Short stories slow, long stories fast

Yair Halberstadt
Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:19:05 GMT

A pattern I've noticed among authors I enjoy is that their short stories are often very sedately paced, with a lot of descriptive prose and not much action. But their long stories are peppered with fast dynamic scenes and they avoid detailed descriptions as much as they can get away with.

This might seem counter intuitive. A short story has limited space to waste on flowery prose, whilst a long story gives you the space you need to flesh out the story.

But the truth is that the core plot of even the lengthiest series can often be reduced to a few paragraphs[1]. Everything else is filler. e.g.

Those who fancy themselves the greatest of wizards often delve into ancient rites and forbidden arts, hoping that through heinous deeds they might gain incredible boons. Those who are sensible instead seek to understand the magic that already fills everyday life and its bonds.

And so when Tom Riddle slew Lily Potter in front of the crib, where her baby son slept, he knew not what he had awoken. For one who gives their own life to protect another creates a guardian spell more powerful than any work of dread magic. Riddle's attempt to slay baby Harry rebounded and ripped Riddle apart, leaving Harry with nothing more than a lightning shaped scar on his forehead.

The boy grew, went to school, learned magic, made friends. But Riddle was not dead, for he had split his soul with every murder he had committed, and bound each piece into an object. Whilst the object - the horcrux - yet stood, he could not be permanently destroyed.

As foretold by prophecy, Harry and Riddle were bound to be enemies. Neither could live while the other survived. Helped by friends and teachers, Harry battled Riddle whenever he returned, and one by one hunted down the horcruxes and ground each of them down to dust.

All but one. For on his 18th birthday, as the hordes of Riddle were closing in, greater and more numerous than ever before, Dumbledore, Harry's closest teacher and confidant revealed a terrible truth: the lightning scar on Harry's forehead was no ordinary wound, but rather marked the point where a piece of Riddle's soul had wormed it's way into Harry's. Harry was the last horcrux, and Riddle could not die whilst Harry yet lived.

Harry bravely handed himself over to Riddle, who laughing, tortured and slew him, thereby making himself mortal. But once more Riddle underestimated the simple power of love, for by sacrificing himself Harry had made all those who yet stood against Riddle untouchable, and every spell that Riddle and his horde cast in the coming battle rebounded against them. The horde was routed and Riddle himself slain, and peace at last returned to the wizards of the world.

I'm no Asimov or Scott Alexander, but I think that pretty much captures the overarching plot of Harry Potter, and doesn't do so in a way that makes it obvious anything essential is missing. By adding in more subplots and drama Rowling could have made the Harry Potter series any length from 6 paragraphs to 6000 volumes, without ever ending up with an incoherent or dissatisfying mess. The choice for what length she ultimately ended up with is purely about how much effort she wanted to put in, how much she wanted to say/explore, and dare I say it, what she thought would make her the most money.

Long stories are a slave to attention. At some point in any book past a hundred pages, your reader will have to put down the book and go to work, and if you want them to open it when they come back you need them thinking about it the entire time. And you do that by throwing in plot twists and cliffhangers every couple of pages, so there's always some desperate plight your hero is stuck in which will worm it's way through your readers mind whilst he's attempting to fill in cells in a spreadsheet.

A short story writer isn't a slave to such needs. They can try out different styles, write incredibly moving prose dwelling on the beauty of a sunset for ten pages, or just choose to flesh out their worldbuilding the entire time. In short they can write the story they actually want to write. If you want your story to be powerful and memorable, far easier with a short story than a long one.

1. ^

Except for ASOIAF. But that's because ASOIAF doesn't have any plot past the first book, it's only got filler, which is why GRRM will never finish it. GRRM is just so good at filler that everyone reads it anyway.

Discuss