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

Read and discuss classic short stories.
Post Reply
User avatar
prospero1501
Posts: 33
Joined: 02 May 2016, 16:16
Bookshelf Size: 3
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-prospero1501.html

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

Post by prospero1501 »

I enjoy writing short fiction (40-100) pages because I can get them done rather quickly. Instead of years, it can take a matter of months to complete one (not counting a final revision). It is a good idea to have a novella or short story in the works to have a sort of break from writing your longer book. It took me 12 years to write 600 pages for my first work of fiction (not yet published, but currently being edited), and it was a great relief to work on something shorter from time to time. It's like eating junk food after a week of dieting; sometimes we just need to do that.
As far as reading short books, I really enjoy them for the same reasons that I like to take breaks from reading longer books. There will be times when you just don't want to tackle 1000+ page books like Les Miserables, War & Peace, or Anna Karenina, yet sometimes short stories just seem, well, short. Novellas fill that gap nicely, and they are great for folks who have not been much in the habit of reading, who want to get their feet wet without drowning in paper. Short stories have their place as well, but I like them best when several of them are gathered in an anthology, to be perused at my leisure in small chunks, while having the freedom to skip ones I don't find interesting.
User avatar
Bri Munnich
Posts: 6
Joined: 11 Jul 2016, 03:25
Bookshelf Size: 0
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bri-munnich.html

Post by Bri Munnich »

I read short fiction alot for inspiration or if I need a break from a larger book. I really like Poe's work though. When it comes to writing I think short stories have the advantage pf being quicker to write, but they have less time to captive the audience and express their ideas.
User avatar
Kourtney Bradley
Posts: 2137
Joined: 10 Oct 2015, 21:45
Favorite Book: Bridges of Madison County
Currently Reading: Layla
Bookshelf Size: 412
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kourtney-bradley.html
Latest Review: Dante's Demons by K.L. Barstow
Reading Device: 1400697484

Post by Kourtney Bradley »

I would think short fiction would be harder to write, due to the fact that you have to combine all that information in to a small piece.
Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light. :techie-studyingbrown:
–Vera Nazarian
User avatar
fari30
Posts: 506
Joined: 12 Apr 2014, 17:27
Bookshelf Size: 14
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-fari30.html

Post by fari30 »

I really admire authors who can write short stories and get across as many emotions and details into 20 pages as one would in a 200-page novel. I have a hard time writing short fiction because my ideas never stop and things just get bigger and more detailed and my brain keeps coming up with events and characters and it's really hard to rein it all in, so I admire authors who can.
My weekend is all booked!
lynn4merle
Posts: 13
Joined: 09 Aug 2016, 01:12
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... ">Treasure Island</a>
Currently Reading: Pride and Prejudice
Bookshelf Size: 8

Post by lynn4merle »

Some may like to get through the plot quickly; some may like a longer read, and others may prefer - either. Neither appears easier, or harder to write in my opinion. One of the options may be more time-consuming, but in thinking about it, writing fatigue could happen within short fiction, also; but after a recess period comes about; afterwards, there would be a refreshing continuation of the writing.
2124Sunshine
Posts: 7
Joined: 22 Nov 2016, 10:31
Bookshelf Size: 0
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-2124sunshine.html

Post by 2124Sunshine »

I love short fiction, I think it would be hard to write, maybe once you get worked up in the short, you have to find a cut off point, that will make the story end well and not just blaaaa....
Lesa
Posts: 15
Joined: 22 Nov 2016, 19:02
Bookshelf Size: 3
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lesa.html

Post by Lesa »

I read both long and short fiction, but the older I get, the shorter I tend to like them. I think this reflects my writing style. I'm a short story and novella writer. I wrote a huge long novel once, and I don't want to do it again, lol. My hats off to all the awesome novel writer's out there! I love reading them, just not writing them.

I'm thinking the short story suits me so much better because I'm not into writing (or reading) long passages of description, and setting isn't very important to me. I'm way more character and plot driven.
bigfootmurf
Posts: 13
Joined: 15 May 2013, 10:59
Favorite Book: Stranger In A Strange Land
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 83
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bigfootmurf.html
Latest Review: The 11.05 Murders by Brian O'Hare

Post by bigfootmurf »

I write short stories for low grade SF and Fantasy magazines. They are easier to write than novels in the sense that they don't take as long and you won't get bored. A novel is a long slog. On the other hand you have to come up with a new idea for each story. And as for making money, forget it! The way to make money is to write a ten volume serial. Sadly, the short story is no longer popular.

It's a great list and I've read quite a few of them.
User avatar
kaitlyntommeraas
Posts: 6
Joined: 03 Jan 2017, 16:24
Bookshelf Size: 0
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kaitlyntommeraas.html

Post by kaitlyntommeraas »

I have once tried writing short fiction, and it was a lot more difficult than I had imagined.
User avatar
Erik
Posts: 86
Joined: 01 Jan 2017, 18:17
Currently Reading: Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Bookshelf Size: 10

Post by Erik »

I love reading short fiction, but as my talents do not lie in writing, I have never tried writing it myself.
User avatar
Empathry
Posts: 8
Joined: 06 Jan 2017, 04:18
Currently Reading: Curtain
Bookshelf Size: 3
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-empathry.html

Post by Empathry »

Great list!
You have included most of the greatest authors of all time.

I think short stories are easier both to write and read.
As a writer, the short story is the best teacher for honing one's skill.
As a reader its the best introduction to new authors.
User avatar
Lois Lane
Posts: 1
Joined: 05 Mar 2017, 17:05
Bookshelf Size: 5
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lois-lane.html

Post by Lois Lane »

Thanks a lot for this great list,its superb...the books are WOW!.
Clive Johnson
Posts: 21
Joined: 09 Mar 2017, 06:18
Bookshelf Size: 11

Post by Clive Johnson »

Leavis didn't like short stories with twists. He disliked contrivance in fiction and thought "The Gift of the Magi" typified stories whose main aim was ingenuity. It may be true that many short stories end with a surprise, but they are not necessarily composed with that end in mind. If an author is noted for writing twists, the endings can be predictable.
To avoid producing snapshots, a conclusion that reflects the stories' themes will either be inevitable or jolt the reader. Sometimes the inevitability may elude the reader until the final sentence. I wouldn't know how to flesh out a plot I have cooked up. The best way, surely, is to dwell on people and events that concern one and let actions take their course.
User avatar
Amagine
Posts: 5441
Joined: 04 Mar 2017, 19:27
Favorite Author: James Patterson
Bookshelf Size: 721
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-amagine.html
Latest Review: "Salome and Gogo visit Soweto" by Cora Groenewald
Reading Device: B00IKPYKWG
fav_author_id: 3251

Post by Amagine »

You just named two of my all time favorites:

A Good Man is Hard to Find
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Notice they are both about serial killers..... I know... I have issues....

Anyway! I read short stories and I've tried to write some...it's not as easy as some assume. You have limited time and space to tell a story, create characters, develop them, keep the plot interesting, describe the setting, etc. It's not an easy form to write and in my opinion, I feel short stories aren't as well respected as they use to be. I still would like to try my hand at writing one though. It's still a beautiful form of literature to me.
"Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude." -A.A Milne

"I am grateful for all the books that sparked my imagination." -Unknown
Latest Review: "Salome and Gogo visit Soweto" by Cora Groenewald
thewaryouknow
Posts: 10
Joined: 01 Apr 2017, 14:44
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by thewaryouknow »

I read it and think it would be harder to write if you didn't have a great imagination.
Post Reply

Return to “Classical Short Reads”