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

Read and discuss classic short stories.
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teacher_jane1
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Re: Who reads short fiction? Is it easier or harder to write

Post by teacher_jane1 »

I think short fiction is easier to write because it's easier to hold the whole arch of the story in your head as you write. That said, I do think that writing an excellent piece of short fiction may be harder than a compelling full-length novel; you have to give your reader the whole range of emotional experience associated with great fiction in just a few pages, and you don't have any time to waste. Have you read any Flannery O'Conner? She is a master of the short fiction form. She has two collections, "A Good Man is Hard to Find," and "Everything that Rises Must Converge." Do look them up!
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dragon fly
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Post by dragon fly »

i think they are difficult to write. you have to tell the whole story in a confined way. and have to make a point that keeps the reader connected to the topic!
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Tanaya
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Post by Tanaya »

The shorter, the easier. One page stories are my strong suit. With short fiction, there's less chance of unnecessarily dragging out the story for purposes of length, you get to the point of the story quicker, and your creative tank runs empty less quickly compared to crafting longer works.
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chytach18-
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Post by chytach18- »

To write a good short story is as difficult as a novel or play. Quality is an answer. I read The Overcoat by Nikolay Gogol several times and every time I could find something that was linked to our modern life. The overcoat could symbolise a new house, a new car, a new job, a new yacht, etc.
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Post by dhaller »

The community that reads and writes short fiction usually revolves around magazines. One of my favorites is Strange Horizons.

Many writers who write novels also write short fiction - Stephen King writes them, and I personally adore 1408.

Orson Scott Card also has some, and they're pretty good.
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megaleg709
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Post by megaleg709 »

I LOVE "The Yellow Wallpaper!" It is a fantastic look into the mental decline of a young wife and mother -- at the same time both tragic and intriguing. I've re-read it dozens of times throughout the years and it gets better every time
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litmonster
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Post by litmonster »

I have a great love of short stories, however I used to not be a fan. As a child I always I had more questions than answers at the end of short stories, and to some degree that's still true, but I have a different appreciation for them now as an adult. I plan to scour the list at the start of this post and go through them sometime. My Aunt believes that short stories are more honest, which is an interesting thought.
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CCtheBrave
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Post by CCtheBrave »

recently i've been really, really interested in writing micro and short stories. I think they're incredibly fun to write because you have less limitations and it's ok to leave readers wanting more. Some of the best classics are short stories, too!
read well and write bravely
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Mayrobbie
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Post by Mayrobbie »

I'd say it depends. If you have a word count in mind, that could be difficult, but some make it work quite well. And I've heard it does help in allowing the writer to see what needs to be written and what can be thrown out as a useless detail.
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Post by StoneGargoyle »

Almost all my favorite authors primarily write short fiction, the exceptions being Tolkien and Jules Verne. I tend to lean towards gothic/cosmic horror personally, so I do read a lot of very short stuff.

As for writing, it depends.
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sus
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Post by sus »

What a great list of short stories. Thanks.
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anonanemone
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Post by anonanemone »

I don't often read short stories except for authors that I already know I enjoy but those that I have read were though provoking. I also find it interesting how some short stories end up having a more widespread impact.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov is his first collection of short stories that introduces the Three Laws of Robotics. These laws are propagated through his famous Robot series and Foundation series. The Three Laws are still discussed today in technical publications and institutions of higher learning, especially in the collection of fields known as Roboethics.
The world lives between those who say it cannot be done and those who say that it can. And in my experience, those who say that it can be done are usually telling the truth. --Lord Vetinari (Discworld, Raising Steam)
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amaziah19
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Post by amaziah19 »

This is a great list of short stories. I enjoy reading short stories even though I don't do it too often. I have found that short stories are excellent sources of material for teaching. The length (or lack thereof) helps the students to keep their attention on the topic and allows the teacher to finish a lesson plan same day/week without the lengthy ready process of a novel.
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CCtheBrave
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Post by CCtheBrave »

Zannie wrote:I think Short Fiction would be harder to write as you need to include an unexpected twist at the end. This needs to have slight hints that don't give away the twist at the end. Very hard to do.
You said it so well! I think writing short fiction is very hard because it has to be immaculate!

The list about is really great, too!
read well and write bravely
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irongator15
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Post by irongator15 »

I would say that Short Fiction is much more difficult since you have to narrow all of your ideas down into a smaller word count.
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