"May" I have a short story please?

Apparently, May is short story month. Although, I read novels, too, I have been in love with short stories since young adulthood. As I think about it, I started reading shorts in magazines when I became a first time mom and my free time became more limited.

And funny that May is short story month, because recently my daughter brought up a short story.  Dr. Lovely Daughter asked me if I’d read anything by Kurt Vonnegut. Um…YES! She proceeded to tell me about a short story written by Vonnegut that she read (around middle school age) where the storyline has stayed in the back of her mind. And get this, she read it because the school where I work was disposing of textbooks, and I got a High School English Literature book for her. This sounds like something I would do, shoving education down my children's throats.

But why do I write short stories? That’s an easy answer. I write shorts to satisfy my ADD. However, I do have three books started. One is a mystery that I can see becoming a series. Second book is a young adult. It’s as close to (first draft) finished as I could do (a year ago), but its word count, I think, is only 20,000-30,000. The third book is a middle grade read.

I love writing. Short stories might be my first love.

In a short story collection that I'm working on, there are stories of murder, mental illness, revenge, social media and even a sci fi thriller. 

Over the years, I have a favorite short stories list, those that have stayed in the back of my mind, too:

-A Redbook magazine short story about a woman whose car stops running, but she sees a Texaco gas station sign ahead and it's lit. I wish I could remember the title. (I have this story, the Redbook copy, somewhere in my house.) She's alone. It's dark. No cell phones. It's a great story that surprised me.

-Another Redbook short about an older woman living alone. Her grown children (and others) felt like she shouldn’t live out in the country alone. Then something happens (power outage and other things) and she struggles. Even though the complete story has left my brain, the emotional feeling is still with me.

-Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates. I love camera's and taking pictures, but this story puts a entirely new perspective on snapping pictures especially with old cameras. The story is a little scary with ghosts and all. 

-Autumnal by James Scott Bell This thriller, includes a killer, the outdoors, campfire and fear. Currently my favorite short. What I like about Bell is that he writes novels, short stories and writes about writing. To me it looks like he's wants to satisfy the reader's tastes.

-The Boys of My Youth by Jo Ann Beard, A book of essays in short story form. Love the feel of these stories.

So what about you? Do you enjoy reading short stories? If you do or don't tell me why. Do you have favorites?


T.