I have been struggling to make real progress in my stories.  I believe this is due to my skill level as a writer. These stories which I am trying to tell are near and dear to me, and I have decided that my current skill level as a writer does not do these stories justice. For instance, an artist does not create his masterpiece while he is still in art school.  This is why I am going to turn this project in a different direction! I feel as if I should acquire more experience before pursuing my masterpiece. I will start from the beginning, meaning finding out what the definition of  a short story is, and discerning what techniques and charcteristics go into a short story.