difference in essay and novel

The Difference between an Essay and a Novel

It's highly unlikely that you'll ever pen a best-selling essay, but you may certainly be the next best-selling author of a novel. Whether your essays and your novels will be at all similar to one another depends only on which type of essay and which type of novels you choose to write.

The purpose of an essay is to inform readers. Writing an essay means researching relevant information in order to understand the topic and be able to form an opinion or offer thoughts about it. Essays also require that you organize your thoughts, usually through some sort of written outline, and state the point of your essay in a thesis statement.

The purpose of a novel is to entertain readers through story-telling, although some very entertaining novels are also informative. Authors of novels use some of the same techniques that can be used for an essay, such as descriptive writing and using personal narratives to make a point. However, a writer penning a novel also has to consider elements like character and plot development, which makes writing a novel quite different from writing an essay.

The average essay is five to seven paragraphs long, which includes an introductory paragraph, three or more body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. Each paragraph should relate back to the thesis statement in the introduction by having topic sentences that expand on the writer's main idea. Essays are very focused pieces of writing that do not stray from the original main point into other subjects.

Novels vary widely in length. Some graphic novels are only 50 pages long, while Madison Cooper's Sironia, Texas is over a million words, or around 1,731 pages long. While novels generally focus on an overarching story theme, writers can explore many different ideas and topics within one novel.

There are four basic types of essay: persuasive (arguing a point and trying to convince readers to agree), descriptive (describing an object or scene by painting a picture with words), expository (recounting facts in an organized way), and narrative (telling a story that makes a point). Like writing a novel, a narrative essay is story-telling, although the story will be much shorter and more focused in a narrative essay.

Novels come in many different types, such as fiction, non-fiction, romance, and history. Novels can be epic, like J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, or just for fun, like Stephanie Meyer's Twilight.

What is the difference between an essay and a novel?

Essay is a short composition under 1,000 words, but most often between 250 to 500 words. While technically, most essays are non-fiction, so therefore factual, an essay could also be creative fiction. For example, if a teacher gives an assignment, "Write an essay of 500-600 words describing a family vacation", you could take it literally and write about your last family vacation. But it doesn't say "your last family vacation". So you could write an imaginary "family" and their vacation. However, most essays ask you to take a position on an issue, to express and support an opinion(s), or present facts.

A novel, however, is always regarded as purely fiction. Yet, most authors use their real life experiences to construct fiction stories. So with either essay or novel, there can be a lot of overlap between "fiction" and "non-fiction", including but not limited to: place, time, setting, real people versus characters, point or points of view, storylines, and conclusion (or in some novels, a hanging ending). One huge difference, though, will always be length: a novel could be 100-300 pages, versus a less than 1,000 word count.

Well, a compo is always shorter than a novel and usually used for primary. But a novel is like a book with some chaothers and a dozen of paragraph.

Add your answer:

What is the difference between composition and essay writing?

Essay is a type of composition....

What the difference between a thematic essay and a DBQ essay?

Gonzo gave my becky

What is the difference between elocution and essay writing?

What is the difference between a short essay and along essay.

A short essay is about 2-3 paragraphs, while a long essay is at least 5 paragraphs.

What is the difference between edit and revise in reference to an essay?

Edit means to look over an essay for mistakes. Revise is when you fix the mistakes, or change the essay to improve it after you publish it.

What is different between narrative and descriptive essay?

Difference between Narrative Essay And Description

What are the difference between pharmaceutical marketing and others?

Novel essay autobiography or informational literature. which one would be fiction, what is the main difference between an argumentive essay and an explainatory essay is that an explanatory essay.

The main difference is that an argumentative essay presents a claim or argument, supported by evidence and reasoning, to persuade the reader, while an explanatory essay focuses on providing information and explaining a topic without taking a stance or trying to persuade the reader.

What is the difference between novel holes and the film of holes?

There is no difference, in the movie they used the same dialogue as they did in the book.

Is War and Peace a formal essay?

No, "War and Peace" is a novel written by Leo Tolstoy. It is a work of fiction, not a formal essay.

What is a creative title for an essay about the difference between cupcakes and muffins?

cupcakes v/s muffins!

