“A short story is a sprint, a novel is a marathon. Sprinters have seconds to get from here to there and then they are finished. Marathoners have to carefully pace themselves so that they don't run out of energy (or in the case of the novelist-- ideas) because they have so far to run. To mix the metaphor, writing a short story is like having a short intense affair, whereas writing a novel is like a long rich marriage.”

“I started a short story but it was so dreary that even my pen threw up.”

“A short story is a love affair, a novel is a marriage. A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film.”

“I find writing novels a challenge, writing stories a joy. If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.”

“Don’t try to write a novel. Write short stories and then figure out how to connect them.”

“For me, writing a short story is much, much harder than writing a novel.”

“You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip.”