Short Stories

[danc133]

What ever happened to short stories? Everybody thinks they are Steven King and writing chapter after chapter. Many would be better left as short stories! Even the so called short stories are 6-12 pages long, way too long for basic erotica. Excuse me for being opinionated but most of the longer ones are just wordy and lose the erotic content.

Just my $.02 worth!

You all be well and have a smile on me!

D!

 

[PacoFear]

Short and shallow stories of the sort you're looking for are here. You just need the patience to find them. Trouble is, folks with your sort of "hurry up and gimme porn" preferences don't have the requisite patience.

Lit stands out from its smut story peers as offering more sophisticated fare and that's the reason it's such an active, prosperous site. Basically danc133, you've come to a gourmet restaurant and complained that it's menu lacks instant macaroni and cheese or hot dogs with baked beans.

There are all manner of other sites out there that peddle the quick and naughty.

-PF

 

[TheLovelyLickerish1]

I agree with both ends of the discussion.

Danc, we just had the conversation a few days ago about the get in, get done, get out porn. I do some of that, but not to everyone's liking. Just based off of the short discussion the other day, and I was guilty of it (I say guilty because I was writing short and expecting a long reaction), serving someone mac n cheeze and expecting a gourmet reaction is not always what writers even want to do. Hence the contests and discussion boards asking for help and feedback and comments. Likely, you will just have to search around like Paco recommends, until you find what you're looking for. If it's worth finding, it's worth looking for!

Paco, yeah, the whole short n sweet thing. LitE does peddle the quick n naughty, but again, you're almost 100% correct about it. I'm guessing even the nicest gourmet restaurant has potatoes on the menu somewhere.

Personally, I'd rather a story broken up into chapters than getting to the bottom of the page and finding pages 1-8 and then realizing that this IS chapter I.

The only thing I find about some of the shorter stories is a terrible and sad lack of good grammar. Almost like the writers who punch them out don't care to make them good in a grammatical sense. We all do typos, but some of those are really hard to read.

 

[danc133]

Short and shallow stories of the sort you're looking for are here. You just need the patience to find them. Trouble is, folks with your sort of "hurry up and gimme porn" preferences don't have the requisite patience.

Lit stands out from its smut story peers as offering more sophisticated fare and that's the reason it's such an active, prosperous site. Basically danc133, you've come to a gourmet restaurant and complained that it's menu lacks instant macaroni and cheese or hot dogs with baked beans.

There are all manner of other sites out there that peddle the quick and naughty.

-PF

I'm not sure if you intended to be condesending but you sure came out that way and that's the way I took it. Using your analogy even a gourmet chef knows how to make steak and potatoes. And I disagree that the longer stories are better here many have weak plots and are wordy and lack substance. This is not to say all or even most are in that category, but there are quite a few. BTW on your reference to food I live in Las Vegas and would wager I've eaten as many gourmet meals as you!!! up your beans and weinie!

You are kind of pompous and arrogant to presume to know me or what I like in porn from a simple forum post of a few sentences and I take offense. I intend to look up some of your posted prose and from your post I'd wager you are one of the wordy ones lacking in substance.

Have a nice day!

 

[sr71plt]

I agree that a good erotica story can be written succinctly here--I rarely go over two Lit. pages with mine. I think the shorter ones are here in abundance, though. I don't think it would take long to find one you that will meet whatever criteria you have for what you are looking for by clicking into a few stories.

 

[PacoFear]

I'm not sure if you intended to be condesending but you sure came out that way and that's the way I took it.

Which part was condescending? The part where I observed that what you're looking for is here if you're patient enough to look for it? Or the negative inference you drew from being associated with preferring short and shallow stories? Hell, I've written a couple myself.

Using your analogy even a gourmet chef knows how to make steak and potatoes.

Probably, but I suspect you wouldn't complain to the chef if his menu lacked steak and potatoes.

And I disagree that the longer stories are better here many have weak plots and are wordy and lack substance.

Oh yeah, well... actually, I'm going to agree with you there.

This is not to say all or even most are in that category, but there are quite a few. BTW on your reference to food I live in Las Vegas and would wager I've eaten as many gourmet meals as you!!! up your beans and weinie!

Um, I happen to like Las Vegas very much? Last time I stopped in I made $1,500 at blackjack and had the best breakfast of my life at Bouchon. My wife still talks about their bread. Wait, what were we talking about? Oh right...

