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Borges Carver Kafka O. Henry Cortázar Chekov Baldwin Calvino The Bécquer's Archives Vol. 2 No.3 September 2008 Why read, write and study short stories? In my opinion, short fiction is the finest way of expressing elegantly what storytelling is all about. The art of short fiction inspires us because it is the most intuitive, satisfying and closest to real life than any other narrative posibilities. It can be use as an instrument of truth and to discover life and its perils. | What makes a good story so fascinating?  Good literature does not consist exclusively of good grammar and very sophisticated style. Of course, those elements contribute to the creative writting process. However, we can say without any doubt of being wrong, that good literature implies more than that. Much of the sucess of the story depends on how the reader react to it. Therefore, it should be the goal of every good writer to captivate the reader with each line of their work. Good fiction, -specially in the short story genre- is achieved only when the author move the reader to that special place where the reader's eyes are completely devoted to the lines on the page. Every expression, dialog, and pharse, sentence and word must be in its proper place . Every word count! As master of the craft, we want the reader to be completely absorbed with the story. Most creative writing professors agree on this: Your first five pages are the most important ones. You want your readers to be hooked by your story while they interact with the characters and the instricacies of the story line. The reader's imagination will carry him to times and places dictated by the narrator, where everything is possible. Nothing can stop the reader now. The reader see himself in the story and now he want to solve the mystery, or find the answer to the puzzle or solve the conflicts of the victims or perhaps...fall in love. If it is a good story, the reader emotions will escalate to the point of wanting the conflict to be resolve. The thinking ability and perceptions of the reader will allow him to follow the plot like a hawk does to its pray, without letting go until the end. At last, at the "punto finale" of the story the reader will experience a sense of awe. The reader has found himself perplexed with the ending but it does not matter anymore. The reader had lived every second of the story and now feels a complete satisfaction as he reads the last words : "The End". The reader has reached that state of marvel and profound joy, sadness or perhaps still in a pensative mood. Surprised perhaps, that he had caught himself smiling or happy after a profound sight. The reader now is thinking: "Wow, this applies to me". The author's creative writing skills allow him to play with the reader's emotions. Good fiction techniques such as character development, addictive, realistic plots and good structure are necessary to reach this wonderful effect on the reader. As readers, we are kept hypnotized until the end where vital lessons and realizations are learned via the narrator's voice. Lessons which might help us to live better or to avoid the perils of bad decisions in this wonderful experience we call life. That's good literature, when the author touch us all, regardless of nationality, background, education or social status. We might pass in life like a leaf in the field, but good literature remains for generations. Alejandro  *The Editor * Lispector Kincaid J. Bowles K. Mansfields | The Content of our Website. 
In this website you will learn how to apreciate a good short story. You will not only enjoy reading the stories, but learn how to become a better writer as well. The Write Stuff section promise to have interesting discussions on how to improve the craft of writting fiction. We will not only show you techniques and tips on how to do it, but proven solutions when you face a mental block. All material in this section has been proven very insightful to help you in your progress as a writer. Periodically we will post writing excercises to make sure your creative side is always challenged and in optimal condition. You will apreciate how the elements of fiction such as: plot, character, setting, point of view, theme, style, tone, semiotics, (and much more) become ONE at the end of your story. You will see how your story is transform from a mere sketch of unrelated events into a master piece. Example: Short Story Timeline The Story of the month is one of our favorites sections. We will be featuring -not only classic stories- but contemporary stories from well known writers. However, we are ecouraging everyone to submit their own works regarless if you are a published author or not. Have you ever find yourself lost in a bookstore, deciding what is good and what is not? The Becquer News section is very practical for situations like this. Here we will evaluate the best of short fiction books, collections, anthologies, magazines, publishers, Even FREE Audio! This is not a lengthly review. If the link or documents are posted in this section, is because the content is up to our high standards and deserve to be there for at least 3 months. We are completely convienced that you will enjoy the content of this website to the fullest. Do you like to be online all the time? Do not forget to visit The Best of the Web where you will find a treasure chest of great sites. The content of Writers & Stories will gradually grow each month. Soon you will be able to browse your favorite authors and read their work over and over again. If you want us to post your favorites authors and their short stories, please send us a complete electronic text version of their work. Example: Sherwood Anderson Bookmark this page and stay tune for more updates. Last but not least, is our The Bécquer Quarterly Award Contest, where we will read, study and select the top three stories and one honorable mention from your submissions. Our next contest for best story is in July 2008 and the due date for your submissions is April 30, 2008. Review the submissions rules and contact us. Hurry and participate and have a lot of fun ! Read and write more Short Stories Do you have a story to share? Upload A. Munro J.C. Oates Caponegro R.P.Jhabvala |
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