… for now (sort of).

It is probably a truth (although perhaps neither universally acknowledged nor readily followed) that structure creates habits.

Because (of course): the more we do something, and do it consistently, the more likely it is that activity will get stamped in our brain as — you guessed it — a new habit.

When I first started writing my Tiny Garden Stories (more than 3 years and 41,000 words ago), each story was quite short. Along the way, a few longer tales snuck in, but I wanted to maintain the “tiny” aspect of the stories and make sure each one could be read (slowly to oneself, or out loud) in about a minute (which, not-so-coincidentally, is about the same amount of time you need for three deep, calming breaths).

And that’s when I discovered the concept of Drabbles: complete tales contained in exactly 100 words.

Hello, structure!

Since then (for the past 18+ months), I’d guess that, oh, probably 96% (or more) of the stories I’ve written have fit this spare word count. Some were shorter, and I expanded them a bit during editing; most were a bit long and had to be pruned. In the end, the Drabble structure became such a habit that I can sometimes think of a story, write it down, and count it at precisely 100 words, right off the bat.

Needless to say: writing 100(-ish)-word tales is now a well-established habit of mine. So I’ve decided to say farewell to the strict Drabble structure. Most of my tiny tales will still, quite naturally, be right around 100 words. But some may be a hair shorter, a touch longer … whatever the story wants, rather than what the Drabble overlord dictates.

And, also, as I set off into post-Drabble storytelling: I should mention that some future Tiny Garden Stories may not even be complete stories in the strictest sense. Some may be more akin to prose poems … all atmosphere and emotion and cozy vibes. If this sounds as delightful to you as it does to me, stay tuned!

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Do you, too, love the (original) tiny version of things? Be sure to take a look at the Summer collection of Story Cards in my online shop: six individual Tiny Garden Stories and four sweet illustrations, each in the form of a tiny-treasure keepsake. And be on the lookout for additional seasonal collections, special-occasion collections, and our upcoming Advent Calendar.

Or, if you’d rather read something a little more story-shaped and burrow a little deeper into Tiny Garden Story-land with each visit, get ready for the hardcover edition of Summer in the Garden, vol. 1, featuring three longer stories.