Using Short Stories to Create Character Backstories for a Full-Length Series

While some authors stick to either long-form or short-form stories, others experiment with both. Sometimes, authors write a long-form story that can be broken down into several episodic sections. Other times, authors build out their long-form novel’s world with short stories. For example, sci-fi author, journalist, and ghostwriter John Wilkerson wrote short stories in the world of Rye Ironstone in preparation for a full-length series. He hoped to create a maturing story arc for his main character...