Jan is Jan Fields, moderator of this interview/workshop, and Web Editor of the ICL Web Site. Green shows names or usernames of people and the questions they asked of our speaker.

JanFields: Thank you so much for coming to share on short stories. As you can see, folks are already well excited about it. I'm looking forward to it, myself.

Jan Goldberg: Thanks so much for your kind words of welcome. I am extremely glad to be here to share one of my most favorite topics with you - - - writing!

Jan Goldberg: I have been writing my whole life. My first love was poetry and, at a very young age, I was the family poet whom everyone sought out for birthdays and other occasions. My first writing payment was $5 for a poem many, many years ago. Later, I branched into nonfiction to help provide classroom material for the students I was teaching. From there, I moved on to fiction. I'm proud to say that I am now living my childhood dream of writing, editing, and teaching writing. And I still enjoy writing poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. As a result, I am never bored. In fact, I feel as if I am one of the luckiest people in the world!

Jan Goldberg: This is a very good question! If your ideas are too "big" to start with, you are always going to have trouble with word counts. Here are some tips to keep in mind to avoid creating plots that are too "big": (1) Keep your number of characters small and make the adults of lesser importance. (2) Keep the time frame short. (3) Keep the number of scenes to a small number. (4) Introduce your main character (a child or teen) and some action right away. (5) Provide a conflict/problem for your main character and don't make it too complicated. (6) Satisfy your readers by having your main character overcome this conflict/problem and be forever changed as a result of it. (7) End your story as soon as (6) is accomplished. I know that some people are fearful of outlines, but most accomplished writers I know use them consistently. Outlines don't need to be detailed, but putting ideas on paper is always a good idea. In the end, the more you write, the more you will get a better feel for what is too much to include in a short story. So, practice, practice, practice.

Jan Goldberg: I think you are right on target! I would say 2 to 4 characters is fine. I would say if you can stick to a couple of days, that's ideal. I would say that 2 to 3 scenes is best.

Jan Goldberg: I would say that you have pretty much answered your own question. To achieve the 500 to 700 word limit, you will probably need to create a shorter and less involved plot. Stick to two or three characters and a short time frame. How about writing a story that includes only two or three scenes and only one or two days? Obviously, you will also have to narrow the number of happenings, dialogue, events etc. in your story. Do some thinking and then use an outline form that is comfortable for you. Just keep thinking - - - keep it simple!

Jan Goldberg: I would recommend that you keep your word count in mind before you begin writing your story. Some story lines simply won't work with the constraints of a limited word count. So, it's best to know that right away, rather than having to try to cut, cut, cut later. I know what you mean about feeling as if you have cut all that you possibly can without destroying your story line. Save those more complicated story lines for instances where you have more freedom with word counts.

Jan Goldberg: Beyond that, I would say that you need to delete anything that doesn't serve a true purpose in your story. If you have included dialogue, (for instance), that sounds great but doesn't really reveal anything more about the characters or the situation, then you should delete it. Also, if you include more than two or three scenes within a relatively short time frame in a short story for youngsters, that's probably too much. Always ask yourself if you are trying to include too much in one story. Perhaps, you have the makings of more than one story there and you need to split them into two.

Jan Goldberg: That's not a dumb question at all. I don't think there are too many places that accept stories as short as 200 words. I believe that would qualify as flash fiction. Your 500 word figure is just about right!

JanFields: Actually some preschool magazines have word counts of 200 or less for stories. Babybug does, and Highlights requires their rebus stories be 150 or less, and Ladybug requires their rebus stories be 200 or less. Turtle says they like their fiction 150 words or less (though that must represent a change for them because I've definitely seen 500 word stories in there in the past). So anyway, for magazines for VERY young children, super short is not unusual and 200 words is not considered exceptionally short for a picture book either.

Jan Goldberg: It's important to include sensory description when writing short story or novels. That's because we want our readers to experience whatever it is that we have going on in our stories. We want them to smell the pleasant odor of the baby lotion as the mother applied it to her baby with love. We want them to taste the bitter spices in the unknown dinner served to our main character. We want them to feel the sharp points of the thorns on the rose. When we are able to accomplish this, we bring our readers into our stories and make them care about our characters.

Jan Goldberg: However, is EVERY touch, smell, taste, audible, and sight mentioned in every story we write important to describe to our readers? Absolutely not. So, we need to pick and choose those which are important to describe with sensory description. This is especially true in a short story. We need to be selective. Yes, we do want everything we include in our stories to move the plot along - - - but we also want to create a special world of seeing and hearing and feeling and smelling and tasting for our readers.

Jan Goldberg: This would, of course, vary according to the type of story and target age. However, I would estimate that, in general, about 10 to 15% would be dediated to the introduction and about 10 to 15% to the ending. The rest would be devoted to the middle.

