When people think of great stories, they think of novels. Short stories tend to get less attention. Unless you subscribe to a literary journal or actually read short story collections, you probably aren't searching for a short story to read.
However, short stories have played an important role in cinema. Many of the great films that we think of today, such as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 3:10 to Yuma, and The Last Time I saw Paris were all based on short stories. It makes sense that short stories would be great for inspiring movies. They're just the right length for a feature film. There are a lot of novels that people yearn to see made into a film, but almost always audiences are disappointed with the movie version because a film simply can't fit the entirety of a novel. Things have to be left out.
When a short story is good, you never forget it. The story is succinct. There's no room for wasted scenes or unnecessary words. The story is over before you even know you've become engrossed. Naturally, as a short story author, I want to encourage people to include short stories into their reading lists. They certainly have their advantages. You can read a short story in one sitting, which is great if you're someone with a really busy schedule. They also give you the opportunity to try other authors or genres without devoting the time to reading a 300 plus page novel.
So the next time you're watching a movie or television, check to see if it was adapted from a short story. You would be surprised at how many beloved films were inspired by short stories.
コメント