1. They give you a feeling of accomplishment.
How long have you been writing on that draft but the end doesn't seem to be near? Probably months. It might feel discouraging.
It's not the case with short stories. You can finish one in less than a day. A short story can be as long as 100 words. There is no rule of how long it should be. Finishing a short story might give you the motivation you need to continue working on your main story.
2. They give you diversity.
If your focus is like mine you can't continue work on one thing for long periods of time. Or if you do it crosses all borders of normality to a point where you forget to eat or go to the toilet. When you feel tired of your story search for a writing prompt or write for whatever you feel like at the time. Loosen up a little and then continue writing on your main story.
3. You get a chance to explore your characters better.
Recently I found myself unable to write because I didn't feel connected to the characters I was writing about. With short stories, I was able to overcome this resistance without pushing too hard. I almost didn't have to make myself sit in front of the laptop.
4. You explore different outcomes.
You may be a little torn between two love interests or a couple of different ending. What do I know? You can write in short what these ending and see which one you like the most and write towards this ending. You can write a short story with all the different love interests and make up your mind from which you'll have more benefits. And if you're still lost after doing this practice I... don't know what to tell you.
My point is, you can write an outcome without having to write through different events towards it and then realize this is not where you want your story to go. You can even explore different character arcs which I encourage you to do.
5. You can use them instead of a complicated outline.
If you're anything like me, you give a little frown to every person who highly recommends you to write a detailed plotline before starting work on your story. If you don't feel like doing that you can write a short with all the details you have in mind and later on add more. Either like notes or highlighted text if you're working from a computer. I like calling this "thee pantser's plot".
Of course, you don't need to follow those tips, you may put your own meaning to short stories. And if you make up your mind to try them don't feel obligated to do exactly as I have written. Short stories may benefit you in a different way or you may not be a short story person as a whole. I know I am not most of the time.
That's all from me for this post. Till next time hammer-on and jam along.
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