write essay on story writing
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It is difficult to define a short story precisely. No single formula will cover its immense range and variety. It is, indeed, a far cry from the primitive legends to the subtle touches of Manpassant. It is an adaptable mould, which can be used to express any mood. It can be romantic and sentimental, ironic, astringent or humorous, lyrical or objective. It is this variety that makes it so impossible to define. It is an imaginative narration consisting of a few incidents, drawn from a single situation, and having a unity of effect.
It will be easier, however, to comprehend its real nature by placing it against the novel. A novel cannot be abbreviated into a short story, nor can a short story be expanded into a novel. The novel deals with incidents progressing with cause and effect, inter-relation marching towards an ultimate solution. It is the modern counterpart of the epic. Its object is the grand totality of life. But a short story exposes a situation representing a mood, as if in a flash. Its motive is essentially lyrical.
Unlike a novel, therefore, it does not admit of a large number of characters, of variety of events or interests. Whereas the novel is expansive, the short story in concentrated, and the more it stays away from the centre, the less does it conform to its type. Its nearest and most allied literary type is the One-Act Play.