---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Novels are so much unrulier and more…"
description: "\"Novels are so much unrulier and more stressful to write. A short story can last two pages and then it's over, and that's kind of a relief. I really lik..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/aimee-bender-2250_balancing_novels-are-so-much-unrulier-and-more-str_1392725.jpg"
---

#  Novels are so much unrulier and more stressful to write. A…

![“Novels are so much unrulier and more stressful to write. A short story can last two pages and then it's over, and that's kind of a relief. I really like balancing the two.” quote by Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/aimee-bender-2250_balancing_novels-are-so-much-unrulier-and-more-str_1392725.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/aimee-bender-2250_balancing_novels-are-so-much-unrulier-and-more-str_1392725.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/aimee-bender-2250_balancing_novels-are-so-much-unrulier-and-more-str_1392725.jpg)

> “Novels are so much unrulier and more stressful to write. A short story can last two pages and then it's over, and that's kind of a relief. I really like balancing the two.”

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The author finds novels more chaotic and stressful, while short stories offer relief and balance, appreciating both forms

**In simple terms:** Short stories provide relief compared to novel complexity

Key Takeaway

Balance writing forms for creative health

Themes

writing process creative balance literary forms

Mood

introspective analytical

Type

creative reflection process discussion

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- personal writing practice
- publishing decisions

Key Concepts

stress management artistic expression

Questions to Reflect On

- What aspects of novels feel most stressful?
- How does writing short stories recharge you?

A Different Perspective

Short stories may limit depth of exploration

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) [Relief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relief/) [Short story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-story/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [Write a short story every week. It's not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/write-a-short-story-every-week-it-s-not-possible-to-write-52-bad/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [I mostly write short stories. They are best written in a continuous creative process. You have a feel of immediacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/i-mostly-write-short-stories-they-are-best-written-in-a-continuous/)

[Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/)

> [I write short stories. I write every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-mustafa/i-write-short-stories-i-write-every-day/)

[Isaiah Mustafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-mustafa/)

> [To write a short story, you have to be able to stay up all night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/to-write-a-short-story-you-have-to-be-able-to-stay-up-all-night/)

[Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/)

> [At the end of the day you do have to write a short novel beforehand, called a script, before you can make a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-garrel/at-the-end-of-the-day-you-do-have-to-write-a-short-novel-beforehand/)

[Louis Garrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-garrel/)

> [I write short, my words tight to the thread of the narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-laforet/i-write-short-my-words-tight-to-the-thread-of-the-narrative/)

[Carmen Laforet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-laforet/)

> [I write short stories and I write things here and there. I think as an actor, it's really important to at least attempt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-faist/i-write-short-stories-and-i-write-things-here-and-there-i-think-as-an/)

[Mike Faist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-faist/)

> [I decided to write short stories because they got rejected quicker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-b-cooney/i-decided-to-write-short-stories-because-they-got-rejected-quicker/)

[Caroline B. Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-b-cooney/)

> [“Please forgive the long letter; I didn’t have time to write a short one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/please-forgive-the-long-letter-i-didn-t-have-time-to-write-a-short-one/)

[Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/)

> [Yeah, I used to write short stories at first, but once you work on something, you want to show people. My peers weren't interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giveon/yeah-i-used-to-write-short-stories-at-first-but-once-you-work-on/)

[Giveon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giveon/)

> [I write short phrases and used to think they were poems!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aishwarya-r-dhanush/i-write-short-phrases-and-used-to-think-they-were-poems/)

[Aishwarya R. Dhanush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aishwarya-r-dhanush/)

> [When I was bringing up a child, I taught myself to write in very short, concentrated bursts. If I had a weekend, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/when-i-was-bringing-up-a-child-i-taught-myself-to-write-in-very-short/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [I don't think I'd have the stamina, skill or ability to write a novel, but I'd love to write short stories and poetry, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-radcliffe/i-don-t-think-i-d-have-the-stamina-skill-or-ability-to-write-a-novel/)

[Daniel Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-radcliffe/)

> [I began to write short pieces when I was living in a room too small to write a novel in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-cartwright/i-began-to-write-short-pieces-when-i-was-living-in-a-room-too-small/)

[Angela Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-cartwright/)

> [Make no mistake, those who write long books have nothing to say. Of course those who write short books have even less to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-z-danielewski/make-no-mistake-those-who-write-long-books-have-nothing-to-say-of/)

[Mark Z. Danielewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-z-danielewski/)

