Casual reader here but i've been wanting to start writing my own short stories for leisure. I have an idea for a good memoir like story done in fiction but before starting and finishing something that will turn out a mess I was wondering if /lit/ had any sort of guide or book maybe they could recommend. Thanks
Start with the Greeks
>>7397804
This went right over my head friend.
I don't know what else really I could or am asking with this thread but okay.
Read tons of short stories. It's actually a great type of writing to be interested in because you can practice it much more easily than you can with novels.
Suggestions:
>Lorrie Moore - Like Life
>Tao Lin - Bed: Stories
>Tolstoy - Death of Ivan Ilych and other stories
>DFW - Oblivion
>>7397949
Thanks friend, i'll look into these for sure
I guess maybe what I should have asked for is are there any exercises or books you could use to develope your own style of writing? I just don't want to write something and have it a ripoff of another author.
>>7397987
its okay if you rip it off and use it as a sense of inspiration for your story. Usually once you revise it, you are mostly definitely going to change a lot of it. My professor always said that the writing stage really happens during the revision stages
>>7398012
Yeah I guess seeing as how my stories will probably only be shared in a closed circle what does it matter? i'm new to /lit/ but do you guys bounce around ideas and do critiques? or even welcome casuals like myself
>>7398069
There are critique threads, but they are rarely useful. Not to say they aren't completely useless, though. Most might just say "it's shit" and leave it at that, but there will be people who will say why it's shit. Plus, there are some good bits of advice here and there. As for me I don't tend to take this forum very seriously, but it shouldn't be difficult to know good advice when you see it. It's better advice than what you'll find on tumblr, or reddit, or tv tropes at the very least.
>>7398107
this
>>7397949
>Tao Lin
>>7398107
>There are critique threads, but they are rarely useful. Not to say they aren't completely useless, though.
>>7399276
>contemporary writer with unusual style and unorthodox metaphors isn't worth reading
Yeah ok, anon. Even if you think he's bad, he's still worth reading.
Art of Memoir by Mary Karr.
Start there, she will not wrongly advise you.
>>7397789
Barthelme - the school, bolano - the return, Russell - vampires in the lemon Grove, Carver- where I'm calling from, Saunders - tenth of December (and really all of his collections)
I will come back to this thread and list more collections later but I have to get back to work. These will give you a wide breadth of style.
Oh, and collected works of Chekov are essential. Maybe even Poe.
Or just start with the Greeks.
>>7397987
>>7400047
Sorry, didn't read this before my post. You can look for guides and such, but really they're mostly gimmicks. You will improve far faster reading accomplished writers. Don't worry about emulating style, that's gonna happen in the beginning no matter what. You can't develop your own until you work at it for quite some time.
>>7399279
Ahh, you caught me. I fucked up.
>>7397789
Immediate Fiction
