Shortcuts

As a writer, I love the little touches - the acute observations of a room, the way a place smells, the way a person walks, what they are doing as they talk. They are important for helping the reader become involved in your story.

I know some writers would argue that you can get away without them,  that the story is all and everything else slows it down, but my view is that these kind of details are important.

I think they are particularly useful in a short story because you do not have a lot of  space to play with and you are constantly seeking shortcuts to get your ideas over.

That is where the little things come in handy: if your character says something to another person who then turns away and does not reply, busying themselves clearing the dirty dishes from the table instead, then in just a few lines you can speak volumes.

John Dean