Comments on: Short Stories, Publications, Limitations http://www.ianmacleod.net/2007/04/17/short-stories-publications-limitations/ Occasional text by Ian Macleod, often lacking context. Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:27:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Colin http://www.ianmacleod.net/2007/04/17/short-stories-publications-limitations/comment-page-1/#comment-456 Colin Wed, 18 Apr 2007 18:03:53 +0000 http://www.ianmacleod.net/2007/04/17/short-stories-publications-limitations/#comment-456 Dead on. Witness: the new Delillo story in last week's New Yorker. It's like a parody of his own work and the crap that the New Yorker always publishes. Self indulgent and only worthwhile as a lesser work of a great artist. It's well written, but it falls short of being profound depsite the subject matter (9/11). And the problem is entirely that it is too short. There's no time to develop a real story, or delve into the characters, or launch into one of those extended cultural assessment monologues that Delillo does so well. This is a guy who writes a mean novella (read 'The Body Artist' if you haven't yet). All I can do is hope that this is one of those things that's actually an excerpt from a forthcoming bigger book. In your discussion of the novella, don't knock the big fat novel. I know you like to do this, but I will defend the 1000 page monstrosities to the bitter, bitter end. Dead on. Witness: the new Delillo story in last week’s New Yorker. It’s like a parody of his own work and the crap that the New Yorker always publishes. Self indulgent and only worthwhile as a lesser work of a great artist. It’s well written, but it falls short of being profound depsite the subject matter (9/11). And the problem is entirely that it is too short. There’s no time to develop a real story, or delve into the characters, or launch into one of those extended cultural assessment monologues that Delillo does so well. This is a guy who writes a mean novella (read ‘The Body Artist’ if you haven’t yet). All I can do is hope that this is one of those things that’s actually an excerpt from a forthcoming bigger book.

In your discussion of the novella, don’t knock the big fat novel. I know you like to do this, but I will defend the 1000 page monstrosities to the bitter, bitter end.

]]> By: Dani http://www.ianmacleod.net/2007/04/17/short-stories-publications-limitations/comment-page-1/#comment-455 Dani Tue, 17 Apr 2007 23:07:12 +0000 http://www.ianmacleod.net/2007/04/17/short-stories-publications-limitations/#comment-455 Hi there...I don't usually comment on these things but I couldn't resist. Honestly I think a lot of short stories suffer in the plot department (or lack thereof). I'd rather read a ridiculous, madcap, b-movie-equivalent, implausibly plotted short story than some of the meditative just-sit-there stuff that seems to somehow be in vogue. Character sits there, thinks for a while, even thinks some really provocative, interesting thoughts (or, yes, thoughts about their budding sexuality...good point!), but at the end she/he is still sitting there. Dull as all hell. Maybe there should be a general rule that if your character hasn't moved 5 feet by the end of the story, it's just not a short story. Unless your main character is a slug. Or a tortoise. Or maybe sexuality should never enter into it unless the main character is over 13 and said sexuality is barely-contained and exists in a fiercely blazing love triangle between two bodice-ripping Fabio-clones on the Scottish highlands and a bodice-ripped, buxom lass with flowing scarlet hair. And it would be called "Devil in a Kilt." *lost in thought* Ummmm....anyway....I just think short story writers need to stop writing to get a point across (that's what essays are for, people) and leave out anything they would say in therapy and just try to write a few plot points together. OK. That's all. Nice blog, by the way. Hi there…I don’t usually comment on these things but I couldn’t resist. Honestly I think a lot of short stories suffer in the plot department (or lack thereof). I’d rather read a ridiculous, madcap, b-movie-equivalent, implausibly plotted short story than some of the meditative just-sit-there stuff that seems to somehow be in vogue. Character sits there, thinks for a while, even thinks some really provocative, interesting thoughts (or, yes, thoughts about their budding sexuality…good point!), but at the end she/he is still sitting there. Dull as all hell.

Maybe there should be a general rule that if your character hasn’t moved 5 feet by the end of the story, it’s just not a short story. Unless your main character is a slug. Or a tortoise.

Or maybe sexuality should never enter into it unless the main character is over 13 and said sexuality is barely-contained and exists in a fiercely blazing love triangle between two bodice-ripping Fabio-clones on the Scottish highlands and a bodice-ripped, buxom lass with flowing scarlet hair. And it would be called “Devil in a Kilt.” *lost in thought*

Ummmm….anyway….I just think short story writers need to stop writing to get a point across (that’s what essays are for, people) and leave out anything they would say in therapy and just try to write a few plot points together.

OK. That’s all. Nice blog, by the way.

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