P.A.: Hi Tom, Sometimes a short story is a tap on the shoulder. Sometimes it's a peck on the cheek. Sometimes you just get grabbed from behind and wrestled to the ground. A good tale comes as a whole, with an opening sentence, a series of twists and turns and an ending that lingers. I can't write checks, answer a question or even pet the cats when a story visits. (The cats, in any case, run away when they see me pacing, mumbling and tapping at my keyboard.) You can feed the characters in novels and scripts a bit at a time, but short stories, once you look their way, demand your full attention.

In eighth grade, Sister Marie Evelyn read pieces by Poe and Thurber from start to finish (I think without taking a breath). I've been hooked ever since. The combination of narrative, mood and the sheer music of words is wound into my DNA by now. I couldn't step away from short stories, even if I wanted to. (And I've tried.)

When my left brain responds, it provides reasons for writing short stories. With longer works, you can get away with more, but short stories keep you sharp since every word counts. If a short story "fails," it's a small investment. You can just move on. It's much easier to get feedback on short stories than it is a novel because more readers are willing to give you that sliver of time. And they are responding to a complete work, not a chapter. Most of all, short stories can be your laboratory. Experiment with unreliable narrators. Go nonlinear. Turn a well-structured story up-side-down. (My current passion. You know how It's a Wonderful Life inverted A Christmas Carol? I just did the same for The Cask of Amontillado.

I love the way characters in novels argue with you when you try to put words in their mouths. I love the economy and insistent structure of a screenplay. I love what happens when an actor interprets the words of a play. But, even though it is harder to keep a story (or the answer to a question) from rambling as I get older, I do like writing short stories best. Thanks for the Question. Peter