Jan Goldberg: Generally, publishers like to pair stories they are going to publish with illustrators they choose. However, if you have sufficient talent, you could possibly serve as both writer and illustrator. If that is the case, you might submit both your story and some illustrations to a potential publisher. When you are looking over the guidelines for potential target markets for your work, see what each publisher has to say about this issue. However, generally, writers don't have to be at all concerned about the illustrations that will appear in their published picture books.

Jan Goldberg: I think that you make a great point. When writing longer works, you are able to develop a more complex story line, a larger number of characters, sub-plots, and deeper characterization. The truth is that many different types ande genres of writing exist and it is obvious that you prefer writing longer pieces. I see no problem with that at all. However, since you know that you have already improved at writing shorter fiction, I bet you can improve even more with additional practice. Just know that when it comes time to choose what you like to do best, focusing on longer fictional pieces is just fine!

Jan Goldberg: That's also a good question. Here are some tips: (1) Write your story in first person. Readers often feel that they relate more to characters who are telling their stories in first person. (2) Describe what your character looks like. Use vivid verbs and concrete adjectives (3) Reveal what is important about your character to your readers through dialogue, actions, and what others are saying about him or her. (4) Base your main character on someone you know - or a combination of several people you know. Sometimes you can develop a more realistic character in a story by basing him or her on someone you actually know. (5) As much as possible, "show" your readers what your character is like, rather than "telling" them.

Jan Goldberg: Wow! That's a tough question. First of all, I do want to say that there is an element of subjectivity involved in what one editor or agent thinks is outstanding. So, while one editor is bowled over by a story, another might not like it at all. I'm sure you have heard of many instances where very famous and popular books have been overlooked and turned down by many editors. In fact, this was true of "Happy Potter."

Jan Goldberg: However, that said, of course you still want to make your manuscript as top-notch as possible. As far as plot goes, here are some tips: (1) Create a story that youngsters can easily relate to with strong feelings. (2) Provide a new slant on a known story line. (3) Work on creating a voice that is engaging and totally yours. (4) Depending on the type of story line, is your story suspenseful, appealing, unique? (5) Try writing your story in first person. When you use first person, your main character is speaking directly to your reader. As a result, there is a sense of immediacy.

Jan Goldberg: Since magazine fiction for older children could run to 8,000 or even 10,000 words, I would say that these stories could certainly contain subplots. For younger children and shorter stories, you probably wouldn't include a true subplot.

Jan Goldberg: When planning out the characters, setting, and plot in your story, think about the most important challenge/problem your main character is going to have to deal with and overcome. Once you have that established, think about the other characters you are including in your story. What possible subplots might make the story more engaging, more suspenseful, more intriguing? How about including a subplot that would create a greater understanding of your main character's personality? How about including a subplot that makes the story line timely - - - for instance, something to do with the difficult economic situation so many people find themselves in these days? How about a subplot that adds mystery to your story? These are just some possible examples of how you might want to handle this.

Jan Goldberg: I have the same kinds of problems that you all have - - - too many ideas! One thing that has helped me tremendously and that I always pass along to all of my students is to carefully outline stories before you write them. In fact, the more detailed my outlines are, the easier the stories are to write, and the better they seem to come out. Hopefully, when writing outlines, you will get a better "fix" on staying short. I also wanted to mention that some people are able to write novels more easily than they can write short stories. I think that's fine. When given the opportunity, write a novel. However, I do feel that, with time and practice, you will get better at writing shorter too.

Jan Goldberg: When writing short, remember to include only a few characters (probably 3 at the most), a short time frame (a few days at most), and one obstacle that your main character needs to overcome (not something too complicated either). As far as writing at the correct age level goes, take a trip to your local library and have the librarian find you lots of books at your target age level. Read these books and get a feel for the types of main characters, the language, the sentence structure, and the complexity of ideas the authors used. I really don't know of any "tricks" to quicker editing, other than to read all of your work out loud. You'll be amazed at what you uncover when doing this. You'll begin to hear the places that don't flow, the words that stick out as unclear, and characters who just don't seem true to themselves.

Jan Goldberg: I like writing for a variety of age groups because I like to vary the kinds of projects I work on. I've never been the kind of person who likes to do the same kind of thing over and over. So, that's why freelancing - which I have done full-time for the past 20 years - has been so great for me. I'm always working on a variety of projects as both a writer and/or an editor at any one time. In addition, at various intervals, I teach writing classes and seminars both online and in person. And, of course, I love teaching for ICL! All in all, I find it to be a very rewarding and interesting career.

Jan Goldberg: As far as losing voice goes, naturally, when writing longer pieces you have the opportunity to delve deeper into characterization, to create a more complicated story line, and include a greater number of characters (among other things). The more that is on paper for readers to delve into, the more opportunity there is for readers to perceive your voice.

