Christmas
Short Stories
“I think that finding
a voice in writing has everything to do with integrity and little to do with
stylistic imitation.” Maeve Binchy
As writers first trying to identify voice, and then discover
our own is often a long difficult road. We often hear editors say they are
looking for a fresh voice and sigh, not sure whether we fit or not. Reading
through a variety of different and distinct voices helps us to clarify
distinctions, which in turn can give us a roadmap to seeing our own so that we
can avoid imitation.
When we read through a compilation of short stories by
different authors we will find ourselves automatically drawn to some stories,
ambivalent about others, and perhaps even bored by a few, regardless of the
quality of writing. This is a valuable method of studying voice because now we
ask ourselves some hard questions as a reader. First read a short story for
sheer reading enjoyment. Then take a few moments to jot down your initial
response. Let it sit for a few days and then re-read with a critical eye. What
exactly affected you positively or negatively and why?
Are you bored by the subject itself or the viewpoint? What
would you do differently? Is your ambivalence due to the POV character? Why? Do
they remind you of someone personally or is their tone of voice off putting?
What would you do to change it? Same questions re the areas you feel
positive—why exactly? What changes if made in that story would cause you to
dislike it?
Sometimes it is daunting to dissect a novel in order to
discover just how did the author manage to do that. Reading a short story
collection opens many opportunities to not only examine voice, but also
character, scene, theme, language and plot under a welcoming magnifying glass.
Reading in one theme genre
alone helps to narrow a study even more while also showing the wide possiblity
of diverse voices on one topic. With Christmas coming it’s a perfect match for
Christmas spirit and meaningful examination.
Below are three Christmas
series I have read and am reading this year. The series 12 Days of Christmas by Kathy Macias, told by twelve authors, includes
historical and contemporary stories with both first and third person POV. The Pioneer Christmas Collection
has several voices. And last
year’s The Log Cabin Christmas includes a variety of authors.
read
deep, marcy
Share: What short
story collection has helped you study writing?
The Twelve Days of
Christmas Series, Kathy Macias
The Pioneer Christmas Collection
The Log Cabin Christmas Collection
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