 Short Stories: September 02, 2015 Issue [#7193] |
  Short Stories
This week: Is it a Scene or a Story? Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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An Elf Short Story Newsletter
Some people are great at writing short and others, like me, not so much. Short word count limits sometimes result in a scene for a longer story. I look at the difference in a story versus a scene this week.
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This is an interesting topic, or seemed that way after midnight. Most contests where on WDC that focus on stories are either for flash fiction or short stories with the rare few allowing novelette or longer lengths. This can cause a slight dilemma for the non-short story writer. Granted this is the short story newsletter but I'll admit, I'm not a short story writer. I love writing novels but also try to enter contests on this site when I can manage, yet I struggle with the word count every single time. Doesn't matter if it allows 869 words or 5000, it's hard to keep the story within that word limit for me and the end result often times is a scene and not a story.
What is the difference between the two?
The basic answer has to do with how complete the story feels to the reader. They will be interested in the characters, world, story and other elements presented and maybe even like the idea enough to ask for more, but at the same time, will also feel satisfied with the current amount of story provided.
A scene will have common elements of a story. It has character, conflict, setting and all of that jazz. However, it's not the only part that is going to be told and often the conflict is either a small factor or there is a limited amount of resolution. The reader will be left, however, knowing there is far more and maybe even at times a little disappointed because they don't get the rest. Other times, it may seem complete but the actual plot will be something that needs much more. There are a few factors involved that are noticed by either the writer or the reader, and at times even both know.
I will admit that while most short story contests on here want a complete story entered, I am one who writes and enters scenes. Even when I try to do a finished story in a short amount of words and think it's done, readers and such tell me otherwise. I had a flash fiction story I submitted to a publisher get feedback that included suggesting it be a novelette or novella when I had no plans beyond that very short amount of writing. And the last free-write I tried then became a short story and will soon be a novel once November gets here.
Some of us are great at the short story word limit and others not so much. But I still say we all should enter contests here on WDC. Write the story you have and if it's just a scene, that is okay too. True there are some pitfalls and be prepared for the reviews that mention how there is more to the story, but write them anyways. Have fun and keep writing.
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Do you write a full short story or do you end up entering a scene in a contest?
Last month I did a newsletter about the elusive and sometimes annoying quest for titles. A couple of people sent in responses. I'm still on the lookout for good titles though I have my NaNoWriMo novel title already. 
Comment by Elfin Dragon-finally published 
Reading this weeks newsletter reminded me of thinking of a title for my short story for the "52 week image fiction blog contest". Yep, entered and luckily the first image didn't stump me too much.  All I could think of was one of Carly Simon's songs in which one verse mentions, "...clouds in my coffee." Of course anyone who grew up listening to Carly Simon knows the title of the song is "You're So Vain". But it was the "clouds in my coffee" which struck me and became the title of my story.
Comment by vada  
I use the story I'm working on for inspiration for the title, either something that reflects the theme or the character's conflict or personality. Normally I love playing with words to come up with the perfect titles, but sometimes it takes a lot of thought and a whole list of titles before I get there. Vada
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