Jan Goldberg: Voice includes the specific way you choose your words, the way you put your words together, the emphasis you attach to your words, and the attitude you bring to your story.

Jan Goldberg: So, while it's true that it's more difficult to establish voice in a shorter piece, if you write in a way that is unique to you, your writing skills, and your attitude and perception of your story, you will reveal your voice to your readers.

Jan Goldberg: Voice is something that each one of us develops through the process of building our writing skills and gaining experience by writing. Do you tend to write using longer sentences? Do you tend to write in a smooth fashion? Do you use a good deal of sensory description? These are some of the elements that determine what your voice sounds like.

Jan Goldberg: In reference to Kimber's comment below that she liked the unedited version better than the edited version, perhaps it would be better to focus on the unedited version and then begin something new to fulfill that other assignment.

Jan Goldberg: A young-adult novel can range anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 words. I believe a short novel (perhaps termed a novella) might include a 10,000 to 20,000 word range. I believe that a short story would "top out" at about 10,000 words. I imagine that not everyone would agree with these figures as they are not "set in stone" but at least give you a "ballpark" idea.

Jan Goldberg: A wide range exists for chapter books. I would say probably anywhere from 3,000 to 20,000 words might fall into that range. Chapter books wouldn't fall into the short story category because the short story reference is used for "stories" (as in those published in magazines) rather than "books."

Jan Goldberg: Here are some tips on "conquering" the teen market. (1) Always keep in mind that teens are looking to establish their own identities. Thus, they will be looking to read about characters who are doing that very same thing. (2) Let teens know that they are not alone. The angst they are experiencing is universal to many others in their same age group. (3) Seek to create characters that teens can identify with. (4) Engage your readers by exploring what teens experience when taking risks. (5) Provide a recognition of differences so that teens will feel that it's acceptable to be whoever it is they are (6) And perhaps most importantly - - - be sure to let the characters and plot drive your story and don't lecture to your readers.

Jan Goldberg: I'm not sure if I'm understanding your question or not, but here is what I would say on this topic. You always want the beginning and ending of all of your stories to fit together - regardless of the number of words in the story. Because the word counts are so low in Flash Fiction, for example, it's even more crucial that your beginning and ending work together well. Every word must serve a purpose, or it should be deleted. The tone of your beginning should mesh with your ending. Your character should appear in an active manner right away and he or she should meet and overcome his or her challenges in a satisfying way at the end of your story.

Jan Goldberg: I am of the opinion that, when writing for children and young adults, it is important for stories to end with, if not happiness, at least hope for the main character. So, as far as the mood or tone of your story goes, it's perfectly OK if your beginning starts with a very different status for your main character as it is for him or her in the end. By that I mean your character could start off feeling very sad and end up feeling much happier at the end of the story. When I say that the beginning and ending should tie together, I mean that it should be obvious that you are still dealing with the same characters in the situations presented at the beginning, throughout the middle, and through the ending. You want to make your characters and your scenes as realistic as possible.

Jan Goldberg: You're right Okami, your main character should sustain some kind of change as a result of a challenge or problem he or she faces and overcomes in your story. But, your readers should be able to recognize that this is still the same character that you introduced at the beginning of your story.

Jan Goldberg: I do this ALWAYS!!! I even keep a pad of paper next to my bed and on the counter in the bathroom when I shower. I would have lost many, many, many wonderful gems of ideas if I hadn't done so.

Jan Goldberg: I think you should always check out target markets before you write an article or a story for that matter. One advantage nonfiction writers have over fiction writers is that they can often write a query, rather than a complete article, and then sell the article on the basis of that query. So, you have much less time invested in writing a query, as opposed to writing a complete article. Also, you then have the opportunity to tailor your article to the specific desires and needs of a particular publication. The exception to this would be if you have a burning desire to write on a specific topic and aren't in any rush to get it published. It may take a while, but you can often find a publisher interested in a topic as much as you are.

Jan Goldberg: I was teaching a unit on careers in my fourth grade class and really couldn't find much material (at that time) to use with my students. So, I decided to write some of my own material. After I had written several articles, I decided to submit them to a local career publication and they were published. I also used a number of career books with my class and one day thought, "Hey, I could write one of these." In the end, I wrote about 30 career books for several national publishers like McGraw Hill for just about every grade level and for adults. I've written more of the longer nonfiction books (20,000 to 40,000 words), so I think I'd have to say I enjoyed those more. I am the kind of person who likes to cover topics thoroughy and you have a greater opportunity to accomplish that in a longer project.