You are kind of pompous and arrogant to presume to know me or what I like in porn from a simple forum post of a few sentences and I take offense.

Hookay, I don't presume to know you. You're probably a lovely human being. I was responding to the words in your posty thingy. From a new account set-up today, your first act, your only act, as a Literotica member has been to complain about there being too many long stories. From my perspective, it had all the grace and sophistication of bursting into a cocktail party and releasing a gigantic fart.

Danc, I took issue with your act, not you. You're the one who leapt into the ad hominems.

ad ho·mi·nem [ad hom-uh-nuhm ‐nem, ahd-]: attacking an opponent's character rather than answering his argument.

Okay, that was pompous. And arrogant.

I intend to look up some of your posted prose and from your post I'd wager you are one of the wordy ones lacking in substance.

Some of my postings have a little substance. Others not so much. *shrug* See what you think. You might actually enjoy my one conscious attempt at a quick, silly, and economical naughty story: "Outsourcing"

As it turns out, although I confess I did perpetrate a multi-chapter story myself, I'm getting frustrated with the multi-chaptered epics here on Lit in one respect - they're jamming up most of the frickin' top lists. The darn voting mechanics here mean that some of my one-off stories are wrestling for the high end of a few Lit top lists with the final chapters of everyone's twenty-chapter opuses.

Have a nice day!

You too. And looking forward to reading your work.

P.S. Thanks for the B- on Stolen Kisses. FYI - it's considered polite to use your screen name when leaving feedback if you have an account.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Paco, can I refer you to 'The Lit Poster's Guide to Etiquette' that decrees that any reference to a story should carry a link.

Danc, for your edification and callipygian gratification, can I direct you to:

outsourcing

A quick read will show you that your judgement was impaired. Paco is no Anaïs Nin, just a good erotica writer.

On the subject, I think most of us round here agree that one of the biggest mistakes is having too much padding in a story. If your first draft was 40 pages, your published version will probably be twenty.

Length doesn't matter (titters behind fan). One of the most popular authors here is rgjohn who writes across the categories and never stops at 2 lit pages. He just writes very well.

 

[PacoFear]

Paco, can I refer you to 'The Lit Poster's Guide to Etiquette' that decrees that any reference to a story should carry a link.

Danc, for your edification and callipygian gratification, can I direct you to:

outsourcing

Thanks e_o. It's a bit embarrassing to have just prodded Danc on an etiquette faux pas then promptly make one myself.

Paco is no Anaïs Nin, just a good erotica writer.

True, plus or minus the "good" part. You're always kind, e_o. "Occassionally entertaining" might be more accurate.

-PF

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Paco, don't be silly. You write great stuff here and have a large following (that doesn't mean big ass).

I would go against your criticism of chaptered stories that steal the highs on top lists. A decision has to be made between writing the story and begging for votes. Those guys trying to get some royalties need to milk the system but I think you fret too much about 'long' stories.

 

[PacoFear]

Paco, don't be silly. You write great stuff here and have a large following (that doesn't mean big ass).

Heh, now you've got me looking at my rump in the mirror. Does this font make my keister look big?

I would go against your criticism of chaptered stories that steal the highs on top lists. A decision has to be made between writing the story and begging for votes. Those guys trying to get some royalties need to milk the system but I think you fret too much about 'long' stories.

My half-informed suspicion (or maybe my dim recollection from reading a voting analysis posting here somewhere?) is that the voting scores on a multi-chapter story naturally trend upwards as the casual, less impressed readers are weeded out, leaving the story's higher voting fan base. I'm thinking an average of the chapters' scores might make for more even footing.

To be honest, it's nothing I'm losing sleep over. Out of good sportsmanship, I was just looking for some common ground with Danc re: the plethora of multi-chapter epics.

-PF

 

[driphoney]

Heh, now you've got me looking at my rump in the mirror. Does this font make my keister look big?



My half-informed suspicion (or maybe my dim recollection from reading a voting analysis posting here somewhere?) is that the voting scores on a multi-chapter story naturally trend upwards as the casual, less impressed readers are weeded out, leaving the story's higher voting fan base. I'm thinking an average of the chapters' scores might make for more even footing.

To be honest, it's nothing I'm losing sleep over. Out of good sportsmanship, I was just looking for some common ground with Danc re: the plethora of multi-chapter epics.

