I've always though I couldn't write short stories. Not that I haven't tried: I have, many times. But after about 5,000ww I've always realised that what I'd thought was a little story was turning into a novel, complete with subplots and a cast of thousands.

But something must've clicked in my brain, because I've written two shorts in the last month. What's more, they're completely different from each other: one's a dark fantasy and only about 2,000ww and the other is a soufle-style historical piece of about 6,500ww.

Even if neither ever gets published I feel I've accomplished something worthwhile. I can't help but wonder, though, how much of my sudden interest in shorts is displacement activity because I don't want to have to start the new novel...