When I wrote Flawless, Tavos' romance (out in February 2010), I met Alvar, one of the secondary characters. Alvar is an ex-con hired by Tavos as a bodyguard. Tavos tends to give deserving people a second chance in life. He has a weakness for people accused or convicted of crimes they didn't commit.
So why did Alvar go to jail for a crime he didn't commit? Why was he working for Tavos and not out finding the real baddie?
I had to know. I had to write his story. The thing is… Alvar's story, because we learn so much about him in Flawless, wasn't big enough for a 70,000 word novel. It wasn't even big enough for a 25,000 word novella.
It was perfect for a 10,000 word short.
I had so much fun writing Released, Alvar's story. It happens at the same time as Flawless which made it even more interesting. Readers, when they read both stories, will better understand both Tavos and Alvar.
I have three more shorts written for next year. One will add more context to Flawless (focusing on another secondary character). One will be the sequel to Released. One will set up the next full length novel. From now on, I plan to have that publishing schedule. I'll have three shorts and one full length novel.
The benefits of shorts are numerous. They allow authors to explore secondary characters in more detail. They give readers a low cost 'sampling' option (right now, Released is $0.70, that is less than a convenience store chocolate bar). For slower writing authors, such as myself, they give readers a story to read while they wait for the next full novel.
I love writing shorts. Writers, do you write shorts and why? Readers, do you read shorts?
Every month, Kimber Chin gives away her favorite romance eBook read the month before. To enter, visit http://businessromance.com/
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