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lauraanne_gilmanNever, but ever, say or post within my sight that writing a novel is -so- much more difficult than writing short ficiton. Especially MOST especially if you're basing that opinion on how many words you're writing per form.
Ugliness will follow. Soon, and possibly with the backhand of a pro tennis player.
I suspect that this is akin to the "Mac vs Windows" debate. In other words, people hold very strong opinions on either side and rarely agree. It's probably best to just hold your tongue when someone basically says "oh, that's so easy" about something you just spent a portion of your life and soul sweating over. But I'm Pissed now.
If you equate work's "difficulty level" to how long it takes you, then yeah, I suppose a novel is more difficult. I, personally, don't equate it that way. At all.
I write both, and I write both in genres and mainstream. A short story is not a miniature novel, or even a shorter novella. It's a short story. Different structure, different styles, different requirements. A very different mindset.
They're both damn difficult, a novel to sustain over a long period of time, with internal symmetry and tension. A short story, to craft in a short period of time so that every single word is effective, every sentence evocative, and your intent is communicated to the reader both smoothly and swiftly, without skimping on dialogue, character development, or world-building. There's no safety net, no second chance.
Year, there are short stories that don't do that. There are novels that fail miserably too. But in point of fact, it's more common to fail in a short story than it is in a novel, because you have fewer places to hide.
And once you've pissed me off enough to go into this rant, never ever ever come back with Miss Thang attitude. Because then I will bitch slap you into tomorrow. Maybe even next year.
Ugliness will follow. Soon, and possibly with the backhand of a pro tennis player.
I suspect that this is akin to the "Mac vs Windows" debate. In other words, people hold very strong opinions on either side and rarely agree. It's probably best to just hold your tongue when someone basically says "oh, that's so easy" about something you just spent a portion of your life and soul sweating over. But I'm Pissed now.
If you equate work's "difficulty level" to how long it takes you, then yeah, I suppose a novel is more difficult. I, personally, don't equate it that way. At all.
I write both, and I write both in genres and mainstream. A short story is not a miniature novel, or even a shorter novella. It's a short story. Different structure, different styles, different requirements. A very different mindset.
They're both damn difficult, a novel to sustain over a long period of time, with internal symmetry and tension. A short story, to craft in a short period of time so that every single word is effective, every sentence evocative, and your intent is communicated to the reader both smoothly and swiftly, without skimping on dialogue, character development, or world-building. There's no safety net, no second chance.
Year, there are short stories that don't do that. There are novels that fail miserably too. But in point of fact, it's more common to fail in a short story than it is in a novel, because you have fewer places to hide.
And once you've pissed me off enough to go into this rant, never ever ever come back with Miss Thang attitude. Because then I will bitch slap you into tomorrow. Maybe even next year.
