Fiction -- genre - length

I don't read much young adult genre work, so could not say about length.

But generally, literary fiction is also getting shorter -- compared to say Dickens, or Exodus by Leon Uris or Aztec by Gary Jennings (which I am reading now) which is a bit like the first edition of Les Miserables -- I skipped all the chapters that weren't story (alternate chapters are essays -- Victor Hugo was a committed commentator on his life and times.)

Reading Aztec, I skipped all the "letters" from the "bishop" and only read the Aztec parts -- and I skipped parts where the descriptions were lengthy.

Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinwa Iweala is a good example of a prose poem-like novella.

It does not have much plot, but has a distinctive and engaging voice.

Some of my longer short stories are abut 30 - 40 pages.

I don't think we should limit ourselves with "I would write this genre but" -- or "I only write --"

It's like people asking me "what do you paint?" or "in what medium."

I don't see why I should stick to one thing. Gunter Grass and the Chinese Nobel Laureate also do visual art.


Copyright Kyi May Kaung