While last week, I enjoyed all of the short stories, this week, I thoroughly enjoyed the readings. The stories from our second packet were longer, and as such were able to incoporate more "story." I say "story," because I dont know the techincal term.
I'm not saying the short stories in the first packet weren't equally well written, but because of their short length, I could only "see" the detail. In the stories in the second packet, I was able to more immerse myself in the story. For exmaple, in the short story "All people in hell want..." the author gives characters a nickname.
So what's in a name? In these fiction stories, a lot (in my opinion). If nothing else, having a character with a nickname instantly adds a level of intimacy between the reader and the story. You feel like you know the character on a more personal level, while simultaneously adding some level of additional mystery to the character. Even if the nickname is immediately explained afterward, for a brief time, you are left pondering his nickname, like Isaac "Ice" Dunmire.
I have read a lot of stories before, and some of them undoubtedly had characters with nicknames in them, but being forced to examine something I have read has been interesting, if only because its forced me to more closely examine the story and instead of just read the story, I actually have to "listen" to what the author is trying to say, which has also bled over into my personal reading, so thanks CRWT.
great.
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