Short stories - great or not really?

[Heidi M Simone]

What are your thoughts about short stories (<100 pages)? Do you enjoy them? Dislike them? Do you prefer longer reads?

I feel this can go either way for me. Some can be great, but also can be lacking in some areas due to brevity...

[jesledes96]

I think there is a lot to be said for authors who can evoke similar feelings in readers through short stories. What I find best, as someone who is about to be an English teacher to middle schoolers, is the ability to really focus on the critical analysis of even the smallest paragraphs in the story.

These pieces are best for helping the young minds imagine how character and plot development, establishing a setting, and so many other literary devices and necessities can be done in a short amount of time. I firmly believe if someone wants to become a writer they should focus on short stories in the beginning of their practices in order to develop those skills on a smaller scale than a regular novel. All in all, short stories are fun and fast paced like the world we live in now.

[Ads 1122]

Short stories have both advantages and disadvantages. Let me start off with the good points which dominate over the negative ones. Short stories are great for beginners as obviously they cannot yet pick up a hefty 600 paged book so to tug at their attraction short, well written stories are of benefit. Moreover readers who are not ready for the “commitment” of taking on a book series or saga can turn to short stories. The only negative thing with short stories can be that the essence and emotions can sometimes not be captured properly but that only varies with the author. All in all I feel as though short stories are good.

[PlanetHauth]

I much prefer longer reads, but I've read some great short stories. However, the short stories that really interested me left me wishing it were longer. I really enjoy when longer novels and series have so much unwritten history that the author adds short stories to the series. It really opens up the world even more.

[RabidFox]

Reading short stories makes me feel accomplished. There are so many stories that I have read that only last the length of a single chapter. But they are so diverse and there is so much going on in the characters' heads. It may only be for a brief moment in time, however, it is worth it to keep adding different hues to your thoughts. Like saving pennies in a jar, each short story broadens your mind and, once you've read enough of them, whole new worlds open up through the combination of experiences. And, if you want, you can keep changing things, you can keep rewriting the characters and rewriting the plots. You can just keep altering reality to fit your whims.

Short stories provide a great sense of satisfaction, a feeling that you're always moving forward. A series gives you many things, but a short story can be multiplied in effect so much that an entire series can feel dwarfed in comparison. A few minutes spent in introversion; an unexpected meeting; an intrusive thought; focusing on uncontrollable circumstances; empathizing with a rapidly unfolding tragedy; seeking escape from a bad situation; opening up your heart before closing it again; emotionally painting a painful time; wondering and worrying; and so on. There are so many things that can be explored in ways that a longer series may make impossible.

[ONAMI]

Short stories are part of literature genres that in a mere universe they are 'short' in nature thus giving readers easy time to read compared to other genres like novels. Short stories deal with few thematic concerns and the writer uses fewer characters to deliver the point home, secondly setting is limited, short stories are good for delivering quick information

[rave_2]

I find short stories to be wonderful if I wanted a break from reading longer works. They may be brief, but they are packed with adventure and excitement.

[strawberrysab]

I’m not fond of short stories. Either they are well written and leave you wanting much more, or I feel like they aren’t developed enough.

[elivia05]

I love them. I always enjoy a well-developed story that can be enjoyed in a single sitting.

[Dael Reader]

Generally, I'm not a big fan of short stories. I prefer a nice long novel that real takes the time to delve into a characters' backgrounds. I'm also drawn to the ones that span several generations of a family. Short stories don't usually give me the satisfaction of feeling like I really got to know the characters and understand where their coming from. However, I've just read and reviewed the story collection A Second, Less Capable, Head and Other Rogue Tales by James Hanna, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Stephen King's collection Full Dark, No Stars is also one I enjoyed.

[anwidmer]

While not quite sure of my reasoning i have always skipped over short story books. I think i just enjoy a book i can spend time getting lost in and short stories dont quite have that effect for me.

[Nmesoma]

Short stories won't be able to conjure that level of familiarity with characters and their personalities as long stories can, but still short fictional stories can still do a marvelous job if well written. It's all about the writer!

[ArriettyClock]

I personally feel that short stories are almost like an insight into a story, without the depth that I feel I require.
I've recently been reading short stories in the genre of folk tales and ghost stories, and felt that these tend to be more like anecdotal tales (as if you were talking to a friend who experienced it) rather than discovering the reasons why the tale occurred or how it developed after the person had witnessed the unexplained event.
However, saying that, it does leave a lot of suspense for the reader and allows you to discuss and determine your own ideas about how and why the story occurred.

[Alexandria San Pedro]

I think short stories are very interesting because how can the author end the story with just a few sentences or phrases. It's just amazing that you can make the long story, short, to understand it easily. For me short stories are more understandable because it is direct to the point.

[Mallory Porshnev]

Short stories don't usually go over well with me. They have the development and then end too abruptly. There are always exceptions and some people do them well like Edgar Allen Poe and Roald Dahl.