Jan Goldberg: Yes, writing for educational markets is usually different from writing for trade markets. In many cases, educational publishers create their own book series (and in most cases they publish series of books) and the titles of the books they wish to publish. Then, they assign writers to write those books. So, you can often send in an introductory packet to an educational publisher that includes a cover letter, resume, and writing samples. With any luck, they will contact you when they are looking for writers. Naturally, once you are known to an educational publisher and they are satisfied with your work, they will contact you again when they need writers. They may be seeking fiction or nonfiction writers. I have written early readers, but none that I would classify as picture books.

Jan Goldberg: If you are interested in creating puzzles, I would say that educational publishers might be a good bet for you. Also, some of the well-known children's magazine publishers sometimes include puzzles in their issues. Go to a library or bookstore and see which children's publishers include puzzles. Also, look through your "Magazine Markets for Children - 2010" and other, similar guides for other possible educational markets. You can also check this out online.

Jan Goldberg: I wish I could give you a simple successful formula, but I don't know of one! Let me congratulate you for your ability to create believable characters. That is excellent! The only thing I can say is to continue to read a lot of children's literature and to specifically focus on the conflict in the story. And practice, practice, practice your writing. Sorry I can't give you a magical formula.

JanFields: I like magic -- so let me give it a shot. If you have a character you love, you need to ask it -- what do you want most in the world? That's the core of your story, because the strongest conflicts come from the strongest desires. It might be a desire for something positive (I want my dad to come to my piano recital) or it might be negative (I want to stop playing softball). Then after you know that the character wants so much she can barely stand it -- make her do something about it. If her desire is strong enough, it should drive her act. So she acts. Now make that action create total havoc, making it seem she'll never get her heart's desire...such havoc that she cannot help but act. She can't stay passive. So she acts and more consequences ensue. And we follow this strong motivation until we reach conclusion. If your motivation is strong, your conflict will be strong automatically.

Jan Goldberg: Of course, it's better if you are able to avoid selling all of your rights to your stories or articles. However, if you really want a particular credit for your resume and you feel it will really mean something (a nationally recognized publication for example), I would go ahead and sell all rights. If you think you have written a nonfiction article that you could write about again for another market in a different way (with a different slant, etc), then I would go ahead and sell all rights. I know some writers who would not sell all rights to their work. However, I always weigh what I will gain by making that sale and I might potentially lose. Then, I make my decision.

Jan Goldberg: I'm sorry to say that I have not found many markets for writing poetry. Believe it or not, I have been most successful sending my poetry to greeting card markets like Blue Mountain. You might like to try that yourself!

Jan Goldberg: I don't have an "etched in stone" number of minimum words or writing time for each day. However, each week, I outline the projects I need/want to accomplish. Then, I break those projects down to the desired amount of work I want to accomplish each day. Doing so keeps me well aware of both the "bigger picture" and the "smaller picture" and I am able to stay on top of everything that way. Of course, unexpected things come up - - - both personally and professionally - - - and I often have to shift things around and re-evaluate my schedule to accommodate them.

Jan Goldberg: I think that volunteering your writing has a number of benefits. For instance, if you are at the beginning of your career or are seeking a particular credit to add to your resume, volunteering can be a great idea. In addition, I think it's wonderful to volunteer your time and expertise in the form of writing for any organization or affiliation that has a place in your heart. No matter how accomplished you are, I think this is an excellent use of your time.

Jan Goldberg: As far as self-publishing goes, no I have never self-published and I have mixed feelings about it. I would say, in general, it's always better to go through an established publisher. However, I do know of cases where people self-published and then, when their books did well, publishers approached them to represent them. Naturally, I don't expect that happens too often. As far as I am concerned, the two most important things to remember when self-publishing is that you will bear all the costs and you also have to do all of the marketing and PR. So, it's pretty difficult to make self-publishing profitable and it involves a huge amount of time beyond getting the book written. Another aspect to consider is that I have heard (but don't know for sure) that, in some cases, some of the big bookstores won't handle self-published books. You might want to check that out before you go ahead with this project.

Jan Goldberg: I've written on a wide range of topics. Some of my favorites include self-help, historical subjects, career and business, lifestyles, and anything about writing.

Jan Goldberg: I would much rather write fictional short stories than anything. However, I always have to balance that with the nonfiction assignments I am regularly offered. I've been a full-time freelance writer, editor, and instructor for over 20 years, so it's always a fun balancing act. I love every minute of it!

Jan Goldberg: I've never used a pen name, but I know of circumstances where I think it would be a good idea to do so - for instance, if you established a following in different age groups. For instance, you might want to use one name for your writing for children and another for your writing for adult age groups. Another reason might simply be if you wanted to remain anonymous for some reason.

JanFields: Thanks for all your hard work and the time you spent with us.

Jan Goldberg: You are all very welcome. I enjoyed visiting with you. I wish every one of you good luck in your writing pursuits! All best regards!