-PF

I agree about the chaptered stories hogging too much space on the Top Lists. I think all (and this would include me) chaptered stories, after no editions have been made in, say, a year, should be collapsed and averaged into one listing. Don't know how or if it could be done, but as a reader I burnt out a few Top Lists and would love to know (easily) the next 200 or so down on the list.

Of course, I gave up both reading and writing for reading threads such as this one. It has it all, drama, humor, length, anticipation . . . .

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Of course, I gave up both reading and writing for reading threads such as this one. It has it all, drama, humor, length, anticipation . . . .

. . . typos, poor punctuation, bad spelling, iffy grammar, unbelievable characters . . .

Seriously, I think the chapter issue is insoluble. Just look at the special contests where 'entries forming part of a larger series' have been banned. There is now acrimonious squabbling over whether using the same characters or settings constitutes a 'series'.

The site wants traffic, authors want publicity and readers seem to demand a clear category steer, bitesize chunks and continuation of a story - a writer needs to be a saint not to be tempted by the oft-read comment "Great story, please post the next part quickly". Thus, it is no-one's interest to send chapters to a gulag category called 'Series'. Look at 'Novels and novellas' in general.

Again, how do you legislate for chapter stories spread over several categories or differentiate between a single story in parts and chapters which are really separate episodes with the same characters? And what about an 8 lit page story split into two chapters for convenience.

I can see no way through this minefield to satisfy all parties.

Don't get me wrong. As a reader, I got frustrated by the chapter effect in the toplists. To get round this, I started going straight to a category, picking a page then browsing to find an interesting-looking highish scorer. There are gems to be unearthed.

 

[TheLovelyLickerish1]

Random Browsing

E_O, that's pretty much how I do things, too and I agree there are some really great stories that get lost in the shuffle. I wonder if there's any way to have a search option, probably best in category, for descending scores in addition to alphabetical. Just like if you read an article on the 'Net and go to the comments section, or shopping on Amazon, there's a couple of different viewing options such as oldest first, newest first, most relevant, best selling, etc.

All the stories now are categorized alphabetically, but this seems doable since the scores are on the page next to the title anyway. I look at those scores a lot when choosing stories to read since many just haven't hit 'hot' status but are maybe 4.45, 4.48. This might solve some problems since a lot of the most read have the most votes and, therefore, in many cases, highest scores. Searching like this would allow scrolling down to those stories in limbo.

 

[driphoney]

. . . typos, poor punctuation, bad spelling, iffy grammar, unbelievable characters . . .

Seriously, I think the chapter issue is insoluble. Just look at the special contests where 'entries forming part of a larger series' have been banned. There is now acrimonious squabbling over whether using the same characters or settings constitutes a 'series'.

The site wants traffic, authors want publicity and readers seem to demand a clear category steer, bitesize chunks and continuation of a story - a writer needs to be a saint not to be tempted by the oft-read comment "Great story, please post the next part quickly". Thus, it is no-one's interest to send chapters to a gulag category called 'Series'. Look at 'Novels and novellas' in general.

Again, how do you legislate for chapter stories spread over several categories or differentiate between a single story in parts and chapters which are really separate episodes with the same characters? And what about an 8 lit page story split into two chapters for convenience.

I can see no way through this minefield to satisfy all parties.

Don't get me wrong. As a reader, I got frustrated by the chapter effect in the toplists. To get round this, I started going straight to a category, picking a page then browsing to find an interesting-looking highish scorer. There are gems to be unearthed.

Well, the contests are a special issue, a rant created just for the creation of the rant and attention.

And I agree, chapters shouldn't be messed with while active and new. As for how to categorize multi-topic stories, I don't know. I think lack of topic is why people won't visit novella and novels. It's too much work opening, reading for a 1/2 page, closing, trying the next one, over and over and over until you find something you like.

Same type of problem with opening the alphabetized genre pages.

E_O, that's pretty much how I do things, too and I agree there are some really great stories that get lost in the shuffle. I wonder if there's any way to have a search option, probably best in category, for descending scores in addition to alphabetical. Just like if you read an article on the 'Net and go to the comments section, or shopping on Amazon, there's a couple of different viewing options such as oldest first, newest first, most relevant, best selling, etc.

All the stories now are categorized alphabetically, but this seems doable since the scores are on the page next to the title anyway. I look at those scores a lot when choosing stories to read since many just haven't hit 'hot' status but are maybe 4.45, 4.48. This might solve some problems since a lot of the most read have the most votes and, therefore, in many cases, highest scores. Searching like this would allow scrolling down to those stories in limbo.

