Short story

Definition

A short story is a piece of prose fiction that is shorter than a novel and usually deals with a few characters. (Hansen)

A short story should be able to be read in one sitting (ranging from 20 minutes to an hour) and has on average between 1,000 and 7,500 words (but can be up to 20,000 words). A literary work shorter than a thousand words is called flash fiction or short short story. (Blurb)

Key elements

Short stories usually have one main character that deals with a single plotline (no other subplots like in a novel) and is set in a single place and time. The protagonist is mostly without a clear backstory and does not go through any development (or the development is minimal). Still, a short story should be able to deliver a satisfying and complete reading experience. (Hansen; Blurb)

Short story vs novella

Short stories and novellas are both literary works shorter than novels. The most important difference between those two is the word count. As mentioned before, a short story ranges from 1,000 to 7,500 words, while the other has 10,000 to 40,000 words. (Krisneely)

A short story does not have extensive plot twists, conflicts, or subplots, and multiple characters are not common either. On the other hand, novellas can include many subplots, conflicts, and characters. The plotline of a novella is usually more complicated, and the main characters are more likely to have character development. (Krisneely)

Examples

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant (Hansen)

Short story collection Dubliners by James Joyce (Hansen)

The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe

Works cited:

Hansen, Arlen J. "short story". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2023. Web. 13 October 2023.  <https://www.britannica.com/art/short-story>.

Blurb. “What Is a Short Story? - Definition, Elements & History.” Blurb Blog, 16 October 2019. Web. 13 October 2023. <www.blurb.com/blog/what-is-a-short-story/>.

Krisneely. “Differences between Novellas and Short Stories” Cresting Wave Publishing, 10 May 2020. Web. 13 October 2023. <https://gocwpub.com/differences-between-novellas-and-short-stories/>. 

Written by Aneta Sladká