This month, we explore the short story: what makes a great short story and how the format differs from longer forms such as the novel. Lots of writers and teachers extol the virtues of short stories as a training ground for novels, and while this might be true, short stories are a great medium in their own right – doing many things that novels can’t. 

To help us delve into this topic, we spoke to writer and NCW Academy tutor Jenn Ashworth. Jenn is probably best known for her novels, which include A Kind Of Intimacy, Cold Light and Notes Made While Falling – and her most recent novel, Ghosted. But, as you will hear, Jenn is also a writer and lover of short stories – including Misummer Eve, which we discuss in this episode.

Incidentally, if you’d like to read Midsummer Eve you will find it in the collection of the same name, published by Black Shuck Books. Head to blackshuckbooks.co.uk/midsummer-eve and you can buy the paperback for £12 or an ebook for £2.

This was a fantastic discussion with Jenn who explains how theme, character, dialogue, editing and structure vary between novels and short stories – as well as giving us loads of great insights to help us craft gripping short stories.

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