 Short Stories: October 23, 2019 Issue [#9825] |
This week: Word Economy Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Short Stories Newsletter by Dawn
Stories come in a variety of lengths and when it comes to the use of words, different thought processes may be used in relation to the concept of word economy. |
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Short stories come in a variety of lengths but by nature tend to be on the "short" side. I'm not the best when it comes to keeping things short and word economy certainly isn't my strong suit but it's something I do notice from time to time. Recently I've looked at a few different mangas online and when it comes to comics, graphic novels and manga there is definite showcasing of why being economic with word choices is so important. When you have limited space you need to be careful how much space you take up.
One thing I noticed that is difficult in manga is due to translation as the direct change from one language to another isn't always the most grammatical or best way of phrasing something. One I noticed in particular not only had an awkward phrasing but the way it was written took up so much more space than a different phrasing that would have produced the same desired result. A little edit could have saved the creator some space even if it meant making a change from the direct translation. When there are pictures along with the words there is a definite limit to how much room you can take up while trying to convey a story.
For most other stories, the issue is a little less obvious and dramatic. Except maybe in micro fiction because the word count limit can be less than 100 words. Not much room there in order to tell a story. Might not have pictures or be given a particular dimension for limitations but when you only get so many words to use in order to show something to a reader, word economy is a factor.
What is word economy? The general definition is the practice of using fewer words to say more. Methods for how one can develop and edit down a story in order to be the most economic depends on a couple of factors including experience level of the writer. Genre and story length does play a role as an epic fantasy novel will have a little more room to use more words in creating the picture and breadth of a story. However, even then one has to be careful not to go too far because using too many words when it's not needed is a quick way to bore the reader and convince them to stop reading.
It is also more of a revision/edition task than first draft. Though caution might want to be taken in not getting too carried away as it's fairly difficult to take 10,000 words and make that into micro fiction. However, one could easily take a few hundred words and trim them down to a more tight, economic form of a story. Some care in the first draft writing process can be used but don't let worries over getting exact word counts limit the creation process.
Now, the question is how do you consider word economy in your writing? Granted, November isn't the best month to consider the topic as it's the time to try and write 50,000 words in any way possible. National Novel Writing Month is more about getting the words of the story down than worrying about particulars that can get in the way. But for those focused more on short stories or even us writes with novels, there are times when we should consider how to cut down something in order to have something said in a more efficient manner. Often times the quick approach can have a far bigger impact. Consider it and write a story, then use a little practice to get the words down in a way that is a little more economic.
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How do you consider word economy when writing stories?
Last time for this newsletter, I discussed briefly the question of what comes first in story creation: character or plot. Here are some comments sent in over the topic:
Comment by dragonwoman 
It varies, but most often its the story idea. I do a lot of my own first sentence prompts, about 200 on list so far.
Comment by Alexi 
Thank you Quick-Quill  After reading your take on revisiting the novel. I have been pondering knocking on the door of one of my novels and going in to have a chat about what I wrote. It might clear the air and we can put the wrongs, right. Maybe, just maybe together, my old story can have a makeover and come out as a new and worthy winner. Mmm. Food for thought here.
Comment by D Carlson 
I read "Character or Story, Which Came First," which did cause me to rethink certain tales I'm weaving, but I feel you left a bit out. You mentioned setting-driven stories, but you didn't elaborate. Settings have a profound impact on stories. When I have stories that stall, I often change the settings and it flows better.
Stephen King created towns such as Derry, Maine and Castle Rock. He didn't write about what evil people were doing in these places, but rather what these evil places were doing to their citizens.
H.P. Lovecraft's entire collection is about settings, and how they influence a person's perceptions and actions.
By the same token you cannot write a light-hearted romance if the setting does not make you feel loving and homey. The cafe in "50 First Dates" is the catalyst for everything that happens in the story, and is the one place where everybody goes to feel safe. It makes us feel like everything will work out, even though Lucy's family and friends are doing all they can to discourage Henry. Even when everybody there is telling him to leave, its the one place Henry feels safe.
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