A Short Story Editor Lays It Out

And speaking of editors and editing, Michael Bracken sent me this link last night http://theyellowroomeditor.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-am-i-looking-for-in-short-story.html

This essay is by Jo Derrick, the editor of a woman's magazine called The Yellow Room. In the essay she lays out what she's looking for in a story for her magazine but she also talks about what makes not only a good story, but a great one. Here's a few quotes pulled from the piece.

"A reader shouldn't have to work too hard to understand it, this usually means the writing lacks clarity"

"In a short story there is no margin for error."

"There's no place for the writer to hide in a short story, no room for failure, for sloppy writing or muddled thought" --Sarah Dunant

"To be a successful short story writer, you have to be utterly vulnerable on the page and utterly ruthless in revision." --Chris Offutt

So, if you're looking to learn more about the craft of short story writing and what editors are looking for in a story, go have a read.