Top Categories

• Craft and Criticism
• Fiction and Poetry
• News and Culture
• Lit Hub Radio
• Reading Lists

• Literary Criticism
• Craft and Advice
• In Conversation
• On Translation
• Short Story
• From the Novel
• Bookstores and Libraries
• Film and TV
• Art and Photography
• Freeman’s
• The Virtual Book Channel
• The Lit Hub Podcast
• The Critic and Her Publics
• Fiction/Non/Fiction
• I’m a Writer But
• Windham-Campbell Prizes Podcast
• Write-minded
• First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing
• Behind the Mic
• Lit Century
• Tor Presents: Voyage Into Genre
• Beyond the Page
• The Cosmic Library
• Emergence Magazine
• The Best of the Decade
• Best Reviewed Books
• BookMarks Daily Giveaway
• The Daily Thrill
• CrimeReads Daily Giveaway

How the Essay and the Novel Inform and Influence Each Other

Jane smiley on the many stories of california, true and fictional.

When I moved to California in 1996, I was following a horse. The horse’s name was Terson (I called him Mr. T). I bought him from a stable in Wisconsin in 1993, and kept him in a barn outside Ames, Iowa, where I taught at Iowa State. But I was tired of nearly freezing to death when I rode him in the winter, and, by the way, my husband, Steve, who had grown up in Iowa, had spent some time in Santa Barbara and wanted to move back. Eventually, Steve and Mr. T. agreed on Carmel Valley, California.

I could have said I was the native Californian, because I was born in LA, and my parents lived near Hollywood Park until I was about a year old, then moved back to the Midwest. Steve was born in Iowa, Mr. T in Germany. But no matter—like all migrants to California, we looked around and fell in love instantly with the new landscape and the everchanging but (almost) always pleasant weather.

At the time, I was known for A Thousand Acres and Moo , one of them openly set in Iowa and the other one sort of set in Iowa, at a land grant university. The first thing I did (inspired by Mr. T) was decide that of course I could breed racehorses, and I did, though none of them were successful. But Mr. T and the horses I bred gave birth to Horse Heaven , and in order to understand racing and breeding, I took a wonderful tour of California—Del Mar, Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Golden Gate Fields, Temecula, Coalinga, and Davis, with many stops in between (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego).

The first thing I learned about California was how beautiful it is; the second thing I learned was that the climate and the scenery change every time you turn a corner or go over a mountain. I experienced this just the other day when I was walking in Monterey, and I left the Del Monte Shopping Center for Don Dahvee Park. I saw a path that I had never taken before, and it took me straight into the woods along a creek, natural, chaotic, and messy, not half a mile from the designer handbags at Macy’s.

Before I came to California, the only California writer I knew much about was John Steinbeck, from Salinas, who, judging by his works, was interested not only in the social world and the history of his native land but also in the landscape. In my favorite of his novels, East of Eden , he begins by describing the diversity of the Salinas Valley—the lupines and the poppies, the trees and the Spanish moss, the changing nature of the soil, and the danger and beauty of the Salinas River. All of his works take on economic and political themes too (obviously in The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men ), but one of the things you can’t help doing if you are a writer based in California is attempting to convey what it feels like to be here, moment by moment.

My family had one small connection to California—one of my grandfather’s many older sisters ended up in Vallejo, married to an astronomer who was a true crackpot, and who was also from central Missouri. His name was Thomas Jefferson Jackson See, and he earned his stripes as a crackpot by ruthlessly opposing Einstein’s theory of relativity until the day he died, convinced that the universe was made of ether. He worked for the US Navy, and was sent to Mare Island to use astronomy to tell the exact time of day and to let the captains of the ships know so that they could embark on their missions in the proper way.

And so I went to Vallejo and Mare Island to look around, gathering the information I needed to write Private Life (published in 2010). I also discovered a blot on US, and California, history that I hadn’t known about: the internment of the Japanese during World War II. (If you grew up in St. Louis, or elsewhere in Missouri, slavery and abolition and segregation were frequent topics of conversation.) What I learned about my great-aunt taught me more about the complicated history of California and more about the complicated history of my family.

When I began teaching creative writing at UC Riverside in 2015, I was pleased that my students were much more diverse than they had been in Iowa, and they all had stories to tell that were enlightening and dramatic. A term was ten weeks long, so every student had to produce a draft a week—three drafts each for the first three stories—and then to choose the story that most interested them and write a fourth draft of that one. Discussions of each draft lasted about twelve to fifteen minutes, and the students discussing each draft could not use words of judgment or praise—if they didn’t like something, they had to ask a question, such as “Why does Mary disappear after the first three pages?” The result was that the students got more intrigued by the stories they were writing, and as they fixed things, the stories grew more complex and unique.

