Do you write short fiction but long to s-t-r-e-t-c-h those tight little 55ers, flash pieces, and short stories into longer, publishable work? Do you have binders full of short pieces with characters you’d love to flesh out? Are you dying to tell the rest of these stories? If so,The Short and Long of Itis for you! Award-winning short fiction writer Paul Alan Fahey shows you how to expand and adapt your brief creations into longer, more satisfying stories, plays, novellas, and novels pitch perfect for publication in the e-age. This book will help you practice expanding your short fiction. Through detailed examples and hands-on exercises, you’ll learn how to: Adapt 55 fiction into flash fiction;Adapt flash fiction into short stories and plays;Adapt flash memoir into personal essays;Write a tight logline;Develop a story theme;Build three-act structure; andDevelop characters and enhance backstory.So grab a copy today and start writing longer stories tomorrow!

The Short and Long of It

Divide the page into three sections: Acts I, II, III. Draw the midpoint line down the center of Act II. Near the end of Act I, write P.P.1. Near the end of Act II, write P.P. 2. (Refer to the paradigm outline on the previous page.)


The fun part is in knowing at this stage nothing is written in stone. No one will ever see any of this. I bet you’ll find that your pre-planning will pay off bigtime when you expand or adapt your story. Armed with your story logline, theme, and a general idea of structure, you’re now ready for the next section.Part 2: Expanding and Adapting Short Fiction


The short story writer should subordinate everything in a story to bring out a single, preconceived effect.


Do you enjoy writing dialogue? If so, have you ever tried writing a short play? Have you written short memoir? Ever thought of turning these vignettes into longer personal essays?


Chapter 16