The guys discuss the deceptively difficult genre for writers: the elusive short story. From Arthur C. Clarke to Philip K. Dick, and a few other notable short story penners in-between, they discuss how they’re using them to build their platforms, how to approach them as a writing tool, and how to write them.

Wikipedia’s word count rules:

  • Short story: under 7,500 words
  • Novelette: 7,500 – 17,500
  • Novella: 17,500 – 40,000
  • Novel: over 40,000

Links to great short fiction, and other helpful tidbits:

What are your thoughts? How do you define a short story (or novella, or that weird novelette thing)? How do you write them? Any tips and tricks you have for us?