I mean, every novel's a historical novel anyway. But calling something a historical novel seems to put mittens on it, right? It puts manners on it. And you don't want your novels to be mannered.
Colum MccannRead
The short story is an imploding universe. It has all the boil of energy inside it. A novel has shrapnel going all over the place. You can have a mistake in a novel. A short story has to be perfect.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Short stories require precision and completeness, while novels allow for more freedom and potential mistakes.
In this quote, Colum McCann emphasizes the concentrated nature of short stories compared to novels. He describes the short story as an 'imploding universe' filled with intense energy, suggesting that every word and detail is crucial to its effectiveness. In contrast, he portrays novels as having more expansive, chaotic narratives where imperfections can exist without compromising the whole. This highlights the unique challenges and artistry involved in crafting short stories, which demand a higher level of precision and intentionality.
Themes
Short StoryNovelArtistryPrecisionNarrative
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a creative writing workshop to discuss the differences between writing short stories and novels.
More from Colum Mccann
All quotes →Goodness was more difficult than evil. Evil men knew that more than good men. That's why they became evil. That's why it stuck with them. Evil was for those who could never reach the truth. It was a mask for stupidity and lack of love. Even if people laughed at the notion of goodness, if they found it sentimental, or nostalgic, it didn't matter -- it was none of those things, he said, and it had to be fought for.
Colum MccannRead
She takes another long haul, lets the smoke settle in her lungs-- she has heard somewhere that cigarettes are good for grief. One long drag and you forget how to cry. The body too busy dealing with the poison.
Colum MccannRead
It was a silence that heard itself, awful and beautiful.
Colum MccannRead
It struck me that distant cities are designed precisely so you can know where you came from.
Colum MccannRead
And I suddenly think, as I look across the table at him, that these are the days as they will be. This is the future as we see it. The swerve and the static. The confidence and the doubt.
Colum MccannRead
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