You. I. Us. Tour - guest post by Annalisa Crawford

You. I. Us. is a collection of vignettes, small scenes which hint at the story beneath.

Annalisa has taken that idea to another level, because she asked 15 bloggers to ask her one question each, creating small insights into her life and writing.

What is one element that every good short story needs and why? 

Hi Christine, great question, and one that I’ve re-answered several times—I’ve gone through strong central character, hook, killer first line… But actually I think that a good short needs a story. I’ve read a few—not many, thankfully—which are anecdotes or over-long jokes with punchlines. A short story should be crafted with the same care as a novel, because the reader deserves the same satisfaction that a novel provides.

Sometimes, writers think short stories are an easy option, or a stepping stone to novel writing. It can be a stepping-stone, but it’s definitely not easy.

The short length means that every word counts, there’s no room for deviation or tangents, and the ending has to make perfect sense—especially if it’s a twist ending that you’re attempting, all the elements should be in place so you’re not tricking the reader (similar to Chekhov’s gun, if it’s used in the third act, you need to show it in the first—I always think of it in the reverse to how he’s quoted). 

Because it’s so short, the reader only started reading the story a few minutes ago—they haven’t had time to forget that plot point you fudged and hoped no one would notice.

In You. I. Us., Annalisa Crawford captures everyday people during  poignant defining moments in their lives: An artist puts his heart into his latest sketch, an elderly couple endures scrutiny by a fellow diner, an ex-student attempts to make amends with a girl she bullied at school, a teenager holds vigil at his friend’s hospital bedside, long distance lovers promise complete devotion, a broken-hearted widow stares into the sea from the edge of a cliff where her husband died, a grieving son contacts the only person he can rely on in a moment of crisis, a group of middle-aged friends inspire each other to live remarkable lives.

Day after day, we make the same choices. But after reading You. I. Us., you’ll ask yourself, “What if we didn’t?”

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About the author

Annalisa Crawford lives in Cornwall UK, with a good supply of moorland and beaches to keep her inspired. She lives with her husband, two sons, a dog and a cat. Annalisa writes dark contemporary, character-driven stories. She has been winning competitions and publishing short stories in small press journals for many years, and is the author of Cat & The Dreamer and Our Beautiful Child.

www.annalisacrawford.com