Often, what the students who were reading the stories did not understand had to do with the connection between where the story was set and how this affected the main character and his or her friends and family. This meant that over time my students became more aware of the ecosystems and communities that they grew up in, and also more eager to depict them. Reading these stories worked for me, too, since there are so many enclaves in California that most of them are under the radar.

Two examples of stories that my students were working on were one written by a female grad student about an insane asylum from the early twentieth century that was run by her ancestors, which explores the cruelty of the system, in part from the point of view of one of the women who works at the asylum; the other was by an male undergrad student, about a family escaping from Mexico after the father is killed by gang members—some members of the family have transportation, but some of them have to walk the whole way.

The books I assigned were meant to be an exploration for my students, but turned out to be an exploration for me, too. I was quite familiar with Sue Grafton and had been enjoying her mysteries since the late 1980s—in some sense she replaced my youthful obsession with Agatha Christie, and both my students and I enjoyed the way Grafton created suspense, but also how she portrayed the idiosyncratic locations in and around Santa Barbara.

I was also familiar with The Woman Warrior , and I wanted my students to learn from the complexity of how the narrative mixes personal experience with traditional stories. We did not exactly read it as nonfiction, because the elements seemed imaginative to us and therefore worth learning from, for both fiction writers and nonfiction writers. In some sense, these books served my students as historical novels, about events and places that existed before they were born and that have now changed—I had felt the same pleasure in books I had read in school, such as David Copperfield and Giants in the Earth .

One book that my students and I found astonishingly compelling and informative was Kindred , by Octavia Butler, a novel that immerses modern readers in the experience of being enslaved in the mid-nineteenth century, and how that contrasts with the life the protagonist is leading in the present day. We understood that Butler was using science fiction to explore important issues that many of my students were familiar with but hadn’t been asked to imagine in such detail before. Little Scarlet , by Walter Mosley, offered similar insights and feelings. Some of my students were from the LA area, and Mosley’s dramatic depiction of the Watts riots and the racial issues surrounding them, plus the way he incorporated them into a thriller, was very alluring.

The more recent novels that we discussed showed them what they could aim for. I had spent a lot of time on an Ojibwa reservation in northern Wisconsin, but what Tommy Orange showed me and my students about the experiences of Native Americans in Oakland was completely new. The way that There There jumps around between the points of view of different characters (using first person, second person, and third person) also sparked discussions of the benefits that each point of view offers the reader and the author. I think that Orange, as the youngest of the authors, also provided my students a pathway to a fresh literary voice.

I did not make them read The Greenlanders , but they had a similar experience when I assigned The Good Men , by Charmaine Craig, which was about religious conflicts in France in the fourteenth century, was a little shorter, and was written in a more accessible style than my novel. Many of my students were fascinated by events they had experienced or heard about, and The Good Men offered a way to talk about how to imagine those events in detail and put them on the page, even if, when you start, you have very little idea of how to understand them.

The book I assigned that I think my students and I appreciated the most was The Sellout , by Paul Beatty. I taught it in my comic novel class, and it was the perfect example of using a comic and satiric voice to lure the reader into seeing the absurdity of the world that the narrator is living in. It was a major prizewinner, but easy for my students, and for me, to relate to. It fit perfectly into the desire that I had for my students to feel the presence of the writers around them, busily working and depicting the places in California that my students knew and wanted to write about themselves.

What is my justification for collecting the essays in my new book, The Questions That Matter Most: Reading, Writing, and the Exercise of Freedom ? For me, it is that every novelist’s life has taken place during times of turmoil, and many novelists choose to explore that turmoil (for example, Émile Zola). In this way, being a novelist becomes a form of education. Let’s say that first comes fear, then comes rage, then comes curiosity, then comes a more complex curiosity as our imaginations encompass our characters and their feelings.

There was recently a short essay in the Guardian about how historical novels shouldn’t exist. It was written by a man who had just published a historical novel, and I think he meant it as something of a spoof, but if I had been arguing the issue with him, I would have said that all novels are historical novels, because those that outlive their authors teach future readers what life was like from the authors’ point of view at the time when the authors were writing them. A good example is Sir Walter Scott, one of the first novelists to explore eras several hundred years in the past ( Ivanhoe , Quentin Durward ).

