Good post over at Cup of Chica the other day -- sort of a round-up of various writers' thoughts on what makes a short story as well as Chica's own thoughts on the task of talking about short stories (i.e., What we talk about when we talk about short stories).
In particular, Chica takes Lorrie Moore to task for copping out on the subject in her introduction to Best American Short Stories 2004.
I'm not going to even attempt to try and explain the difference between a short story and a novel. For me a short story is a very brief spark of a glimpse into someone's life, a turning point distilled, a moment. But I've seen very amazing short stories that manage to cover a character's entire lifetime or an otherwise significant time period.
Right now I'm just trying to figure out which form I find, for the time being anyway, more comfortable. I'm working on both short stories and a novel right now and I like working on the short stories because, at least with the ones I'm currently writing, there seems to be a discernible beginning, middle and end -- a structure that I can control. Conversely, the novel I'm working on is just going all over the goddamned place. I don't know how it starts or ends and I'm not really even sure what it's about so please don't ask me OK?* It's just that I've got this character -- a whole cast of characters really-- who keep doing things and the best way I can describe the process is that what started out as a pin prick is now a huge bloody mess and every day the stain seeps further outward. It's both exhilarating and frightening because it could go anywhere, do anything and I have no freaking idea how it will turn out before I go insane, abandon it or finally feel satisfied with what it's become.
On that note, I have class today and I'm turning in something that resembles a poem for my novel workshop "creative response" assignment. It's a "response" (please note this intentional use of quotation marks) to Bessie Head's A Question of Power and somehow, for me at least, writing something in this form just seemed to work.
This weekend: Tomorrow night is a debate date night with Cory and then, on Saturday, a date night to set up the new iMac - because we've been so busy lately that we've had the new computer for a week and it's still in its box.
Of course, I suppose we could have skipped watching America's Next Top Model last night ...ha....as if.
*OK, of course I know what it's about...kind of.
In particular, Chica takes Lorrie Moore to task for copping out on the subject in her introduction to Best American Short Stories 2004.
Sadly, the introduction’s opening showcases a Moore who could be capable of enlivening the wan ‘short story discourse’ ... Unfortunately, she then backs down, and provides readers a first-hand look at what goes wrong when writers write on writing:.
I'm not going to even attempt to try and explain the difference between a short story and a novel. For me a short story is a very brief spark of a glimpse into someone's life, a turning point distilled, a moment. But I've seen very amazing short stories that manage to cover a character's entire lifetime or an otherwise significant time period.
Right now I'm just trying to figure out which form I find, for the time being anyway, more comfortable. I'm working on both short stories and a novel right now and I like working on the short stories because, at least with the ones I'm currently writing, there seems to be a discernible beginning, middle and end -- a structure that I can control. Conversely, the novel I'm working on is just going all over the goddamned place. I don't know how it starts or ends and I'm not really even sure what it's about so please don't ask me OK?* It's just that I've got this character -- a whole cast of characters really-- who keep doing things and the best way I can describe the process is that what started out as a pin prick is now a huge bloody mess and every day the stain seeps further outward. It's both exhilarating and frightening because it could go anywhere, do anything and I have no freaking idea how it will turn out before I go insane, abandon it or finally feel satisfied with what it's become.
On that note, I have class today and I'm turning in something that resembles a poem for my novel workshop "creative response" assignment. It's a "response" (please note this intentional use of quotation marks) to Bessie Head's A Question of Power and somehow, for me at least, writing something in this form just seemed to work.
This weekend: Tomorrow night is a debate date night with Cory and then, on Saturday, a date night to set up the new iMac - because we've been so busy lately that we've had the new computer for a week and it's still in its box.
Of course, I suppose we could have skipped watching America's Next Top Model last night ...ha....as if.
*OK, of course I know what it's about...kind of.
posted by writegrrrl at
5:04:00 PM
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