SFF in Conversation is a new monthly feature on The Book Smugglers in which we invite guests to talk about a variety of topics important to speculative fiction fans, authors, and readers. Our vision is to create a safe (moderated) space for thoughtful conversation about the genre, with a special focus on inclusivity and diversity in SFF. Anyone can participate and we are welcoming emailed topic submissions from authors, bloggers, readers, and fans of all categories, age ranges, and subgenres beneath the speculative fiction umbrella. Today, it’s is our pleasure to host a round table conversation between writers Haralambi Markov, Sunil Patel and S.L. Huang about the challenges short story writers face when transitioning to novel-length stories and vice versa. Instructions about writing often focus squarely on the specific problems at hand—pacing, narrative design, characterization, scene transitions, and worldbuilding. All adjusted to the form at hand: more often than not, either a novel or a short story. But few conversations ever steer towards the fully intersectional challenges short story writers face when transitioning to novel-length stories and vice versa. (Blessed be the versatile writers who think in and work with all lengths with ease.) To this end, short story authors […]