I like this idea. And it's not just the slightly under "hot" that gets lost. Unless I've just not found it (and that could very well be!) there are lots of red H stories buried in the file. As more and more stories are added each year, that list of 4.5 or high stories continues to grow.

*sigh*

 

[D_K_Moon]

What ever happened to short stories? Everybody thinks they are Steven King and writing chapter after chapter. Many would be better left as short stories! Even the so called short stories are 6-12 pages long, way too long for basic erotica. Excuse me for being opinionated but most of the longer ones are just wordy and lose the erotic content.

Just my $.02 worth!

You all be well and have a smile on me!

D!

Some of us aspire to write more than short stroke pieces. We want to create characters that readers will remember. We want to write stories that have the ability to make the intended audience feel something other than lust.

You are welcome to your opinion, but you're not the type of reader I write for. If you feel there's a lack of a certain type of story, then by all means, feel free to jump in with your own offerings.

 

[michchick98]

Well, the contests are a special issue, a rant created just for the creation of the rant and attention.

And I agree, chapters shouldn't be messed with while active and new. As for how to categorize multi-topic stories, I don't know. I think lack of topic is why people won't visit novella and novels. It's too much work opening, reading for a 1/2 page, closing, trying the next one, over and over and over until you find something you like.

Same type of problem with opening the alphabetized genre pages.

I like this idea. And it's not just the slightly under "hot" that gets lost. Unless I've just not found it (and that could very well be!) there are lots of red H stories buried in the file. As more and more stories are added each year, that list of 4.5 or high stories continues to grow.

*sigh*

But wouldn't you effectively run into the same problem with shorter, non chaptered or one Lit page stories?

You can't really get the feel of a story in the first paragraph or two well enough to know if you'd want to read the entire thing can you? Well, maybe most readers can. I know I can't and there have been many times where I've opened a short story only to read about halfway through and realize it's not something that would interest me.

Using that thought process, I'd have to backtrack to the category listing and find something else again.

Also, many authors will start chaptered stories with the first chapter and no chapter number after it. That in itself can be frustrating when you get to the end and realize there's more to the story that either hasn't posted yet or was posted under a similar title. Yes, that's happened when I've used the category listings, too.

Although, to each his or her own. If you prefer shorter stories to chaptered stories, that's fine. Each author has their own reader base.

And I don't always read stories marked with a red H for the same reason. There are some great stories out there with scores in the low to mid 4s that get overlooked because of not having the red H.

Some of us aspire to write more than short stroke pieces. We want to create characters that readers will remember. We want to write stories that have the ability to make the intended audience feel something other than lust.

Amen to that, brother!

 

[_Lynn_]

Some of us aspire to write more than short stroke pieces. We want to create characters that readers will remember. We want to write stories that have the ability to make the intended audience feel something other than lust.

You are welcome to your opinion, but you're not the type of reader I write for. If you feel there's a lack of a certain type of story, then by all means, feel free to jump in with your own offerings.

Yup, some of us do.

 

[sr71plt]

I think DK Moon reads too much into the OP (although this may be what the OP means). It's possible to paint a vivid character with a sentence. What DK says he strives to do doesn't ipso facto take more than one or two Lit. pages. And you can have more than one character in that space and a "what is essential" plotline and an unusual locale and even erotica, if you want them all and are a good writer.

I don't have much patience for the "it's got to be one or the other" argument on length and what constitutes a good/complete short story. Wordiness doesn't ipso facto give you more than succinctiness and focus can. I think it's just an irrelevant argument to creating a good story. A storyteller/writer here isn't good because they either write succinctly or at great length. They are good because they successfully build a well-populated world with dilemma and resolution and relevant, enriched context with however many words they choose to use to do it.

P.S. I might add here as I've noted before that the preponderance of short story competitions now running on the Internet and in print limit wordage to 3,500-words or under--as do most publications that are still offering short stories. Therefore, anyone here trying to develop to write in the mainstream will be striving to write succinct stories. 3,500 words fit in one Lit. page.

 

[D_K_Moon]

I think DK Moon reads too much into the OP (although this may be what the OP means). It's possible to paint a vivid character with a sentence. What DK says he strives to do doesn't ipso facto take more than one or two Lit. pages. And you can have more than one character in that space and a "what is essential" plotline and an unusual locale and even erotica, if you want them all and are a good writer.

