Should Writers Read Short Form Literature?

To begin with, I want to clarify what I mean by short form literature. For me, short form literature encompasses anything that can be consumed in one go, in a single sitting. In simpler terms, short form literature includes: poems, essays, short stories, and picture books.

I include picture books in this category because, in my opinion, if you’re writing fiction, they are arguably the best medium to explore form, character development, and story arcs. (And I’m not just saying this because I have a fondness for children’s books). Picture books have limitations in terms of word count and page numbers, which forces writers to be creative in how they construct the narrative to fit these constraints. Additionally, picture books often resemble poetry, making them a valuable resource for poets as well. For those of you working on creative nonfiction, I suggest looking into nonfiction picture books for inspiration.

So, why is short form literature significant?

It allows you to witness the entire story unfold with a clear beginning, middle, and end. This is beneficial because it enables you to analyze the story arc: what succeeds and what falls flat. You can observe all the components of the story arc in a single short piece, from the inciting incident to the climax and resolution. This also means you can scrutinize how the author constructs and achieves their goals within the narrative. Additionally, You can absorb it all at once and examine it on both micro and macro levels. With short form literature, you can delve into specific details like word choice while also considering broader elements of the story such as character development and plot. Not only does short form literature provide both detailed and overarching perspectives on the work, but it also allows you to see how various micro-level elements influence the macro-level aspects.

These are tips used by some of the Nsibidi Fables writers to help with our work and we hope it helps you too!