I didn't used to like writing short stories.

As an undergrad and grad student, the short stories I tried to lasso instead tangled me with confusion, frustration, regret; I really dreaded the nights I spent wrangling together those 1- to 10-page narratives.

I thought, I'd never be able to write under 20K without feeling off-kilter.

But the contests on Wattpad are so compelling—the community; the cycling content; the creative prompts—I felt driven to once again dive into short story's dreary darkness.

And I had fun participating in so many contests!—so my relationship with short stories shifted.

Small Stories, Big Worlds will hold a place in my heart as the space where I first embraced short form—my starting point on the way to future joys.

I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you'd like to read more of my short stories, consider my Halloween Vault Collection, Oktober Mermaids; or if you like sci-fantasy novels, join me in Emergence No. 7 or A Shapeshifter, Cyborg, & Wisp, located in my profile.

I appreciate you!

♦️

First draft: October 18
Word count: 192