Short Story or Novel: Which Medium is Best for Your Story

By: Case Bright

When struck by inspiration, every writer must decide the shape they want their idea to take. Many writers struggle to determine the distance they want their story to figuratively travel on the page. Is the concept able to fit within the 1,500 to 7,500 word confines of the average short story without being suffocated? Can it fill the near 100,000 word breadth of the average novel while keeping the reader interested throughout? These questions are important to consider as the proper medium can make or break a story.

The proper length of a story can be determined by its scope. A short story wants a focused idea that explores a single moment, question, or feeling. Everything in that story should tie into the central idea and leave no loose ends. Many issues arise in short stories as a result of being unfocused–too many characters to properly explore individually, events that do not efficiently build to the climax, and disconnected subplots to name a few. A common mistake that I have seen in short stories is the author ending their story without a definitive resolution; leaving too many unanswered questions is an easy way to cause your readers to walk away unsatisfied. If you find your short story is too unfocused, you could consider evolving it into a novel.

The novel leaves room for all the backstory, side plots, and slow-burn romances a writer could dream of. The protagonist (or multiple protagonists) can undergo a longform arc as many different scenes build to the climax. Novels can explore more ideas through more characters without feeling rushed. They give space to the stories that need it. However, some concepts can be lost in the vastness of a novel. It is easy to go beyond the confines of the initial idea and end with a conclusion that feels disconnected from the earlier events of the story. Writers may also find themselves dragging out scenes or adding additional scenes with little relevance in an attempt to pad the word count. Readers may DNF your novel if they feel that nothing is happening in your story.

It’s important to remember that a short story can always be turned into a novel and vice versa. You should let the scope of the idea determine the form it takes rather than forcing it into a medium it’s not made for; lengthening a story is not always going to improve it. Drafts can always be revised so don’t fret if you were initially incorrect about the shape your story should take. Truthfully, the best form is one that allows your concept to be fully realized even if it lies outside arbitrary word counts. After all, if you find your concept to be between a short story and novel, you could always write a novella.