Approaches to criticizing short fiction
What is a reasonable scholarly approach to breaking down short pieces of prose? Is it word choice? Is it structure? Is it themes, and how well they are used? Use of symbolism and its efficacy? Meter, rhythm, style, verbosity? Are these all on topic? Do you have a rigorous guide you use to approach short fiction when providing feedback to other writers?
fiction short-story criticism feedback
asked 3 hours ago
bruglescobruglesco
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What is a reasonable scholarly approach to breaking down short pieces of prose? Is it word choice? Is it structure? Is it themes, and how well they are used? Use of symbolism and its efficacy? Meter, rhythm, style, verbosity? Are these all on topic? Do you have a rigorous guide you use to approach short fiction when providing feedback to other writers?
fiction short-story criticism feedback
asked 3 hours ago
bruglescobruglesco
1,184326
add a comment |
What is a reasonable scholarly approach to breaking down short pieces of prose? Is it word choice? Is it structure? Is it themes, and how well they are used? Use of symbolism and its efficacy? Meter, rhythm, style, verbosity? Are these all on topic? Do you have a rigorous guide you use to approach short fiction when providing feedback to other writers?
fiction short-story criticism feedback
asked 3 hours ago
bruglescobruglesco
1,184326
What is a reasonable scholarly approach to breaking down short pieces of prose? Is it word choice? Is it structure? Is it themes, and how well they are used? Use of symbolism and its efficacy? Meter, rhythm, style, verbosity? Are these all on topic? Do you have a rigorous guide you use to approach short fiction when providing feedback to other writers?
fiction short-story criticism feedback
fiction short-story criticism feedback
asked 3 hours ago
bruglescobruglesco
1,184326
asked 3 hours ago
bruglescobruglesco
1,184326
asked 3 hours ago
bruglescobruglesco
1,184326
asked 3 hours ago
bruglescobruglesco
1,184326
asked 3 hours ago
bruglescobruglesco
1,184326
1,184326
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
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For me, a short story is a story. It follows the three-act structure, but it requires some inventiveness to compress that into a short space; in some cases to a line or two.
I don't care about metre or rhythm, a short story is not poetry. Nor do I care about "style", it is engaging or it isn't. Same for "theme".
Because it is compressed, unlike a novel (IMO) every line demands scrutiny and must advance its act. This puts more pressure on word choice and impactful action and at times evocative symbols. Where it is okay in a novel to describe something for a few paragraphs that isn't terribly important to the story, that kind of thing should be squeezed out of the short story. The same goes for idle conversation, in a novel you might like to hear two characters sparring or joking in a conversation that has no bearing on the plot, it is just "fan service" in a way, people like to read about some pair having some fun. But you wouldn't write a while chapter of that, and it a short story, the same conversation might be the equivalent of a chapter; there isn't room for it.
No, I don't have a rigorous approach to short fiction, just that it cannot be flabby, it should evolve logically and recognizably through the three acts (or four, or five if you like Shakespeare's style).
Just like any other story.
answered 2 hours ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.6k467171
add a comment |
I think all of what you just mentioned is on-topic for that type of critique. I also like to see if the author is looking for any specific critiques. For example, are they interested in hearing about everything but are specifically unsure about whether the story flows well? Is there a character whose dialogue they think might be stilted or strange? If I have a direction to look in, I'm much better at offering suggestions or commentary.
answered 2 hours ago
N. DoskerN. Dosker
712
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
For me, a short story is a story. It follows the three-act structure, but it requires some inventiveness to compress that into a short space; in some cases to a line or two.
I don't care about metre or rhythm, a short story is not poetry. Nor do I care about "style", it is engaging or it isn't. Same for "theme".
Because it is compressed, unlike a novel (IMO) every line demands scrutiny and must advance its act. This puts more pressure on word choice and impactful action and at times evocative symbols. Where it is okay in a novel to describe something for a few paragraphs that isn't terribly important to the story, that kind of thing should be squeezed out of the short story. The same goes for idle conversation, in a novel you might like to hear two characters sparring or joking in a conversation that has no bearing on the plot, it is just "fan service" in a way, people like to read about some pair having some fun. But you wouldn't write a while chapter of that, and it a short story, the same conversation might be the equivalent of a chapter; there isn't room for it.
No, I don't have a rigorous approach to short fiction, just that it cannot be flabby, it should evolve logically and recognizably through the three acts (or four, or five if you like Shakespeare's style).
Just like any other story.
answered 2 hours ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.6k467171
add a comment |
For me, a short story is a story. It follows the three-act structure, but it requires some inventiveness to compress that into a short space; in some cases to a line or two.
I don't care about metre or rhythm, a short story is not poetry. Nor do I care about "style", it is engaging or it isn't. Same for "theme".
