fiction - How to overcome the fact that I can't write long stories?

I have written some short stories (in fact, they are flash fiction). When I'm writing short stories, the ideas and the structure come to my mind by themselves.

Something different happens when I try to write long stories; It starts with something simple, but then I add more and more stuff until it gets too complicated. Another thing that happens is that I lose interested in the story after some weeks. I just feel that it is not a story that I want to write. Other times, I just tell myself: I have nothing else to say in this story, it should end here.

Does this happen to a lot of beginners? How to overcome this problem?

(Sometimes I think that I should just accept my fate as writer that only writes short stories. Or just write novels that are composed of interconnected short stories, like David Mitchell's Ghostwritten.)

Answer

I've been there myself, stuck trying to work out how to make things flow in a larger context, but just feeling like I can't pull it off. It's frustrating all around, but I can at least tell you what I did to get over it. It be of some help.

1. Keep trying to write the longer stories. It might be frustrating now, but if you don't work at it it won't ever come together for you. If you feel like the story has hit a dead end or you can't keep going on it don't be afraid to set it aside for a bit and try something else.


2. Take it a step at a time. If length is the problem, don't just jump into a novel, take it in steps. You said you mostly write flash fiction, well move onto short stories, the longer short stories, novellas, and then onto full novels. As you work out each stage your confidence will grow.



3. A long story doesn't mean having more stuff going on. True, you have more room to have more events, but the main benefit of the longer length is that you have more room to tell the story itself. While you can just add more events and struggles for your characters, you can also use the space to expand on the characters them selves. Show more of there interactions and motivations. You have the room to flesh out the story and make the players more interesting. Something that's much harder to do in a short story.


4. Stories usually end up as long as they need to be. If your struggling to write a longer story maybe it's because that story doesn't need to be that long. It might be time to play around with outlining or brain storming to see if you can find longer and fuller tales.

That being said, all or none of this advice can work for you... well except for the first one. Keep trying to write long stories, it will help above everything else.