Source: Persuasion
by Heather Parry
“Writers are often so keen to be good at something, to be artistic, that we forget the basics. We forget that writing is a method of communication, and unless you’re being unclear for a very specific reason that will eventually reveal itself, in communication, clarity is key. When it comes to first attempts at literary fiction, though, there’s often a different issue. That issue is that nothing fucking happens in it. When I started writing short stories I had excellent free mentoring from much-lauded Glasgow writer Kirsty Logan. The most irritating but insightful thing she would say to me, when I presented her with my stories, was this: ‘What is this story about?’ And more often than not, I didn’t know. The problem was that I had all these ideas, but the ideas were situations; they were not stories.” (03/06/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/modern-life-is-ruining-storytelling