Originally posted by budski
A quick couple of questions,
how long should a short story be?
and how can I stop everything from turning into comedy?
The second one I'm really having trouble with as I want to write about something a little on the serious side.

Not sure about the length on this forum, but anywhere from 3 words to 5000 words i would think. Much more than that and your heading into novella
territory.
As far as the second question, dont try to force your story in a particular direction, let it flow, sure stick to your concept, but let the muse take
you where it will.
You should have a basic outline of what you would like to achieve but often anything creative will tend to take on a life of its own from my
experience.
You might find that you have a natural aptitude for comedy, dont stifle it if thats what comes out.
Theres no reaon why a serious subject cant be treated with subtle humour and wit, in fact it may improve its interest to the readers.
Just my 2cents for what its worth, hope that helps, send us a u2u if you have any other questions.
Btw i enjoyed "The Road Less Travelled".
Good Luck Mojo.