It is such nonsense that short stories are harder than novels

Discussion in 'Genre Discussions' started by MarionRivers, Aug 1, 2008.

  1. TwinPanther13

    TwinPanther13 New Member

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    that actually is part of what I think Card meant when he said his editor called the first novel he wrote long. It was written more like an extended short story and when it was read by an editor that is what he thought. Card had to learn to pace it and not just add stuff at random.
     
  2. Ungood

    Ungood New Member

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    Ok.

    I love the runner analogy. It works in amazing ways.

    The Two runners at Olympic level both have to train every day, they have work hard devoting much of their lives to their medium and it's goal.

    Now.

    I drop down to High School track level.

    Suddenly the rules change regarding that 100 meters or 26 miles?

    100 meters is easier as the runner can be carried the distance by "pure talent" alone.

    Happens all the time. We know it, because it happens in out lives (Everyone one of us that went to high school that is)

    So in this front.

    The "Equalness" of the playing field depends on the level of skill and fierceness of competition.

    As it stands anyone can churn out a 1 - 20 page story on talent alone.

    How do I know this?

    Because we all needed to write book reports in high school that were between 1 - 20 pages (Some really mean teachers might demand more then 20 pages). and we know many of us wrote those reports on talent alone. Some of us blasted others out of the water that had more skill then us because we had talent. In the short reports Talent was the largest divider of grade.

    Now, 200 or more pages on the other hand is a different game. a Whole different game. Suddenly talent is a lesser factor and skill is the largest divider in this game.

    We all know that number of pages and volume of words made the projects harder.

    We all would groan at each page we had to write, and every extra page was a trial. As such it is undisputed common knowledge that it is easier to write a 2 page book report then 200 page book report.

    Now we go back out to the Track and Field again.

    You have 100 meters or 26 miles. Which of these are going to be harder to run for high school student?

    Well anyone in the school could run 100 yards (Save those with severe medical conditions)

    26 miles on the other hand, by sheer volume alone, is going to stop all but the most determined of them.

    So I can see where someone would say, a short story is easier then a novel because at the "starting" levels, it is.

    Raw time and sticking to it make writing a novel harder then a short story if both have equal literary skill.

    It is not until you get to the upper levels, the fierce competition, that the playing field levels out, where both types of champions needs to put in the work and effort to obtain their goals.

    But it is only at the upper levels that this happens.

    I am sure there are those that will disagree with me. Such is life.

    Just the way things go.
     
  3. MarionRivers

    MarionRivers New Member

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    Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with that, though. It's just a style that focuses more on storytelling than storysetting.
     
  4. Rei

    Rei Contributor Contributor

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    Although the novel does take a lot mre time and effort, for me a short story is a lot harder. I just have a very hard time thinking up ideas that I can keep condenced into under 5K words
     
  5. FantasyWitch

    FantasyWitch New Member

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    I find short stories a lot harder to write than novels.
     
  6. TWErvin2

    TWErvin2 Contributor Contributor

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    I came across this article comparing the plot complexity of a novel and a short story (with basically the same MC and plot). I thought of this thread while reading it, so figured I'd post it for those interested: Friday, August 8, 2008
    Writing Long and Short


    Terry
     
  7. Dunnskee

    Dunnskee New Member

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    Short stories generally will not take as much time as a full novel, simply because of word count- though sometimes short stories can be looked over and over, worked on until perfected, and can take around or even greater time than it takes to write a novel.

    The thing about short stories is, you have to convey your message, with some sort of impact, emotion, message, etc., in a shorter amount of words, with less going on. Short stories also employ a certain mood throughout, while novels shift back and forth. Keeping that mood is difficult, and many authors fail to do so.
     
  8. ParanormalWriter

    ParanormalWriter New Member

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    Sorry, just now weighing in. Better late than never, right?

    I personally find short stories much easier than novels, mostly because I love to sit down and write something than I can finish in a single day. I love coming to the end of a story, and with short stories, let's face it, the end comes a lot sooner. Especially since most of my shorts tend to be in the 1,500-5,000 word range.

    Shorts are also encouraging to write because you know you stand a very good chance of selling them. Granted, not in book form, but to small paying print and webzines. True, not a lot of people will see them, but its always fun to see your stuff out, even if it doesn't carry the thrill of finding your novel on a bookstore shelf.
     
  9. Lillias

    Lillias New Member

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    Well , I write short stories and novels . For me the hardest thing about writing a short story is finding something interesting to write about that I can condense to a short form. Most of the short stories I've written are ones I want to make novels out of . Maybe some people are better at short stories and others are better at longer stories. Both have their difficult moments.
     
  10. Rawiya

    Rawiya New Member

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    I honestly don't think that its nonsense at all. I think that it depends on the writer. For me, its true. To restrict myself to a word count limit so small is incredibly difficult for me. But for my boyfriend, novels and the dedication and detail required don't interest him in the slightest. He'll right enough short stories to put our printer on the fritz though.
     

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