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Scott did not have the archeological evidence we have, or other aspects of research that historians now employ, but he had the stories, passed down over generations, and he reimagined them and set them down in a new form—the novel, the historical novel. His work was hugely popular. The books are still readable and dramatic. My favorite of his are the novels he wrote about the religious conflicts of the seventeenth century, especially The Tale of Old Mortality . Is it accurate? As I was reading it, I was both enthralled and motivated to look up the history of those times and compare what historians had to say with what Scott wrote. And that is one thing historical novels do—they pull you in and make you wonder, not only about what really happened but also about how and why the author portrayed the events as he did.

Because of this, I think that I often forgive and even thank authors of novels for truthfully representing the era they lived in. Yes, Anthony Trollope shows signs of antisemitism, and I don’t like that, but it shows me who he is—he can’t help but reveal it. It is also true of Trollope that he was more interested in, and more insightful about, the lives of his female characters than any nineteenth-century male writer that I can think of. Was that because his wife read his work, day by day, and gave him advice? I suspect it is. Novels and novelists are complex, and that is why I prefer writing about complex issues in novels rather than in nonfiction.

The novel is, and always has been, a self-made form. We read them as children, go on reading them, and then decide to try writing one, to see how our own experiences look on the page. Not all of my students will have enough luck (or maybe dedication) to write about their experiences and stories, and not all of them will find a publisher or an audience, but I hope that the ones who are really dedicated do so, because their depictions of one of the largest, most beautiful, most populous, most diverse, and most contradictory states in the US are revealing and fascinating.

Most of the essays in this book have been assignments—I am handed a topic and asked to reveal my thoughts. I hope that I have used them in the same way that I have used my novels—to learn more about something that I thought I understood, and to understand that topic, or issue, with more clarity and nuance.

__________________________

Excerpted from The Questions That Matter Most: Reading, Writing, and the Exercise of Freedom by Jane Smiley. Copyright © 2023. Available from Heyday Books.

Jane Smiley will be in conversation with David Ulin hosted by Writer’s Bloc at the Wallis Theater in Los Angeles on June 15.

Jane Smiley

Previous article, next article.

• RSS - Posts

Literary Hub

Created by Grove Atlantic and Electric Literature

Sign Up For Our Newsletters

How to Pitch Lit Hub

Advertisers: Contact Us

Privacy Policy

Support Lit Hub - Become A Member

Become a Lit Hub Supporting Member : Because Books Matter

For the past decade, Literary Hub has brought you the best of the book world for free—no paywall. But our future relies on you. In return for a donation, you’ll get an ad-free reading experience , exclusive editors’ picks, book giveaways, and our coveted Joan Didion Lit Hub tote bag . Most importantly, you’ll keep independent book coverage alive and thriving on the internet.

Become a member for as low as $5/month

Essay vs. Short Story

What's the difference.

Essays and short stories are both forms of written expression, but they differ in their purpose and structure. Essays are typically non-fiction pieces that aim to inform or persuade the reader about a specific topic. They often follow a formal structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. On the other hand, short stories are fictional narratives that focus on character development and plot. They can be written in various genres and styles, allowing for more creativity and imagination. While essays prioritize facts and logical arguments, short stories prioritize storytelling and evoking emotions in the reader.

Further Detail

Introduction.

When it comes to literary forms, essays and short stories are two popular choices that captivate readers with their unique attributes. While both share the goal of conveying a message or exploring a theme, they differ in various aspects, including structure, length, and narrative techniques. In this article, we will delve into the characteristics of essays and short stories, highlighting their similarities and differences.

One of the primary distinctions between essays and short stories lies in their structure. Essays typically follow a more formal and structured format, often consisting of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction sets the stage by presenting the topic and thesis statement, while the body paragraphs provide supporting evidence and analysis. Finally, the conclusion summarizes the main points and offers a closing thought.

On the other hand, short stories have a more flexible structure. They often begin with an exposition, introducing the characters, setting, and conflict. The plot then unfolds through rising action, climax, and resolution. Unlike essays, short stories allow for more creative freedom in terms of narrative structure, with authors employing various techniques such as flashbacks, foreshadowing, or nonlinear storytelling to engage readers.

Another significant difference between essays and short stories is their length. Essays are typically shorter in length, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand words. The brevity of essays allows writers to present their ideas concisely and directly, making them suitable for conveying arguments or exploring specific topics in a focused manner.

