Safe Enough By Lee Child

In the early 1990s, after fifteen years in TV production, I faced the reality of a shifting industry and a sudden career change. With a long-standing passion for reading and a deep understanding of storytelling from my TV experience, I decided to pivot to writing novels. My first book, featuring Jack Reacher, was published in 1997 and received a positive response, leading to a movie option and requests for short stories.

Despite my familiarity with various writing formats, I initially overlooked short stories. The world of anthologies was new to me, revealing that these collections often served as fundraising tools rather than lucrative ventures for individual writers. My experience confirmed this, as my best short story earned significantly less than my least successful novel. However, this disparity turned out to be advantageous.

Writing short stories became a liberating experience. Each story allowed me to experiment with different characters, settings, and styles without the constraints of a novel's structure. Although my stories often resembled very short novels rather than the "Fabergé eggs" of great short fiction, the process was immensely enjoyable. I embraced the freedom and spontaneity of short-form writing, discovering a unique joy in creating standalone pieces without the pressure of ongoing series or extensive plot development.