So maybe you’ve noticed, but I’m way behind on my short story wordage for the year. I’ve got six stories written, plus two that are in need of finishing. But there’s a NaNoWriMo-style challenge this month at http://storyaday.org/ that I’m hoping will get me going. At the least, I’ll churn up some good story ideas that I can use later.

Plus, I’ve already submitted the story I wrote yesterday, so who knows!

Robert Swartwood is hosting another Hint Fiction Contest with some neat prizes. 25 words or fewer. Deadline April 30th. (This post is 25 words long!)

For me, world building for novels is like eating chocolate covered awesome. I love it. Maps, floor plans, pages and pages of notes on culture, history, technology. Fun stuff, right? But what role does world building play in short stories where every word is precious? How can you establish a credible world and believable rules in the span of paragraphs? How do you create a sense of space without overwhelming the reader with backstory?

In April, we’ll journey to places that exist only in our collective mind space, and take up temporary residence in worlds limited only by imagination. I hope you have your passport ready!