On the contrary, short stories are longer and more expansive in nature. They can range from a few pages to several dozen pages, providing authors with ample space to develop characters, build suspense, and create intricate plotlines. The extended length of short stories allows for a deeper exploration of themes and emotions, often leaving readers with a more immersive and satisfying reading experience.

Narrative Techniques

While both essays and short stories employ narrative techniques to engage readers, they differ in their approach. Essays primarily rely on logical reasoning, evidence, and analysis to convey their message. Writers use persuasive techniques, such as ethos, pathos, and logos, to appeal to the reader's intellect and emotions. The narrative in essays is often more straightforward and focused on presenting a coherent argument or viewpoint.

In contrast, short stories utilize a wide range of narrative techniques to create a captivating and immersive experience. Authors employ descriptive language, dialogue, and vivid imagery to bring characters and settings to life. They can experiment with different points of view, shifting perspectives, and unreliable narrators to add depth and complexity to the story. The narrative in short stories is often more imaginative and allows for a greater exploration of the human experience.

Themes and Messages

Both essays and short stories aim to convey themes and messages to their readers, but they do so in distinct ways. Essays often focus on presenting an argument or discussing a specific topic, aiming to inform, persuade, or provoke thought. The themes in essays are typically more explicit and directly related to the subject matter being discussed.

On the other hand, short stories explore themes and messages through storytelling and the experiences of characters. They often delve into complex human emotions, moral dilemmas, or societal issues, allowing readers to reflect on the deeper meaning behind the narrative. The themes in short stories are often more implicit, requiring readers to analyze the story's events and characters to uncover the underlying messages.

In conclusion, while essays and short stories share the common goal of conveying a message or exploring a theme, they differ significantly in terms of structure, length, narrative techniques, and the way they approach themes. Essays offer a more formal and structured approach, focusing on presenting arguments and analysis concisely. On the other hand, short stories provide a more immersive and imaginative experience, allowing for the exploration of complex characters, plotlines, and themes. Both forms of writing have their unique merits and appeal, catering to different reading preferences and purposes.

Comparisons may contain inaccurate information about people, places, or facts. Please report any issues.

• Clear Water Press
• Writing Programs:
• Cover Story
• One Year Novel
• Other Worlds

The Hidden Connection between Fiction and Academic Writing

• August 3, 2016
• Student Contributor
• Guest posts , The Writing Life , Writing Tips and Tools

I’ve been unable to spend much time writing fiction over the past few years. However, I do still spend a significant amount of time writing – just not as much fiction as academic writing.

This post is about how OYAN— The One Year Adventure Novel —has influenced my academic writing .

Now, if you are tempted to quit reading at the mere mention of the word “academic,” please don’t just yet! I understand your aversion to “academic writing”—but I endeavor to show you why that aversion is primarily because you have read bad academic writing. Academic writing is not meant to be boring—and good academic writing isn’t.

OYAN and Academic Writing

While academic writing is different from fiction writing in some important ways (although perhaps the boundaries are fruitfully blurring), there is much that can be learned from the way productive fiction writers go about their business and live out their writerly selves. – Grant and Knowles, “What can academic writers learn from creative writers?”

I believe the above quote is true. My own experience backs it up. I intentionally apply what I’ve learned in OYAN to my research papers and academic essays. Many people will say that academic writing is completely different from fiction writing, but there are definite similarities between the two modes of writing , and it’s precisely in these areas of overlap that the One Year Adventure Novel curriculum can be helpful.

No, the purpose of academic writing is not the purpose for writing a novel, but academic writing is quite a broad genre, encompassing persuasive essays, literary reviews, literary criticism, and much more. Regardless of the specific type of work you are writing, its primary purpose is to share information— to communicate on some level—even though your reasons for sharing that information will vary depending on the type of work.

In the end, we all want people to read our writing. Accessibility to targeted readers is one of the most important aspects of writing of any kind . When your work is easy to understand and enjoyable… people will actually read it. It is only then that you can benefit other people by sharing your ideas, or persuade them through the strength of your arguments. If people can’t get through your writing or resort to skimming it, then you have not succeeded in your primary purpose to communicate with your readers—and you’ve thereby missed out on a valuable opportunity.

