What is a Short Story?
“Long long ago…”, “a very long time ago,” and “Once upon a time...” are the capturing phrases that give a short story an interesting beginning.
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines a short story as, “a story, usually about imaginary characters and events that is short enough to be read from beginning to end without stopping.”
The short fiction is a microcosm when compared to the magnitude and length of real life events. So, it should be agreed that a short story is a purposeful creation be it from fantasy or physical experiences. They are carefully designed and thoroughly connected through a series of captivating events.
Though there are many that excelled in the genre of short story, some of the writers that left an indelible mark on the readers are, Guy de Maupassant, Edgar Allan Poe, O. Henry (William Sydney Porter), Anton Chekov and Vishnu Sharma.
As the definition says, "A narrative ... designed to interest, amuse, or inform the reader"—there are infinite ways, large and small, to interest, amuse, and inform.” Hence, it is clear that every short story has a goal, an objective or a driving point.
Theme of a short story can be anything such as, consequences of injustice, exploitation of nature, an act of bravery, fatality of human character or progress.
There are no thumb rules of about the length of a short story. However, the length of a typical short story can be anywhere between 2000 to 7000 words. It is accepted that quality captures the attention of a reader, not the quantity.
Recipe of Short Story: Ingredients
A recipe requires certain ingredients with well defined quantities, and so a short story. A short story combines character, conflict, plot, and setting in an interesting ...
... middle of paper ...
...OLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Personality—
Includes, introvert, extrovert, optimist, pessimist, nihilist attitudes. Self-reliant, emotional, prone to irritation,
Talents, hobbies, habits, desires, fantasies and expectations, gossip monger, chatter box.
How Conflict Works in a Short Story
Here's another definition: A story is "a description of what happens when a character attempts to overcome a conflict in order to achieve a goal or solve a problem." Character and conflict are the essence of what a story is about. One way to present it graphically is this:
Conflict is simply whatever is keeping your protagonist from getting what she wants in this situation. If your lead character has an ideal situation at the outset, or makes smooth, uninterrupted progress toward attaining it, that's wonderful, but it's not a story. The story occurs when the rocks appear in the road.
Stories are the way humans share, create, and explore their many experiences and identities with each other. When a story is told, the original content lingers depending upon how the storyteller recalls the content. Once the story is retold, it often takes on different details and meanings, because each storyteller adds their own perspective, experience, and meaning. The story then begins to have its own life. Each storyteller has a connection to the beginning and the end of the story.
What is in a story if you can’t take something out of it and relate to your everyday life? The book “Typical American” by Gish Jen, gave me something that I never fully, and I probably still don’t, comprehend: foreigners, and their struggles in making a new life in another country. I have been on my share of trips, both domestic and abroad, but was never in a distant land long enough to feel the effects of the unknowing these people felt every day. The manner in which this story was presented has given me a new insight into, not only foreign nationals, but more importantly, how one goes about presenting emotional feeling not just through words, but setting, characterization, point of view, conflict, and theme.
Authors in the 1900s created short stories by writing short books that they could sell for quick cash. This is how the genre of short stories came about. As more and more stories were published, shorts became very popular because they were so short. Many people loved the idea that they could finish an entire story in one sitting. As the stories became more popular, Kurt Vonnegut, a short story writer, developed a list of 8 rules that make a perfect short story. He executes his rules in his short stories giving many examples of what the standard for short story writing should be.
First and perhaps most essential to any story is the plot. The plot is defined as,
A short story is a work of literature that is shorter than a novel. Although some may believe the length may not be enough to develop a noble story, in these few pages an author can pack a tight punch that will leave one in awe, disgust, or utter sadness. Whether there is a moral of the story or it is simply for the reader’s enjoyment, each author has their own style of conveying a message through their work in very diverse ways. Through Flannery O’Connor and Chuck Palahniuk’s works we can see this very evidently.
The first reason literary short stories such as “To Set Our House in Order” by Margaret Lawrence are better than popular fiction stories such as “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins is because short stories are character driven. For example, in “To Set Out House in Order” the problem of the story is how the events of her mother’s pregnancy will affect the protagonist, Vanessa which is a very character driven problem. This is different
...e "himself remarked in 1957, [that] the short story as a genre demands precision of language: 'In a short story that's next to a poem, almost every word has got to be almost exactly right. In the novel you can be careless but in the short story you can't'"(54). When a writer in so conscious of the power which he possesses, it should surprise us little that he is so successful in creating emotion and mystery with his pen.
Wilson, Kathleen, ed. Short Stories for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context and Criticism on Commonly Studied Short Stories. Vol 2. Michigan: Gale Research, 1997.
What is it that makes a story work? What gives it the ability to stand on its own, to be a unique piece of art? Flannery O’Connor believed that a “grand gesture” is what makes a story. But what exactly is a grand gesture?
Short stories are a common literary form that allows the author to convey much in a condensed manner. Short stories can vary greatly in their purpose and structure. In a comparison of the stories "The Swimmer" and "The Drunkard," it is clear that the former is the superior literary work, as it utilizes literary elements more thoroughly in order to convey more significant themes.
Last but not least, O’Connor confirms that even a short story is a multi-layer compound that on the surface may deter even the most enthusiastic reader, but when handled with more care, it conveys universal truths by means of straightforward or violent situations. She herself wished her message to appeal to the readers who, if careful enough, “(…)will come to see it as something more than an account of a family murdered on the way to Florida.”
The act of storytelling goes hand-in-hand with human existence. The evolution of man from that of a single celled organism into the complex structure that we now know today in and of itself is a story. A story that is written in the genetic code of our Deoxyribonucleic Acid or DNA. That DNA is broken down into the amino acid building blocks A, C, T, and G. Four amino acids written like four notes in a bass cleft staff, "what could be simpler?" With that evolution of man, evolved the art of storytelling; from simple stories of the hunt told around the fire to the written works of authors that we now read in books today. The pinnacle of the integrated story is the novel by Richard Powers titled The Gold Bug Variations.
The narratives is a necessary component. The narratives lead the audience to think about the event that the speaker talked about. Expression of values and goals is the main aim of narratives. (Hampton, 2004) stated that stories provide frames for understanding experiences, explaining and solving problems, and giving emphasis to moral value.
Some of the characteristics of Modernism are: a desire to break conventions and established traditions, reject history, experiment, remove relativity, remove any literal meaning, and create an identity that is fluid. The rejection of history sought to provide a narrative that could be completely up for interpretation. Any literal meaning no longer existed nor was it easily given; essence became synonymous. Narrative was transformed. Epic stories, like “Hills Like White Elephants”, could occur in the sequence of a day. Stories became pushed by a flow of thoughts. The narrative became skeptical of linear plots, preferring to function in fragments. These fragments often led to open unresolved inconclusive endings. This echoes in the short story’s format. The short story functions in fragmented dialogue. Focusing on subjectivity rather than objectivity. Creating characters with unfixed, mixed views to challenge readers.
What elements are needed to create a good short story? As John Dufrense quoted "A good story has a visionary quality, a personal voice, a signature gesture(1969). The elements used should be used so strongly that it pulls you in; forcing you to connect to the people in the story. Not every story is written well enough to be capable of doing this. This also creates a connection with the reader; leaving some type of effect or impacting the reader along with the characters’ lives. Although there are many elements in writing but one of the greatest things of writing is the ability to make the reader empathize with the characters. This goes beyond than just a connection with the characters; when the reader is able to apprehend with the characters he or she is truly relating and reaching out to them. The author has accomplished something truly special when the reader has the ability to feel the agony that a character is feeling.