Monday, January 2, 2012

Words of Wisdom

"Almost anyone who is literate can write a short story. But to write a good short story ... Aye, there's the rub, as Hamlet once remarked. The short story is right up there next to poetry in the demands it places on the writer. It is not just a short novel; it is, say a battle rather than a war. A moment, not a lifetime. It marks some vivid instant that forever alters the life of its protagonist, rather than depicting the slow evolutional effect of time and events on a group of people.

It is unforgiving. There is very little room for artistic maneuvering and none at all for self-indulgence. Every word, every phase, every nuance, is vital. The short story can teach a beginning writer the elements of his craft--along with precision, discipline and grace."

Words of wisdom from Joe Gores in his introduction to Lawrence Block's collection of short stories, "Like a Lamb to Slaughter".

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