and connect it with my own writing experience. While I don’t write full-time, nor do I make enough money with my writing to live off of it...neither do most of the professional writers...someone pays for and publishes ten percent of what I write. When I started this blog, that was NOT true, so I may have reached a point where my own advice is reasonably good. We shall see as I work to increase my writing output and sales! As always, your comments are welcome!
Without further ado, short story observations (though in HER case, it's her novels being turned into SCRIPTS (a form of short story!) by Kathy Reichs – with a few from myself…
Kathy “Reichs began her career…as a forensic anthropologist who helped solve violent crime by examining the bodies of the victims.”
As much as I would have LOVED to begin my writing career as a member of the crew of the USS Enterprise, I began my career as a science fiction nerd who was drawn into the sciences by some good teachers – mostly my 9th grade science teacher (Mr. W…; my biology teacher, Mr. H; NOT my chemistry teacher Mr. J; and absolutely NOT my physics professor in college, Mr. ??? – BUT by the Organic Chemistry lab professor, Dr. Kowanko. I became a science teacher with my license in biology. When I couldn’t find a full-time biology job to save my life, I went back to college briefly to get a Middle School certification (biology, Earth science, and Physical science (chemistry/physics).
Even so, I followed the sciences avidly and started to take my writing seriously. “Reichs’ background as a forensic anthropologist provides more than just the inspiration for (her fictional main character) Temperance Brennan and her career. It also infuses her novels with a unique blend of science and storytelling. As aspiring authors, we can study her books to understand how to weave accurate details about our own backgrounds and career into our narrative, which can elevate the authenticity of our work.”
I’ve always been fascinated with aliens and behaviors that extend OUT of a living creature’s biology, hence my drift into biology and education. While I wrote dozens of stories prior to my first published story, “Absolute Limits” in the August 1996 issue of ANALOG Science Fiction & Fact, I didn’t address aliens for another twenty years – and it wasn’t about aliens, per se, but “Fairy Bones”(CAST OF WONDERS November 2015, https://www.castofwonders.org/2015/11/episode-181-fairy-bones-by-guy-stewart/) – and while the fairies WERE alien, they were small, earthly inhabitants of a marsh not far from where I live…though, I suppose…)
“Temperance Brennan, the central character in Kathy Reichs’ novels, is a vividly relatable human being…immersed in the world of science and logic…often grappling with the nuances of human emotions. Her…relentless pursuit of justice and truth sometimes blinds her to the emotional toll her work takes on her own well-being…making her a nuanced and relatable protagonist…”
OK – I write NOTHING like her forensic scientist, BUT…I do write about people I understand: people like me and the students I have had in my classrooms over the past nearly 50 years.
For example:
“…her success [comes from her skill at] conveying complex scientific concepts in a digestible manner without compromising the pace of her stories…that doesn’t sacrifice the momentum or emotional impact of your story.” In my own story, “Technopred” (https://aurorawolf.com/2013/05/guy-stewart/), I imagine that the interaction between “urban wildlife…like coyote, turkey, squirrels, rats, racoons and foxes…” and their interactions with Human both intentional and accidental (traps, poisons, shooting and cars, inappropriate foods) are rapidly accelerating the evolution of intelligence in some of these animals…” (https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2026/04/14/coyotes-turkeys-and-other-city-critters)
In my story, raccoons have started to show up who are communicating in WRITING (English). I nick-named them “narns” (in honor of CS Lewis’ “Narnians”…) I do science along with story – something that Reichs’ writing strengthened in me after my wife and I started watching the TV show whose main character is based on Kathy Reichs’ novels. I use science to educate young people – as well as spin a good story.
“Other writers can learn from Reichs how to strike that delicate balance between educating your readers and entertaining them.”
OK? What the heck am I doing writing this! I need to get to work on a new story!
References:
https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/what-writers-learn-from-kathy-reichs
https://www.writerswrite.co.za/bits-of-writing-advice-from-kathy-reichs/
https://shows.acast.com/quick-book-reviews/episodes/kathy-reichs-on-evil-bones-temperance-brennan-writing-crime
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