Writing a Captivating Academic Research Paper

Believe it or not, this is not a paradoxical heading. Academic writing can and should be enjoyable to read. Conflict, unexpected humor, creating emotion, and raising the stakes are all concepts that are relevant to academic writing. Above all, having a clear, interesting voice dramatically improves the readability of your paper. Academic papers do not have to be dry or abstruse.

The Five Elements of… Essays?

Now let’s get down to the specifics—how has OYAN specifically impacted my academic writing? Well first of all, through the Five Elements of Story—which can be translated to the Five Elements of Essays.

In academic writing, “something to care about” doesn’t take the form of a protagonist or hero—instead, it’s a bit more abstract. But you do need to tell your target audience why they should care about what you are going to say—why it is relevant, and why it is interesting . This is generally your thesis statement, which is a valuable hook that shows your readers from the beginning why they should care about your paper.

You also need to give your readers “something to want”—which is distinct from “something to care about.” You are not merely showing your readers why your paper is relevant to them, you are revealing that it will actually give them something valuable —whether this is by presenting new research, providing new insights, or persuasion. Your readers should want something after reading only the first page of your paper—just as they should after reading page one of a novel .

“Something to dread” is related to this, just on the exact opposite side. Consider “something to want” from a different perspective… what will your readers dreadfully miss out on if they do not read it? Having a “something to dread” is incredibly helpful in ensuring readers will stick with your paper.

Even “something to suffer” is applicable to academic writing—and hopefully not because your reader has to suffer through it. The “something to suffer” of academic writing is including counter-arguments and opposing viewpoints to your own. Just like suffering makes a hero’s victory feel more earned, dealing with opposing viewpoints and counter-arguments will make your conclusion feel more earned .

And finally, “something to learn” should be obvious— your reader must finish your paper having learned something new and substantial. If a reader gets to the end of your paper and realizes that nothing has changed—no new insights, or ideas, or opinions—then there is a definite problem.

The Four Defining Moments (of Your Research Paper)

Just like your OYAN novel, your academic papers should have four defining moments.

The inciting incident should contain conflict, such as a fight (the presentation of differing opinions), a new arrival (the announcement of new ideas or research), or trouble (an issue that you are going to present a solution to).

By this point, you should have established your something to care about/want/dread and convinced your readers to embrace their destiny— which is to read every word of your paper.

“Something to suffer” comes in with the black moment . This is when you scare your reader into momentarily thinking that you might be wrong after all, but then you deflect the conflicts and counter the counter-arguments, further proving the strength and validity of your points. Placing this black moment directly before your conclusion will help your victorious concluding statement to be all the more glorious.

Finally, the showdown . This is your conclusion, where you fight the final battle to win over your readers or teach them something. Your final points must be satisfying and substantial, otherwise readers will wonder why they read all the way through in the first place. Your conclusion should not be merely a summary—it should also contain new information, and that information should be surprising and earned (no deus ex machina allowed).

Difference between Fiction and Academic Work

Now, it’s also important to recognize the areas where academic writing and fiction writing differ. Some say that in academic writing, you must “distance yourself from the reader.” And that academic writing should “provide information, not entertainment.”*

To an extent, this is true. Formal language is preferred in academic writing over informal and colloquial language. It is also important to be accurate and, usually, you are expected to take an objective stance. But while academic writing is primarily meant to provide information, that does not mean that it can’t—or shouldn’t —be entertaining as well. In fact, if you want people to read the information you are trying to share with them, it is critical that your arguments be compelling and that your writing be entertaining. To phrase this another way:  yes, the primary purpose of academic writing is to provide information, but utilizing the power of entertainment is an excellent method to get readers to read, understand, and remember that information.

Many students or academics will say that they can’t write creative academic work because it will hurt their grades or reputation, or because it won’t be published. If you write a narrative story with loose academic undertones and try to submit that as literary research, then yes, you will probably get a bad grade. But none of the strategies I discussed in this post should at all hinder you from excelling in these areas—especially because when these strategies are properly employed in your academic writing, they should be indistinguishable. These strategies will enhance the content and readability of your papers by fitting into the academic structure . If your professors and other readers notice anything, it will be that they are oddly captivated by your academic papers, have regressed to re-reading them for fun, and now can’t wait until you submit your next one.