I don't have much patience for the "it's got to be one or the other" argument on length and what constitutes a good/complete short story. Wordiness doesn't ipso facto give you more than succinctiness and focus can. I think it's just an irrelevant argument to creating a good story. A storyteller/writer here isn't good because they either write succinctly or at great length. They are good because they successfully build a well-populated world with dilemma and resolution and relevant, enriched context with however many words they choose to use to do it.

P.S. I might add here as I've noted before that the preponderance of short story competitions now running on the Internet and in print limit wordage to 3,500-words or under--as do most publications that are still offering short stories. Therefore, anyone here trying to develop to write in the mainstream will be striving to write succinct stories. 3,500 words fit in one Lit. page.

To me, the OP was lamenting the lack of short, stroke pieces. If I misunderstood, then I will throw myself off of a freeway overpass right after breakfast.

Now, I've never pretended to be a writer of short stories, and I don't have any desire to write in the mainstream. I'm just happy as a clam writing what I write.

 

[TheLovelyLickerish1]

To me, the OP was lamenting the lack of short, stroke pieces. If I misunderstood, then I will throw myself off of a freeway overpass right after breakfast.

Now, I've never pretended to be a writer of short stories, and I don't have any desire to write in the mainstream. I'm just happy as a clam writing what I write.

If you do, will you promise to land on an open truck passing under, carrying a load of feather mattresses, driven by a hottie? The hottie, concerned over seeing you land from such a great height, pulls over. It just so happens that by the time this occurs, it's on a lonely, winding road with no one around...

It would definitely cause the next person thinking about jumping off an overpass to reconsider! You can call it... wait for it... here it comes... Suicide Sol-oooohh-tion

I made myself giggle.

 

[driphoney]

But wouldn't you effectively run into the same problem with shorter, non chaptered or one Lit page stories?

You can't really get the feel of a story in the first paragraph or two well enough to know if you'd want to read the entire thing can you? Well, maybe most readers can. I know I can't and there have been many times where I've opened a short story only to read about halfway through and realize it's not something that would interest me.

Using that thought process, I'd have to backtrack to the category listing and find something else again.

Also, many authors will start chaptered stories with the first chapter and no chapter number after it. That in itself can be frustrating when you get to the end and realize there's more to the story that either hasn't posted yet or was posted under a similar title. Yes, that's happened when I've used the category listings, too.

Although, to each his or her own. If you prefer shorter stories to chaptered stories, that's fine. Each author has their own reader base.

And I don't always read stories marked with a red H for the same reason. There are some great stories out there with scores in the low to mid 4s that get overlooked because of not having the red H.

I think reading half a Lit page is a good deal more than 2 paragraphs, if that's what you're commenting on. And yes, I've gotten half way through a short story and stopped, but not too often. In N & N's, the genre can be anything and you can't always tell until you've opened it and read a bit. There are popular topics here on Lit that I don't want to read. I did not mean to indicated that I was in any way opposed to chaptered stories, or only wanted to read them. If the Top List chaptered stories were collapsed, then that would inevitably lift even more chaptered stories to the top as well as short stories. I only have 9 things submitted, 8 are chapters, 1 is a short stroker scene. And, I tend to read longer chaptered stories.

I also agree with you that there are lots of stories in the 4.xx range that aren't red H but are very good. You're point is exactly why I'm a generous voter. I know if a decent story can't reach that precious 4.5, it'll probably never get the reads it deserves.

I'm not arguing or anything. It was just a little venting as a reader I suppose. Everyone wants what is best for the site because what is best for it is ultimately--in this case--best for the writers and readers.

Oh, and I was one of those ignorant first chapter writers that didn't think to title the story as chapter 1. I put it inside my .doc attachment, but not in the submission title box. I went back and fixed it and I think it happened to work as a stand-alone, but, yeah . . . .

 

[driphoney]

Some of us aspire to write more than short stroke pieces. We want to create characters that readers will remember. We want to write stories that have the ability to make the intended audience feel something other than lust.

You are welcome to your opinion, but you're not the type of reader I write for. If you feel there's a lack of a certain type of story, then by all means, feel free to jump in with your own offerings.

Yup, some of us do.

