I love reading short stories, and I love writing them. One comparison I'd heard years ago from someone (no idea who now) that I always thought contained a piece of truth, while at the same time not being 100% accurate, was to think of a novel as a movie, and by comparison, a short story is a snapshot. But gener…
I love reading short stories, and I love writing them. One comparison I'd heard years ago from someone (no idea who now) that I always thought contained a piece of truth, while at the same time not being 100% accurate, was to think of a novel as a movie, and by comparison, a short story is a snapshot. But generally speaking, a short story is a single event or moment. There might be some back story filtered in, or even flashbacks, but the crux of the story is a single defining moment.
And I love the idea that in a short story, the drama has already ended; the story is about the aftermath.
Thanks again for this, and looking forward to part 2.
Thanks Robb. I think the analogy of a novel to movie is a good one, and not something I had considered. A short story would be those final scenes during the climax of the movie. It wouldn't work in every example, but it's another way to get the point across. Thanks for reading!
Excellent piece. Thank you.
I love reading short stories, and I love writing them. One comparison I'd heard years ago from someone (no idea who now) that I always thought contained a piece of truth, while at the same time not being 100% accurate, was to think of a novel as a movie, and by comparison, a short story is a snapshot. But generally speaking, a short story is a single event or moment. There might be some back story filtered in, or even flashbacks, but the crux of the story is a single defining moment.
And I love the idea that in a short story, the drama has already ended; the story is about the aftermath.
Thanks again for this, and looking forward to part 2.
Thanks Robb. I think the analogy of a novel to movie is a good one, and not something I had considered. A short story would be those final scenes during the climax of the movie. It wouldn't work in every example, but it's another way to get the point across. Thanks for reading!