Robbie commenting on my latest seeks a defintion of the short story two posts back, ventures one himself. His description is spot on but it defines only one aspect of the genre. Here are some reflections quickly put together.
First, does the term need defining? Aren't the words "short" and "story" enough in themselves? How short it is doesn't matter? One paragraph can be enough, one word even, why not?
When I started writing the current series on my blog One Fine Day almost a year ago I thought to myself that I would dive in and see what happened. I got the idea from my brother Ken, (aka Lucas). They were going to be brief even of their kind (flash fictions, as Lucy called them), because I wanted to produce a lot of them and in a relatively little time. Since then I have come to realise that the short story of any length is distinguished from the novel, itself a many splendoured thing, by concentrating essential information and in leaving out what is not essential to a single plot. Plays also concentrate information though their plots may be more complex. That one of the greatest short story writers, Chekhov, is also one of greatest playwrights strikes me as no coincidence. But really what I mean to say is that short stories are what you make them. They can range from the pub joke to the story of the Good Samaritan. They differ from novels not just because they are shorter but because they are less complex, have fewer dimensions and are, as Robbie suggests, more simply focused.
Their attraction for me lies in the style opportunities they present, that they take relatively little time to write and absorb, and that they can pack quite a punch if necessary despite their weight. Or they can merely be entertaining. At least I hope that this is the case with what I am trying to do.
Persicaria is a plant which is about a lot at the moment. At first I couldn't pin it down. Dock-like leaves and flowers in short spikes, usually purple. A plant beloved of bees which is possibly another explanation of its popularity with bee conscious gardeners. Now I know that it is one of those plants which has changed the name by which it is generally known. The Readers Digest of Garden Plants and Flowers calls it polygonum or knot weed, while persicaria is how most nurseries describe it nowadays. Confusing. But I am glad that thanks to a stall at the market I am now enlightened. A useful plant for partial shade.