Novel

by Victoria Constant
12th May 2013

Hi, I was wondering what actually defines a novel. I've heard they can be short and that short stories can be long (if that makes sense) so what defines one from the other?

Replies

Novellas?!

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David
Shakes
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David Shakes
14/05/2013

Perhaps yet another answer is that there is something in the writer's intention?

Does the writer set out to tell a story succinctly - probably within a set number of words - and therefore keep everything very much brief and to the point --- or --- does the writer not set constraints but let the story - and both the length and level of detail - go where they will?

The two different approaches to creating will have distinct effects on the product - perhaps this is more the cause of the distinction than anything else?

:-)

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David
Foster
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David Foster
13/05/2013

novels are always fiction. also, i have never heard of a short novel. i always thought they were long? any way, what i thought was the difference was novels are always fiction and long, short stories are mostly fiction and short. hope it helped

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Gina
Brennan
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Gina Brennan
13/05/2013