Is there a difference in writing a short story versus a novel? Is the approach of the author the same for both forms? I can't speak for anybody but me, myself, and I.

My approach to writing short stories is pretty much the same as when I write the longer material. In both cases, I come up with an idea, that moment of "What if...?" From there I fiddle with an outline, create plot points, fine tune the narration. But this is where it differs: With a short story, I'll tend to toss the outline and just write. With a novel, I'll keep that outline nearby, resorting to it often, so I know who is supposed to do what in chapter seven just so that situation in chapter twelve will make sense once the reader finally arrives there.

The short story usually doesn't require that sort of detail. "So why bother with an outline if you're only going to toss it?" you may ask. Well, this particular outline helps me line up the events in their proper order. It also helps me get an ear for the narrator's voice, that cadence of speech, the quirks in the way words are delivered. Once I've gained control of that, I can take the characters anywhere I choose--damn the outline!

Novels are different. They run longer, take on deeper plot points, and ask more of a reader. Readers will pay good money for a novel, while short stories tend to be free reads posted here and there.

But don't misunderstand me: Short stories are very important to the author and the reader. A short story is an appetizer, that sample platter of something succulent, of something delicious, before you commit to paying for the full meal. Short stories draw readers to your work. They let people know what you, the author, are capable of creating. I have discovered many wonderful and brilliant writers via the short story. (T.C. Boyle, Daniel Woodrell, to name but two.) If a few short stories stick with me, I'm more likely to shell out my hard-earned money for that writer's novel. The short story is an introduction by the author to the reader.

A short story can be as simple as a single scene, a single character, with little or no dialogue. It can also be something intricate, with multiple characters, and dialogue to die for. It can be a mini novel--if the author so chooses.

The greatest thing about the short story: They're fun to write. I use them as writing exercises; warm-ups to the next novel. And when a writer has authored enough of short stories, he/she has material for an anthology, a collection fit for publication in book form.

Stand By Me, the movie? It started as a short story by Stephen King. As did The Lawnmower Man, though this movie so lacked any resemblance to the King short story that the author sued in court to have his name removed from the film.

Short stories are fun and lead readers to your work. What's not to like? So don't just focus on that novel you've been writing since forever. Try the short form, and let people know that you're out there creating amazing work.