2022: The Short Story Reading Project (also an awards eligibility post)

This year I read and analysed over 400 short stories — mostly (although not solely) science fiction, fantasy, and horror. If you are nominating for various awards, I’d love to have this considered for relevant non-fiction categories.

Here, for ease of reference, are links to the monthly posts, along with some more general descriptions of patterns I was noticing.

• Story Shapes — Three-Mood Stories (background)
• January 2022
• February 2022
• March 2022
• April 2022
• May 2022
• June 2022
• Purgatorial stories — hallmarks and patterns
• July 2022
• August 2022
• September 2022
• Short stories — rites and rituals and structure
• October 2022
• Some ways to retell a fairy tale
• November 2022

I took December off, but am looking forward to starting again.

It’s been a fascinating and fun project. I’ve learned so much about reading as a writer, and drastically increased the number of stories as was reading. It’s also led to more writing (and drawing), and I’ve given several workshops and a paper on short stories, with more to come.