Who reads short fiction? Is it easier or harder to write?

Read and discuss classic short stories.
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Alden Loveshade
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Re: Who reads short fiction? Is it easier or harder to write

Post by Alden Loveshade »

Fran wrote:Short stories are easier to write but good short stories are incredibly difficult to write. Done well it is an extremly difficult genre and requires tremendous skill and dedication .... every single word must be essential and appropriate. Many novel writers fail dismally at the short story because they lack the discipline and dedication it demands to get it right. A well written short story is a unique and gittering gem delivering total satisfaction.
Very well said. Write a few mediocre paragraphs in a novel -- so what? Write even one in a short story and you can kill it.

I think that kind of thing is true of short works in general.
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bookloverissy121
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Post by bookloverissy121 »

short fiction is fantastic the way in a limted amount of words the author can create an amazing feel and sense of learning as they allways seem to have a meaning behind them like the hare and the tortousise that short story must be more famous than any hardback trilogy as it has a meaning beind it . There may be that little bit harder but dont you think its worth it as many short storys have gone viral across the globe and are being tought in school so give it ago and write a short story

-- 07 Sep 2014, 07:20 --

short fiction is fantastic the way in a limted amount of words the author can create an amazing feel and sense of learning as they allways seem to have a meaning behind them like the hare and the tortousise that short story must be more famous than any hardback trilogy as it has a meaning beind it . There may be that little bit harder but dont you think its worth it as many short storys have gone viral across the globe and are being tought in school so give it ago and write a short story
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becstar24
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Post by becstar24 »

I think short stories are definitely harder to write. It takes skill to concisely say what you want in enough detail to portray a sense of setting and characterisation.
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Post by sedmontson »

I have read short stories for years. A very different read from the novel but just as satisfying. Enjoyed just reading your list and recalling how many of these I have enjoyed, stories by Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Mark Twain, O'Connor, Hemingway, Kafka, Shirley Jackson, Ray Bradbury, O. Henry and Edgar Allan Poe. Thanks for the memory. :idea:
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Post by Amberbogumil »

I've never really read shorts stories but I have tried to write them. I think it's harder to write as there can be so much to a story that making it short can be difficult, I often write too much to do short stories.
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Post by authorlauratree »

My cousin has been successful writing novellas. Lately she started branching out and writing novels, which she has complained about writing. She said that it is much harder to write a novel.

Personally, I haven't written a short story since I was in school.
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Post by Michelle-lit »

From what I've studied of short fiction, I've found that it is a lot more difficult to write than a novel. Short stories frequently focus on human stream of thought or emotion instead of a complex plot. Not only is it difficult to analyze the human mind through the use of a short number of pages, each word and sentence must convey as much information as possible while still commanding the reader's attention. The short story must also have a more striking ending to make the reader feel that their time has not been wasted. I think the number of pages within a short story disguise the amount of hard work and thought which must go into its creation.
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Post by SUTHASKY »

Wow thanks for the list of short fictions. Writing short fictions are hard but it is easier to read from others.
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Post by Sauroke »

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is possibly one of my favorite stories of all time. It cries out of hope, desperation, and attempts to tackle that question "I wonder what he was thinking?" Great list!
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Post by Adurna101 »

I quite absolutely love short fiction. Roald Dahl's short fiction is absolutely fantastic. I think it would depend on the writer. Some would struggle with writing anything short of 500 pages, where others would struggle to write a story longer than 10,000-15,000 words. Some can do both, some can only do a short story, in the universe that they created and had written long stories for. I'd say on a basis of any author, easier. Sure you have to fit the same amount, in less, but less words, and less requirements for the story, can allow you to develop deep intimate short stories.
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Post by rssllue »

I like reading short fiction, as well as writing it. It depends on the story for writing, but often it just flows out and is able to conclude sensibly on its own. Though it is a challenge sometimes to try and get it to stop at the short story when ideas just keep coming while writing.
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Junes Opinion
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Post by Junes Opinion »

Short stories to me would be harder to write because you have to catch the readers attention faster and move onto the plot quicker. I love reading them but I don't think I could write them.
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Post by lizj97 »

I like short stories when I don't have a lot of time to read since I can devour the story within a short time and come out feeling like I read quite a bit that day. The short story definitely has a place in our reading world. Thank you for this awesome list.
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Post by dhaines429 »

I love short fiction. There are so many short stories that I still remember from my childhood today. Who can forget 'The Tell Tale Heart' or 'Riki Tiki Tavi', I most certainly can't. Some of my favorite short stories are from the horror genre by Clive Barker and Steven King. Franz Kafka was also no slouch when it came to short fiction. Writing it is fun and challenging as well as ones writing needs to be just a little more concise when writing short fiction.
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Post by reader50 »

I love writing short stories. I find it so much easier. Pick an event, location and a character and voila - a short story is created. Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favourites in this genre.
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