Creativity in Academia

The split between academic and creative thinking, writing and identity is a relic of Western Enlightenment thought, which unfortunately persists in the twenty-first century university. Rationality, intellect, and logic—the ‘academic’ —are reified, whilst imagination, emotion, and physical and natural rhythms—the ‘creative’—are denigrated… …the production of academic writing is not solely an intellectual activity. …The problems experienced by academics in their writing are rarely intellectual ones. Rather, the difficulty is with creativity. – Maria Antoniou and Jessica Moriarty, “What can academic writers learn from creative writers? Developing guidance and support for lectures in Higher Education”

These authors go on to discuss how the majority of published academic writers, even though they know how to present their ideas in a logical, orderly fashion, know how to research, and are familiar with proper academic structure, don’t really know how to write well . Nearly every one of the points they go on to make about learning to write relates to something that is taught through OYAN.

To conclude: don’t view academic writing and fiction writing as two entirely different activities. Academic writing should be creative— even though it is different from novel writing, or poetry writing, or screenplay writing. Academic writing has its own unique purposes, and its own methods of expressing ideas and communicating information, but there are many creative aspects that can be translated over from fiction writing, because academic writing is also creative— and it is an art of its own .

* See https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/980/03/ and http://www.lib.uts.edu.au/sites/default/files/attachments/page/Academic%20Writing%20Guide%20Part%201%20-%20Academic%20Writing.pdf

If you have taken The One Year Adventure Novel , have you found hidden connections with other writing genres or activities?

Addison Lucchi (B.A. in English Literature) has been an OYANer since the very beginning. He will soon graduate with his master’s degree in Library & Information Science—and while he does love fiction writing, he is also an academic teaching librarian who is passionate about learning, community, and the arts.

Addison enjoys numerous forms of music, literature, and theatre – and he also enjoys adventuring to and exploring new places. His favorite author is C.S. Lewis, his favorite book is Till We Have Faces , and his favorite animal is the magnificent penguin.

He also has a blog of his own:  https://adventuringinfairyland.wordpress.com

* Please note that links on  The One Year Adventure Novel Blog  to other websites and blogs do not constitute an official endorsement. We are not intimately familiar with all the writing and opinions contained in outside links.

Share this:

Welcome, Writers!

Beginning an Adventure – PART 1

Beginning an Adventure – PART 2

Great post.

Hi! Thank you for this very inspiring post. Academic writing can indeed gain a lot by implementing elements found in fiction writing. However, not all academics can write fiction, and it is not an easy feat to pull off, which leaves them in a bind because they still need to communicate their findings. I believe you’ve left out a specific part of the academic world: those whose research falls way outside the established paradigm in their field. Those authors may abandon their research or continue to work on it outside of the traditional academic institutions. I believe that kind of research can sometimes be qualified as quasi-fictional, as in the case of my research. I write about the intersection of science and Christian theology in ways that are currently not scientifically verifiable. This means that most impact factor based journals are not willing to publish my work. Still, I find that researching this field provides ample opportunities to exercise originality of thought and creativity, which is why I enjoy it so much. Although my essays are written in an academic style, I view them as part fiction, for accepting them requires a great deal of imagination and open-mindedness. Those essays are published on BarbourianMeditations.com, and you are welcome to browse through them. Any input as to content or style would be much appreciated.

Loved this article Addison <3, very well-written! Writing good literary fiction requires some time and practice. No one becomes a good and skillful fiction author overnight. If you want to improve your skills and produce more quality fiction stories, then you must read, observe, learn, and write all the time. Check this out How to Improve Your Fiction Writing Skills? Hope this will help. Thank you.

Cheers, Collete

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

• previous post: Fair Winds & Following Seas – A Summer Workshop Reflection
• next post: How One Smart Scene Can Pull the Weight of Many
• About the Curriculum
• Syllabus with Lesson Table
• Cloud Streaming Benefits
• Your Instructor
• Reviews & Testimonials
• Sample Lessons
• Summer Workshop
• Student Novel Contest
• Homeschool Curriculum Conferences
• Cloud Video Sign-in
• Online Quizzes
• How to Watch Webinars
• How to Join the Forum
• Student Forum Sign-in
• Good Books List
• Curiosity Saved the Cat
• Ask Us a Question
• Order Materials for a Group

7 Differences Between Short Stories and Novels

April 5, 2024.

While both short stories and novels share the goal of engaging the reader in dynamic, thought-provoking storytelling, there are several significant differences between the two forms.

Short stories thrive on simplicity and a singular narrative arc. A novel, however, may be filled with many characters, multiple plotlines, and varying resolutions. Are both forms satisfying? Certainly! But each requires its own preparation and execution. Let’s take a closer look at seven differences between short stories and novels.