I think DK Moon reads too much into the OP (although this may be what the OP means). It's possible to paint a vivid character with a sentence. What DK says he strives to do doesn't ipso facto take more than one or two Lit. pages. And you can have more than one character in that space and a "what is essential" plotline and an unusual locale and even erotica, if you want them all and are a good writer.

I don't have much patience for the "it's got to be one or the other" argument on length and what constitutes a good/complete short story. Wordiness doesn't ipso facto give you more than succinctiness and focus can. I think it's just an irrelevant argument to creating a good story. A storyteller/writer here isn't good because they either write succinctly or at great length. They are good because they successfully build a well-populated world with dilemma and resolution and relevant, enriched context with however many words they choose to use to do it.

P.S. I might add here as I've noted before that the preponderance of short story competitions now running on the Internet and in print limit wordage to 3,500-words or under--as do most publications that are still offering short stories. Therefore, anyone here trying to develop to write in the mainstream will be striving to write succinct stories. 3,500 words fit in one Lit. page.

SR, I think you prove your point with story after story. And it's really gotten me to thinking. I don't know if I have the ability to move through a complete story and give depth and texture in just 2 Lit pages, but I should be able to.

But I think the other points are valid and bring out the real situation here. This isn't a short story site. The owners don't solicit nor restrict the length of the stories. Nor do they pay for requested material, therefore, the author's generally are writing whatever their heart's desire. To have this multitude of stories, you probably need that wide-open freedom. It's the thing I love most about this site. The restrictions are few, reasonable, and set in stone. Outside of that, it's unlimited. To me, this is what free speech is all about.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

SR, I think you prove your point with story after story. And it's really gotten me to thinking. I don't know if I have the ability to move through a complete story and give depth and texture in just 2 Lit pages, but I should be able to.

But I think the other points are valid and bring out the real situation here. This isn't a short story site. The owners don't solicit nor restrict the length of the stories. Nor do they pay for requested material, therefore, the author's generally are writing whatever their heart's desire. To have this multitude of stories, you probably need that wide-open freedom. It's the thing I love most about this site. The restrictions are few, reasonable, and set in stone. Outside of that, it's unlimited. To me, this is what free speech is all about.

Drip, I agree totally with you. The variations between a Colleen Thomas zillion page lesbian sci-fi novella and a 750 word, well-crafted BDSM vignette help make this site what it is.

sr, I bow to your greater knowledge of the erotica short story competition market, but the thought that seven printed pages (3,500 words) is a maximum suprises me. Traditionally, short stories for publication were about 20-25 printed pages, around 3 lit pages and in the airport bookshop ones I've bought recently (erotica and not) that seems to still apply.

Also, the tendency over the last couple of decades to increase novel length from about 250 pages to infinity and beyond suggests that readers can take (enjoy) much longer narratives than they used to do.

sr, I always read you and your simple stories are a pleasure. I say just that a story, dealt out over some length, can be even more enjoyable. I would put rgjohn here as a past master of longer erotic stories.

In fiction, also in erotic fiction, the story you want to tell will control the length of your writing. There is no obvious pat on the back for brevity (or padding).

 

[sr71plt]

I don't just write short short stories (variety being rather the point I've tried to make). I have plenty of longer works posted to Lit. Most of the time anything that would go to over three Lit. pages, though, I post in chapters. I do this with my own opinion from observation of what the preponderance of Lit. readers will endure in length at one reading.

The traditional definition of short story (which, incidentally was limited to 20,000 words) is a story that can be read at one sitting. "One sitting" capability is one that has been telescoping down for decades by the nature of the change of pace/attention span of society--and back in the 60s had already killed most of the national-level short story magazines.

Anyone who would like to test the "most fewer than 3,500 words" advice for short story contests is invited to enter a few and find out for yourself.

The bottom line, though, is write at the length you think the work needs to be to be a well-constructed "on point" story--and the corollary is not to tell the other guy what he/she should have done or what "everyone" who writes well does.

I think someone else up the line, too, has noted that it's not just short stories that are posted to Lit. Novellas and Novels (and essays and poems) live here too.

 

[sr71plt]

Back to the OP, however. There are lots and lots of shorter stories here. If you see a story you might like to read, just do a fast scroll to the bottom of the first page and you'll get an idea of how long it is. The writer of the OP could just stick to reading stories not show more than one Lit. page. It's not all that hard. I think the suggestion that there aren't enough shorter stories here for anyone's taste is bogus and not finding them easily is just a reflection of laziness.