Greetings, SE’ers! Beem Weeks here with you again. Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on short stories.

Why write short stories? The answer is quite simple: short stories offer instant gratification for both writer and reader. A short story can be written in a day or two. It can be read in a matter of minutes. I love the work and research that goes into writing novels, but short stories are probably my favorite form of writing.

I began writing short stories when I first learned to construct a proper sentence—which goes back to about age eight. I’ve written nearly a hundred pieces over the course of my life, though some of those have been lost to time.

Anything can inspire me: An experience, a memory, an overheard comment. Our world is awash in ideas and inspiration—if only we choose to look for them. Often, I’ll be doing some mundane chore, like…