Dan Wickett shoots for short story ambassadorship

It seems that the whole online world has gone short story crazy in the past wee while. The Great Books Foundation launched its Short Story Omnibus. StorySouth released the longlists for their Million Writers Award. John Madera launched his awesome novella blog. C.B. James is gathering speed with his Short Story Sundays. And I, aside from buying up another batch of short story titles (and coveting others such as Jay McInerny’s How It Ended), recently launched a Guy de Maupassant reading challenge to go with my 100 Shots of Short, iPoe and Checkin’ Off the Checkhov Shorts reading challenges.

I thought short story goodness around the Web couldn’t get much better right now, but it just has. I’ve discovered that Dan Wickett over at his Emerging Writers Network blog, is staking a claim to the month of May as the month for celebrating the short story form. Here’s what Dan has to say:

I’m hoping to treat May as Short Story Month, as in National Short Story Month, or even International Short Story Month, and hope others will join in the enjoyment of the shorter form of fiction with me.

My goal each day will be to find three stories to read and blog about – one from a collection that maybe I’ve held onto a little too long, should have finished and reviewed by now, etc; one from a print journal; and one from an online journal.

By month’s end, if all goals are met, just under 100 short stories will have been read and commented upon. I hope to meet these goals, if only because it means I’ll have scared up the time to read nearly 100 short stories!

Dan may well talk a good talk, but he definitely also walk’s the walk too. We’re only on the 6th May right now and already Dan has put up over 30 posts on the subject, which aside from his own 3 per day short story reviews, also includes guest reviews. Support for his project is also gaining ground with more and more lit bloggers and readers taking up the challenge.

I’m impressed with Dan. He may have put forward a lofty proposal at the launch of this event but he’s following through with loads of energy and enthusiasm. I’d argue that digesting three a day is not the best way to read short stories, but looking at his posts and mini-reviews, he’s consuming them just fine. I’m also enjoying the reviews from his guest posters too, and discovering a whole host of new shorts to add to my own reading list.

I also think that a reading challenge or event is only as good as its logo (I know super shallow and all that )) and the one for Dan’s Short Story Month is a cracker (as pictured above). Simple in design yet profound in presentation, this logo comes courtesy of Steven Seighman, designer at Dzanc Books. Good job Steven!

So if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration to get you reading short stories this month then it looks like Dan’s place may be the place for you, and if his initial enthusiasm is anything to go by, then it’s going to be the place we need to visit every May.

I wish Dan every success!