 Short Stories: November 01, 2006 Issue [#1348] |
  Short Stories
This week: Edited by: Vivian  
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Writers of short stories often become frustated with people who don't understand that all details cannot be covered in a short story. In fact all details can't be included in a novel, unless it's 500,000 or more words long.
I want to look at the lengths of short stories and what depth is needed.
Next's week editor will be Leger~ 
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The Length and Depth of Short Stories
What is the going length for short stories? The word short gives us our first clue: short rather than long. As time has passed, the accepted length has shortened.
Short stories can be up to 20,000 words in length according to Dictionary of LaborLawTalk. The article also broke the figures down by three countries: in the U.S. up to 10,000 words; in the U.K. up to 5,000; and in Australia up to 3,500. All sources agree that a short story should be at least 1,000 words. However, flash fiction has stories of approximately 300 words. In other words, short stories can range from extremely short to almost too long.
The "rule of thumb" states that a short story is one that can be easily read in one sitting. A reader should be able to sit down with a short story and finish it without needing to take a break. As the demands on people's time has increased, the amount of time a reader can read at one time has decreased, which is one reason the number of words at the long end of the short story spectrum has shortened.
Since a short story has limited number of words to cover characterization, plot, conflict, climax, and resolution, many details cannot be included, and the action must take place in a very few pages. Does the limit mean that no emotional depth can be found? No, but the depth of meaning and emotion must often be compressed.
Much can be expressed in few words. Much can be left unsaid in many words. A writer of short stories must be able to compact a complete plot in few words, leaving readers feeling that they have experienced what the writer wrote.
The following two stories show one that covers one page in length to one that resides at the opposite end of the short story lengths:
Those who aren't familiar with U.S. history may not grasp the significance of this short, short story.
The setting for this story is the island of Guam, where I lived for a short time.
By the way, both stories are published in professional magazines and in short story anthologies. |
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A Few Words from Our Readers
The following comments are from two different newsletters, October 2 and October 25.
Adela 
thanx for the advice
You are most welcome.
Anti
Hello, Viv. Another great newsletter with some good examples. My problem with show not tell is that I cannot think of any good similies and metaphors to use in the text, so I end up copying some from other books.
How can I get my imagination to churn imagery out like chocolate?
Regards,
Antonia
I don't often use similies or metaphors to "show" in stories, only in poetry. I rely on trying to be a camera that records what happens in the story or poem; only rather than using film or tape, I record in words.
spidey  
Great newsletter! We hear the phrase "show, don't tell" often, but rarely get to see it illustrated with such great examples.
I try to use examples anytime I'm explaining something. At times I'm successful, and I'm glad I was this time.
billwilcox
Good stuff, Viv. Descriptions always read better when mixed with the actions of the characters.
Thank you, Bill. Things in writing often evolve, as mixing details in with the actions and dialogue. Before the later part of the 19th century, long passages of detail was the norm.
frances02
Thank you for the info in this newsletter. I'm a "newbie," and it helped me to see many things I can do to improve my work. I will show not tell from now on. Thanks again.
You are welcome, and welcome to Writing.Com.
dogfreek21
Thanks, Viv, this was a good reminder for me! Before, I never made good descriptions. As I get more used to them, I'm enjoying myself writing indepth ones. This came just in time to stop me from boring people even more with my stories!
Any good writer continues learning as she writes and improves. Oh, another reminder: Be ware of exclamation points. 
Angelica Weatherby- Grateful28 
This is a really neat newsletter about the show not tell rule! Keep it up!
Thank you, Fishie. I'll try.
Thank you for joining me this week. I hope you read and write interesting stories until next time.
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