Because it is compressed, unlike a novel (IMO) every line demands scrutiny and must advance its act. This puts more pressure on word choice and impactful action and at times evocative symbols. Where it is okay in a novel to describe something for a few paragraphs that isn't terribly important to the story, that kind of thing should be squeezed out of the short story. The same goes for idle conversation, in a novel you might like to hear two characters sparring or joking in a conversation that has no bearing on the plot, it is just "fan service" in a way, people like to read about some pair having some fun. But you wouldn't write a while chapter of that, and it a short story, the same conversation might be the equivalent of a chapter; there isn't room for it.
No, I don't have a rigorous approach to short fiction, just that it cannot be flabby, it should evolve logically and recognizably through the three acts (or four, or five if you like Shakespeare's style).
Just like any other story.
answered 2 hours ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.6k467171
add a comment |
For me, a short story is a story. It follows the three-act structure, but it requires some inventiveness to compress that into a short space; in some cases to a line or two.
I don't care about metre or rhythm, a short story is not poetry. Nor do I care about "style", it is engaging or it isn't. Same for "theme".
Because it is compressed, unlike a novel (IMO) every line demands scrutiny and must advance its act. This puts more pressure on word choice and impactful action and at times evocative symbols. Where it is okay in a novel to describe something for a few paragraphs that isn't terribly important to the story, that kind of thing should be squeezed out of the short story. The same goes for idle conversation, in a novel you might like to hear two characters sparring or joking in a conversation that has no bearing on the plot, it is just "fan service" in a way, people like to read about some pair having some fun. But you wouldn't write a while chapter of that, and it a short story, the same conversation might be the equivalent of a chapter; there isn't room for it.
No, I don't have a rigorous approach to short fiction, just that it cannot be flabby, it should evolve logically and recognizably through the three acts (or four, or five if you like Shakespeare's style).
Just like any other story.
answered 2 hours ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.6k467171
For me, a short story is a story. It follows the three-act structure, but it requires some inventiveness to compress that into a short space; in some cases to a line or two.
I don't care about metre or rhythm, a short story is not poetry. Nor do I care about "style", it is engaging or it isn't. Same for "theme".
Because it is compressed, unlike a novel (IMO) every line demands scrutiny and must advance its act. This puts more pressure on word choice and impactful action and at times evocative symbols. Where it is okay in a novel to describe something for a few paragraphs that isn't terribly important to the story, that kind of thing should be squeezed out of the short story. The same goes for idle conversation, in a novel you might like to hear two characters sparring or joking in a conversation that has no bearing on the plot, it is just "fan service" in a way, people like to read about some pair having some fun. But you wouldn't write a while chapter of that, and it a short story, the same conversation might be the equivalent of a chapter; there isn't room for it.
No, I don't have a rigorous approach to short fiction, just that it cannot be flabby, it should evolve logically and recognizably through the three acts (or four, or five if you like Shakespeare's style).
Just like any other story.
answered 2 hours ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.6k467171
answered 2 hours ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.6k467171
answered 2 hours ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.6k467171
answered 2 hours ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.6k467171
52.6k467171
add a comment |
add a comment |
I think all of what you just mentioned is on-topic for that type of critique. I also like to see if the author is looking for any specific critiques. For example, are they interested in hearing about everything but are specifically unsure about whether the story flows well? Is there a character whose dialogue they think might be stilted or strange? If I have a direction to look in, I'm much better at offering suggestions or commentary.
answered 2 hours ago
N. DoskerN. Dosker
712
add a comment |
I think all of what you just mentioned is on-topic for that type of critique. I also like to see if the author is looking for any specific critiques. For example, are they interested in hearing about everything but are specifically unsure about whether the story flows well? Is there a character whose dialogue they think might be stilted or strange? If I have a direction to look in, I'm much better at offering suggestions or commentary.
answered 2 hours ago
N. DoskerN. Dosker
712
add a comment |
I think all of what you just mentioned is on-topic for that type of critique. I also like to see if the author is looking for any specific critiques. For example, are they interested in hearing about everything but are specifically unsure about whether the story flows well? Is there a character whose dialogue they think might be stilted or strange? If I have a direction to look in, I'm much better at offering suggestions or commentary.
answered 2 hours ago
N. DoskerN. Dosker
712
I think all of what you just mentioned is on-topic for that type of critique. I also like to see if the author is looking for any specific critiques. For example, are they interested in hearing about everything but are specifically unsure about whether the story flows well? Is there a character whose dialogue they think might be stilted or strange? If I have a direction to look in, I'm much better at offering suggestions or commentary.
answered 2 hours ago
N. DoskerN. Dosker
712
answered 2 hours ago
N. DoskerN. Dosker
712
answered 2 hours ago
N. DoskerN. Dosker
712
answered 2 hours ago
N. DoskerN. Dosker
712
712
add a comment |
add a comment |
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