Does length matter?

[squarejohn]

The following is a quote from a letter Voltaire had written: "I apologize for sending such a long letter; there was not time to write a shorter one."

Actually, it's a paraphrase, but it's close. Comments?

 

[sr71plt]

That's often the case with short stories too, yes.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Or speeches. If you want me to talk for five minutes, I'll need a day to prepare. If you want me to talk for 20 minutes, I'll need all morning. But if you want an hour, I'm ready!

 

[bronzeage]

Any story with a beginning, a middle, and an end, is the perfect length.

 

[TE999]

A variation on that is 'Why use one word when ten will do?' I think this is the credo of politicians and door to door salesmen.

 

[YoursSINSerely]

I thought this thread was going to be about something else.

How's that?

 

[jomar]

I thought this thread was going to be about something else.

Seriously. No dick jokes in the first five posts? What the hell has happened to this forum?

 

[YoursSINSerely]

Seriously. No dick jokes in the first five posts? What the hell has happened to this forum?

Then, its good that I'm still around to keep everybody on the up and up. No need to thank me.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

"Up and up"? Aw, c'mon!

 

[YoursSINSerely]

"Up and up"? Aw, c'mon!

Different, up, Bear.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I just told one writer that I want her to delete half the words out of

Every.

Single.

Story.

she sends me, or I will send it back unread.

 

[sr71plt]

I thought this thread was going to be about something else.

The something else was in the background. And it doesn't have to be verbalized for everyone to know it's there and to savor that image floating out there during a discussion of writing matters. And to verbalize it, pops the bubble and deflates the thread.

 

[Stella_Omega]

The something else was in the background. And it doesn't have to be verbalized for everyone to know it's there and to savor that image floating out there during a discussion of writing matters. And to verbalize it, pops the bubble and deflates the thread.

exactly.

 

[YoursSINSerely]

The something else was in the background. And it doesn't have to be verbalized for everyone to know it's there and to savor that image floating out there during a discussion of writing matters. And to verbalize it, pops the bubble and deflates the thread.

I edited my post just for you.

 

[jomar]

The something else was in the background. And it doesn't have to be verbalized for everyone to know it's there and to savor that image floating out there during a discussion of writing matters. And to verbalize it, pops the bubble and deflates the thread.

But to ignore it, to not even play with it even indirectly? C'mon, slippage!

 

[sr71plt]

But to ignore it, to not even play with it even indirectly? C'mon, slippage!

To play with it in clever, teasing ways would have been interesting. To just flop it out on the table . . . not so much.

 

[jomar]

To play with it in clever, teasing ways would have been interesting. To just flop it out on the table . . . not so much.

Dong it! You ruined my meaty diatribe about how it was so much better in the old days and how, as I look over my shoulder, and perhaps out of a sense of emptiness, I might pull my Loving Wives story and insert it into another category as an experiment, of sorts.

 

[Guest]

I wanna see sr71plt flop it out onto the table.

You know, in the interests of image savoring.

 

[george51]

The following is a quote from a letter Voltaire had written: "I apologize for sending such a long letter; there was not time to write a shorter one."

Actually, it's a paraphrase, but it's close. Comments?

Its clever.

 

[sr71plt]

I wanna see sr71plt flop it out onto the table.

You know, in the interests of image savoring.

Got something wider than a dining room table? Wouldn't want to catch cold from a passing breeze.

 

[Guest]

Got something wider than a dining room table? Wouldn't want to catch cold from a passing breeze.

Laughing -

Cheeky!

 

[sr71plt]

Laughing -

Cheeky!

I lied, of course. A kitchen counter should do well enough--if just.

 

[Guest]

I lied, of course. A kitchen counter should do well enough--if just.

Okay, not fair.

Rum and coke spew.

 

[JackLuis]

I have read short stories that are too long and too short. I expect that other things are like that at different times, the wrong length at the right time, might be a bunny?

 

[sr71plt]

I have read short stories that are too long and too short. I expect that other things are like that at different times, the wrong length at the right time, might be a bunny?

Yeah, I'll have to say I didn't agree with Bronzeage's post on this at all.