Enrique Vila-Matas Interview
The blogger at Spinning has written
There was a recent question raised at the MetaxuCafe forum about story length, and the usual answer would be "when the story has been told and finished." Or, if must be done, according to the publisher’s specs. Of course, I (as all of us, I’m sure) feel insulted by the word limit placed on creativity.
I wouldn’t. When I first started writing fiction, several of my stories were bloated sprawlfests that pushed 10,000 words. Look around. Most literary journals aren’t interested in anything in the same universe as 10,000 words.
Months later when I revisited those stories (partially to shorten them in order to meet the demands of lit journals), I was embarrassed for myself. The stories were way too long. I challenged myself to cut them in half. I succeeded, and then some.
So yes, let’s not place unreasonable limits on our creativity. But let’s also be realistic about our writing. And, finally, let’s realize that lit journals have word limits for good reasons, and one of those reasons is that a lot of stories should be shorter.
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This is very true, and I’m gradually getting over my own sense of being enamoured of my words to get to the meat of the matter. It’s a fact and skill of writing, and the smart writer will learn the lesson.
I knew a professor who used to reference one great painting or another and then ask if we thought that it would automatically be better if the artist had been given a larger piece of canvass.
I can’t recall someone answering “yes.”
His point was that art often benefits from limits in space and that while, by definition, artists require freedom, limits can force them to sharpen their aesthetic judgment and thus help improve their art.
Over time, I’ve come to see a very great deal of truth in that.
reader,
absolutely correct. you may enjoy MadInkBeard–that site explores (among other things) how constraint is used in fiction to produce interesting art.