How do you feel about anthologies? Anthologies are books that are a compilation of novellas (or something else) put together, usually with a common theme, to form one book.
Recently a few author friends of mine were involved in a special anthology called Tied in Pink. It’s a collection of romance novellas with the proceeds from the sales going to support breast cancer research. It’s a fantastic cause and although I’m not really a novella girl, I bought it to see what it was like.
The stories in the book were all different, both in style, setting, genre and other characteristics. The only common denominator was the romance angle and the mention of a little pink bow to bring the reader’s attention back to the driving force behind these stories. It was a poignant reminder, especially as some of the novellas covered cancer themselves. Some were particularly moving, some more lighthearted. I think there was something for everyone in there. I found myself pulled in, even though the stories were shorter than I like. I enjoy a story that takes me away to a different world for as long as possible, but these were still enjoyable, even in their brevity. Maybe I should try reading anthologies more often!
If, like me, you’re not a novella person, you might still find a story in there to like. I’ll put the link here in case you would like to check it out. If nothing else, you’ll be supporting a worthy cause.
Do you enjoy compilations? Are they something you’d normally read or do you find you prefer a longer book by one author? Let me know in the comments section below.
Hi Lynne – I’ve read a lot of anthologies, mainly non-fiction ones, but have also started reading some that include poetry and short stories lately. If the quality is good, I really enjoy them. It’s a good way of sampling a particular author’s work. If they’ve written novels or other books, it might prompt you to check them out later. However, it can also go the other way. If you’re really enjoying the story, you might want it to keep going. There’s a real skill in writing a short story so that the story arc works well in the given number of words. Sometimes it can feel as if the theme isn’t fully developed, but again, that’s where the skill of the author comes in. I like the bite-sized chunks too. Sometimes you might want a break from reading longer works and a collection allows you to dip in when you like. I’ve also heard of novelists writing short stories that feature their characters. Can be a great tie-in to a book.
Yes, I’ve definitely heard of that and I think it could be useful for authors from that point of view, that’s for sure.
Hi Lynne
Thank you for mentioning Tied in Pink 🙂
I haven’t been an great anthology reader – or at least not for a while (I used to read all of Asimov’s anthologies of short stories) but have read a couple last year/this year and enjoyed them. I enjoyed reading Meredith Resce’s recently released novella Where There’s Smoke.
I think Nola is right – there is a real skill to writing a short story, one I’m still working on 🙂 I tied my short story in Tied in Pink anthology and the short stories on my website in with secondary characters of my novels and it’s set in the same world though before the main action.
There is definitely skill to it, Jeanette, and I thought you did an excellent job. It remains to be seen if I can do the same.
Thank you. I’m looking forward to reading your short stories Lynne.