The short story is one of the most difficult pieces of fiction to write. Contained within its boundaries must be enough complexity to keep the reader engaged for the length of the piece, but of course there is, by definition, less room to develop said complexity. Thus, although not all short stories contain all elements of longer forms of narrative fiction (e.g. novels), they do need to contain enough to pull the reader into the piece, creating as much of an alternative reality as possible given the length limits. For example, a short story might not contain more than one character (while almost all novels surely will), but it will contain enough characterization to provide substance and flow.

The issue of length is one that tends to confound literary scholars, precisely because there is no set length that defines any given piece of literature. There are guidelines, yes, but nothing set in stone that carries from one school to another. Such guidelines have tended to come in the version of commentaries by short story writers. Edgar Allen Poe was one such writer who felt that the definition of a short story was a piece that could be read in one sitting. It can certainly be seen how this definition cannot be universalized! Just ask three different people how long they can sit in one place, and you will get three different answers.

Having said that, short stories tend to be between 1,000 and 7,500 words long. This is quite a range, but at least it is something quantifiable. Of course, writers of short stories don't tend to sit down and censor their writing based upon a given story's ultimate desired length; but their stories need to eventually fall within the guidelines of the journal, class, or other venue for which they are written. This is critical, since in the absence of formal guidelines that are universal, each venue rather clings to its own standards.

Short stories are not only hard to write because of length restrictions, but also because they are intensive (every word counts); demand a high level of creativity; and just generally make anyone who has ever feared a blank page run screaming from the room (unless, of course, short stories are their personal favorite).

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