## More by Aimee Bender

> [“Does it work with sandwiches? he asked. I didn't move. He handed it over. George was watching with a kind of neutral curiosity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/does-it-work-with-sandwiches-he-asked-i-didn-t-move-he-handed-it-over/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [There's a spectrum of those moments of connection and the moments we fail to connect, going from super-large successes to failures. Success would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/there-s-a-spectrum-of-those-moments-of-connection-and-the-moments-we/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [I did plays in college, and I have half of a play. But I'm kind of stuck. I keep revisiting it so maybe it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-did-plays-in-college-and-i-have-half-of-a-play-but-i-m-kind-of/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [“My genes, my love, are rubber bands and rope - make yourself a structure you can live inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/my-genes-my-love-are-rubber-bands-and-rope-make-yourself-a-structure/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [One thing I don't want to feel is marketplace pressure, so I'm really glad I enjoy teaching because I can rely on that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/one-thing-i-don-t-want-to-feel-is-marketplace-pressure-so-i-m-really/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [Language is the ticket to plot and character, after all, because both are built out of language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/language-is-the-ticket-to-plot-and-character-after-all-because-both/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [I give boring people something to discuss over corn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-give-boring-people-something-to-discuss-over-corn/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [“The sensor did not seem to be restricted to my mother's food, and there was so much to sort through, a torrent of information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/the-sensor-did-not-seem-to-be-restricted-to-my-mother-s-food-and/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [I peeled the skin off a grape in slippery little triangles, and I understood then that I would be undressing every item of food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-peeled-the-skin-off-a-grape-in-slippery-little-triangles-and-i/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [It was like we were exchanging codes, on how to be a father and a daughter, like we'd read about it in a manual,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/it-was-like-we-were-exchanging-codes-on-how-to-be-a-father-and-a/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [“I started in our neighborhood, buying a pastrami burrito at Oki Dog and a deluxe gardenburger at Astro Burger and matzoh-ball soup at Greenblatt's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-started-in-our-neighborhood-buying-a-pastrami-burrito-at-oki-dog/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [“I loved my dish towel. This one was two-toned, and had, on one side, stitchings of fat purple roses on a lavender background, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-loved-my-dish-towel-this-one-was-two-toned-and-had-on-one-side/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> […kissing George was a little like rolling in caramel after spending years surviving off rice sticks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/kissing-george-was-a-little-like-rolling-in-caramel-after-spending/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [“And in it all, the sensation of shaking my fists at the sky, shaking my fists high up to the sky, because that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/and-in-it-all-the-sensation-of-shaking-my-fists-at-the-sky-shaking-my/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

> [“He made a good salary but he did not flaunt it. He’d been raised in Chicago proper by a Lithuanian Jewish mother who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-flaunt-it-he-d-been-raised-in/)

[Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

[Explore all 172 Aimee Bender quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/)

## More Balancing quotes

> [Balancing is good to isolate the abs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-wagner/balancing-is-good-to-isolate-the-abs/)

[Jill Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-wagner/)

> [“Distribution of weight is preferable to balancing everything on the head of a pin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psixaristw/distribution-of-weight-is-preferable-to-balancing-everything-on-the/)

Psixaristw

> [I think balancing work and family takes constant adjustment. Its not something you can say you've accomplished and move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-rocha/i-think-balancing-work-and-family-takes-constant-adjustment-its-not/)

[Coco Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-rocha/)

> [I find that balancing my life with my work with the kids at St. Jude, working on books, working on my career as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/i-find-that-balancing-my-life-with-my-work-with-the-kids-at-st-jude/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [We are all trying to balance our careers and children and give as much of ourselves and our time to them. You work and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-preston/we-are-all-trying-to-balance-our-careers-and-children-and-give-as/)

[Kelly Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-preston/)

> [Balancing hopes, desires and an appreciating of the possibilities with a clear-eyed assessment of the limitations: that is the art of choosing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/balancing-hopes-desires-and-an-appreciating-of-the-possibilities-with/)

[Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/)

> [For every apparent gain, in short, we now observe a balancing danger. This is the world we have created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kingwell/for-every-apparent-gain-in-short-we-now-observe-a-balancing-danger/)

[Mark Kingwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kingwell/)

> [I'm always balancing how much I can be gone, and how much I can be around for my kids and standard poodles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-freese/i-m-always-balancing-how-much-i-can-be-gone-and-how-much-i-can-be/)

[Josh Freese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-freese/)

> [I have the luxury of balancing and juggling films in different languages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dulquer-salmaan/i-have-the-luxury-of-balancing-and-juggling-films-in-different/)

[Dulquer Salmaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dulquer-salmaan/)

> [You're always going to feel like you're catching up, and part of that is just balancing work and motherhood and the whole feeling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-gordon/you-re-always-going-to-feel-like-you-re-catching-up-and-part-of-that/)

[Kim Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-gordon/)

> [I don't love the phrase 'balancing work and family.' It sets up this idea of scales of justice with work on one side and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-o-donnell/i-don-t-love-the-phrase-balancing-work-and-family-it-sets-up-this/)

[Norah O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-o-donnell/)

> [We're going to sing about things that matter to us. The balancing act is to present these ideas but also make the music exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/we-re-going-to-sing-about-things-that-matter-to-us-the-balancing-act/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [When it comes to losing weight, balancing your hormones is absolutely crucial. Not only will it help you lose weight by correcting a sluggish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-somers/when-it-comes-to-losing-weight-balancing-your-hormones-is-absolutely/)

[Suzanne Somers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-somers/)

> [“You know that feeling of invincibility you sometimes get, especially when young and testing yourself - well that could be because actually know deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-woodman/you-know-that-feeling-of-invincibility-you-sometimes-get-especially/)

[Jay Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-woodman/)

> [I wanted to build a tool for my generation: people 20 to 40 who don't want to spend time balancing a checkbook or checking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-patzer/i-wanted-to-build-a-tool-for-my-generation-people-20-to-40-who-don-t/)

[Aaron Patzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-patzer/)

Browse all 110 Balancing quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Novels are so much unrulier and more stressful to write. A short story can last two pages and then it's over, and that's kind of a relief. I really like balancing the two.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Aimee Bender"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/novels-are-so-much-unrulier-and-more-stressful-to-write-a-short-story/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Balancing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/novels-are-so-much-unrulier-and-more-stressful-to-write-a-short-story/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/aimee-bender-2250_balancing_novels-are-so-much-unrulier-and-more-str_1392725.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/aimee-bender-2250_balancing_novels-are-so-much-unrulier-and-more-str_1392725.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a4/aimee-bender-2250_balancing_novels-are-so-much-unrulier-and-more-str_1392725.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Novels are so much unrulier and more stressful to write. A short story can last two pages and then it's…” — Aimee Bender",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Aimee Bender",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Novels are so much unrulier and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/novels-are-so-much-unrulier-and-more-stressful-to-write-a-short-story/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/novels-are-so-much-unrulier-and-more-stressful-to-write-a-short-story/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
