 Drama: May 01, 2019 Issue [#9505] |
This week: Turning a Short Story into a Novel Edited by: Joy  
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“A short story is a love affair, a novel is a marriage. A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film.”
Lorrie Moore
“Many of my better short stories are just the last chapters of novels I did not write.”
Roger Zelazny
“When well told, a story captured the subtle movement of change. If a novel was a map of a country, a story was the bright silver pin that marked the crossroads.”
Ann Patchett
“A short story is a sprint, a novel is a marathon. Sprinters have seconds to get from here to there and then they are finished. Marathoners have to carefully pace themselves so that they don't run out of energy (or in the case of the novelist-- ideas) because they have so far to run. To mix the metaphor, writing a short story is like having a short intense affair, whereas writing a novel is like a long rich marriage.”
Jonathan Carroll
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This issue is on turning a short story you have written into a novel or using it in a novel.
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
Please, note that there are no rules in writing, but there are methods that work for most of us most of the time.
The ideas and suggestions in my articles and editorials have to do with those methods. You are always free to find your own way and alter the methods to your liking.
Note: In the editorial, I refer to third person singular as he, to also mean the female gender, because I don't like to use they or he/she.
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
We all know that a short story and a novel are two different entities. Yes, the two have their similarities, and yes, short story writers use different techniques than novel writers. Still, can writing short stories aid writers in constructing their novels?
I’ll say yes to that if the writer knows what she is doing, if she uses the short story as a stepping stool and a creativity tool that is able to strengthen the elements of her novel. The idea has to do with playing around with the different sections and elements of the novel.
For example, we can write short stories about the secondary characters in different locations and off-stage actions that have nothing to do with the novel’s flow or storyline and this way, developing the characters' traits more fully. I do this when I am stuck at some point in a novel because this practice rests my mind by forcing it to focus on a different aspect of the plot, which may or may not have something to do with the novel. When writing a short story, either before or in between writing a novel, I don’t worry about the result being polished, but I try to see what I can do to add new angles to the characters or situations. For that reason, I keep that short story really short or limited to one setting and not more than two or three characters.
Writing a short story to use as an exploratory piece also helps before we even think about a novel's premise. This is if we write it with the goal of playing around with ideas to see if they would lend themselves to the rigors of a long fiction. That is to say, not every idea works out, but some may do.
Let’s say we have a short story at hand that we or a reviewer thinks could lend itself to a novel and we are considering to enlarge it as a novel or use as an aid in writing one.
 To begin with, we need to examine the plot of it. Can it be developed further by enlarging the plot or branching it out? And are there any parts in the story that offer possibilities for our characters?
What about subplots? More or less? Could more subplots confuse the main idea or add to it? Can our main character, over the longer novel, learn better to understand someone, himself, or the situation?
Let's consider the characters. Can our main character be fleshed out more? Can we add new ones, secondary characters, or helping players without taking away from the main idea and the essence of the our novel? Whose point of view can we use the best?
Let us take a look at the setting. Can the setting act as a character? Is it a world we created? At this point, we should notice or jot down its every detail. If the setting is a real place, can it support a lot of action and subplots? And will we need to add other locations to it?
What about the ending? Will the conflict be resolved the same as or different than in the short story? Do we plan to use our short story as a prequel to the novel or are we going to stick to the same ending but fatten up the story in other ways?
Also, we need to avoid the common mistakes we might all do, but instead we must: try not to load the story with unnecessary characters; not overdo the descriptions; keep the dialogues to the point and not overextend them; make the subplots agree with and connect to the main conflict.
Then, we need to keep in mind that not all short stories can become good novels, so we must choose wisely. in addition, considering the time we can devote to the project. Never mind what we all do in NaNo; the fact is, a good novel takes a really long time.
So, best wishes and Godspeed if you ever dare tackle this type of a project.
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 Enjoy!
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This Issue's Tip: Write a vignette of the place when the setting is the main character or is as important as a character, and have a character walk through it on a good day and then on a bad day.
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Feedback for "Humor or Wit Has Drama in It"
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concrete_angel
Such wonderful advice! Humor is a great addition to dramatic stories and situations, and it forges a strong connection with readers. It's so valuable in drama, too, because readers can so easily become inured to the doom and gloom of particularly heavy tales and stop feeling. Humor can provide both a break from the heavy atmosphere and a powerful emotional underline to whatever is happening in a story. A tragic tale with no breaks can be physically and emotionally exhausting, but the sweetness of happy or funny moments can be a perfect complement to the bitterness of particularly dramatic stories! Really good points here. Thank you!
Thanks for the feedback. 
Yes, without humor everything would be too heavy and unbearable.
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queenkissy
Thank you for including my short story!
My pleasure, and you're very welcome.
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