I really am. I have even started downloading podcasts from places like the Guardian short story podcast and the New Yorker onto my i-pod and then taking it to the gym to listen to while I'm pushing weights.
What I love about short stories, both writing and reading, is how sneaky they can be. They don't require the same long-term committment as a novel, but once they grab you, that's it. The strength of their punch knocks you out. The images stay with you forever, often even the ones you didn't like that much.
It's a bit like agreeing to have a coffee with an ordinary guy, thinking that it would never lead to anything and not even bothering to dress up or wash your hair, and then boom, and he somehow turns out to be your guy. Although of course I always wash my hair. Every day.
As you know, I get bored easily. I get passionate about things, I fall in love with places, people, bright colours, new ideas. And then I often burn out and change focus and all my opinions. And that's where the short stories are great. I have read about the one short story a day challenge for a year on Dan Powell's blog and I think I'll try that starting from tomorrow. It's a good time to start, a Monday. I will probably end up reading ten on one day and just one on another.
And to be particularly cruel to myself, I'll make my challenge harder: I dare myself to read AND write one short story every day for a year. I'll keep you updated so that you don't let me give up.
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