A short story will be much shorter than a novel, but how much shorter?

A short story is typically 1,000 to 15,000 words, whereas a novel typically ranges between 60,000 and 100,000 words. Short stories are supposed to be read in one sitting, and the story usually takes place within one day. A novel may take days or weeks to finish and is set over weeks, months, or even centuries.

2. Character Count

In a short story, there is only enough time to focus on one central character, addressing one significant problem solely from that character's perspective. Characters in short stories are defined by their actions and dialogue within a constrained narrative space. Conversely, a novel can feel luxurious for a writer, as the protagonist can face multiple challenges, and there can be numerous characters.

Some novels, like Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible , feature multiple characters’ points of view. Other novels stretch over generations, like The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. A short story should be compact, while a novel may sprawl in many directions and still feel satisfying if those directions are all connected to the same thematic arc.

3. Singular vs. Multiple Storylines

Likely, a 5,000-word story will only allow your protagonist to attempt to achieve one goal or solve one main problem. There is no room for B or C stories (also called subplots). This is why short stories are popular in anthologies and literary magazines.

A novel, on the other hand, has the space to explore B, C, and even D stories if necessary. It also allows greater flexibility in structure, enabling intricate plot development, multiple narrative arcs, and in-depth exploration of characters and settings. Novels may employ various structural techniques such as flashbacks, multiple points of view, or nonlinear timelines to enrich the storytelling experience.

As previously mentioned, make sure all plot lines connect thematically, or parts of the story will start to feel unwieldy or superfluous.  

4. Limited vs. Lengthy Setup

Due to the limited word count, it's crucial to begin your short story as close to the climax of the plot as possible. This approach will infuse your story with a sense of urgency, enhance pacing, and intensify tension.

In contrast, novels have the luxury of taking their time to reach the climax, sometimes delaying the introduction of the protagonist's main obstacle until several chapters in. Novels afford the reader an in-depth understanding of the protagonist, their background, and the conflict they confront.

5. Treatment of the Antagonist

Usually, we think of the antagonist in a story as a specific character, but that may not be the case in a short story. In O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi , the antagonist is Della’s lack of money. She wants to get her husband a great Christmas gift that reflects her love for him, but she doesn’t have enough money despite her attempts to scrimp and save. In this case, the antagonist is more of a situation than a person.

A novel will likely have a human antagonist, if not multiple human antagonists, to torment and test the protagonist. Society, religion, family structure, or politics may also be part of the antagonistic situation, but usually, there is a character to personify that antagonist.

6. Conflict Resolution

Short stories may or may not have a clear resolution. Many short story writers prefer to offer a twist or surprise with the ending. Some writers prefer not to fully resolve the conflict but leave the reader wondering what may happen, like in The Birds by Daphne de Maurier.

Novels are different. Because the reader has invested so much time into a novel, it’s more satisfying to create a clear, definite resolution to the main character and their conflicts. In a murder mystery novel like T he Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, it's crucial to reveal the identity of the killer to provide closure for the reader.

While both short stories and novels explore themes and subtext, the depth of exploration varies between the two formats.

Short stories often focus on a single theme or idea, clearly expressing it within a short time frame. Novels can explore multiple themes simultaneously, weaving intricate layers of meaning throughout the narrative.

While great novels may explore multiple themes, the themes usually tie together in an overarching theme. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird , a classic novel written by Harper Lee, explores courage, racism, loss of innocence, and the struggles of family life . But, the overall theme might be the coexistence of good and evil , with each minor theme playing a role in the bigger theme.

Most people enjoy reading short stories and novels, but as writers, understanding the differences is crucial. While the depth of character and conflict will change with each format, it’s important to allow for enough character development in each to create empathy for your main characters so that the reader will want to go on their narrative journey from beginning to end.

A well-crafted ending should feel earned in both short stories and novels and complete the experience set up for the reader from the beginning.

Written by: Shanee Edwards

• Adaptations
• short story

Final Draft 13

Use what the pros use!

What’s new in Final Draft 13?

Writing goals & productivity stats.

Set goals and get valuable insights to take your work to the next level

A new typewriter-like view option improves your focus

Craft more realistic onscreen text exchanges and make your notes more emotive

And so much more, thoughtfully designed to help unleash your creativity.

Final Draft is used by 95% of film and television productions

You May Also Like