The Art of the Very Short Story: A Guide for Readers and Writers
AuthorshipAdded on January 12, 2026
Description
What if an entire story could be told in the span of a single breath? That's what a very short story can do.
Charlie Close looks at key creative writing techniques using dozens of story examples. You'll read very short stories with new eyes and write them with greater subtlety, punch, and clarity.
Read this book to learn about very short story writing, improve your own writing, or just to enjoy the stories and commentary.
Charlie Close is the author of several volumes of very short stories, including "Kites and Weddings", "Falling in Love While Meditating", and "Every Floor But One".
Reader Reviews
A worthwhile read for writes.If you wish to sharpen your writing skills then give this little book a try. Charlie aims to help writers condense written works into brief stories that draw readers in through the implications of what is not necessarily written. It is important to give readers credibility for intelligence. Charlie uses many examples of good writing techniques throughout this tutorial. Perhaps he could improve on this content by offering readers a few fun written challenges at the en
Pithy, insightful, and usefulEach of Close's sections brought some kind of insight to bear on the writing and reading of hint fiction or its slightly longer cousins, rather than just regurgitating basic fiction lessons. Many of the example stories represented excellent examples of very short fiction, while also illustrating the subtopic Close was discussing. As well, the book is well-organized and the information is easy to utilize.This book really stands out among its peers as a brief handbook
Wonderful Introduction To The Very Short Story Well-written and well-researched, this is a superb primer to this fascinating younger and much-smaller cousin of the short story. With a delightful tone, I found the book to be a marvelous revelation.