---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When seriously explored, the short story…"
description: "\"When seriously explored, the short story seems to me the most difficult and disciplining form of prose writing extant. Whatever control and technique I..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/truman-capote-376_difficult_when-seriously-explored-the-short-story_1908484.jpg"
---

#  When seriously explored, the short story seems to me the…

![“When seriously explored, the short story seems to me the most difficult and disciplining form of prose writing extant. Whatever control and technique I may have I owe entirely to my training in this medium.” quote by Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/truman-capote-376_difficult_when-seriously-explored-the-short-story_1908484.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/truman-capote-376_difficult_when-seriously-explored-the-short-story_1908484.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/truman-capote-376_difficult_when-seriously-explored-the-short-story_1908484.jpg)

> “When seriously explored, the short story seems to me the most difficult and disciplining form of prose writing extant. Whatever control and technique I may have I owe entirely to my training in this medium.”

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

## About This Quote

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

Short stories demand intense discipline and mastery, more so than other prose forms.

**In simple terms:** Short stories are hardest to write.

Key Takeaway

Focus on precision and control.

Themes

craft discipline literature

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

literary advice

When to use this quote

- creative writing workshops
- editing
- teaching literature
- personal practice

Key Concepts

narrative structure conciseness voice

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes short stories uniquely challenging?
- How does discipline improve other writing?

A Different Perspective

May overlook the value of longer forms.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Insightful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insightful/) [Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prose/) [Short story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-story/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technique/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [When you are working on a script, the story itself is not difficult. You say this would happen and then this, resulting perhaps in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-malle/when-you-are-working-on-a-script-the-story-itself-is-not-difficult/)

[Louis Malle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-malle/)

> [Every medal I have won is a story of a difficult struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kom/every-medal-i-have-won-is-a-story-of-a-difficult-struggle/)

[Mary Kom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kom/)

> [Trump is a really complicated story and a difficult candidate to write about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/trump-is-a-really-complicated-story-and-a-difficult-candidate-to/)

[David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/)

> [I started out in life as a poet; I was only writing poetry all through my 20s. It wasn't until I was about 30…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/i-started-out-in-life-as-a-poet-i-was-only-writing-poetry-all-through/)

[Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/)

> [Unlike prose writing, the strange process of writing with pictures encourages associations and recollections to accumulate literally in front of your eyes; people, places,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ware/unlike-prose-writing-the-strange-process-of-writing-with-pictures/)

[Chris Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ware/)

> [There should be two main objectives in ordinary prose writing: to convey a message and to include in it nothing that will distract the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-graves/there-should-be-two-main-objectives-in-ordinary-prose-writing-to/)

[Robert Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-graves/)

> [It wasn't by accident that the Gettysburg address was so short. The laws of prose writing are as immutable as those of flight, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/it-wasn-t-by-accident-that-the-gettysburg-address-was-so-short-the/)

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

> [I'd always been really intimidated by prose writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-d-always-been-really-intimidated-by-prose-writing/)

[David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/)

> [One of my standard - and fairly true - responses to the question as to how story ideas come to me is that story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/one-of-my-standard-and-fairly-true-responses-to-the-question-as-to/)

[Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/)

> [A short story I have written long ago would barge into my house in the middle of the night, shake me awake and shout,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-short-story-i-have-written-long-ago-would-barge-into-my-house-in/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [I want my stories to be something about life that causes people to say, not, oh, isn't that the truth, but to feel some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/i-want-my-stories-to-be-something-about-life-that-causes-people-to/)

[Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/)

> [The great thing about a short story is that it doesn't have to trawl through someone's whole life; it can come in glancingly from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/the-great-thing-about-a-short-story-is-that-it-doesn-t-have-to-trawl/)

[Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/)

> [I don’t think I would ever want to be a writer of detective stories - but I would like to be a detective and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lavin/i-don-t-think-i-would-ever-want-to-be-a-writer-of-detective-stories/)

Mary Lavin

> [We get so many people saying short fiction is not economical, that it doesn't sell; but there are so many of us enjoying writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/we-get-so-many-people-saying-short-fiction-is-not-economical-that-it/)

[Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/)

> [It's possible, in a poem or short story, to write about commonplace things and objects using commonplace but precise language, and to endow those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/it-s-possible-in-a-poem-or-short-story-to-write-about-commonplace/)

[Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/)

## More by Truman Capote

> [“You can beat your brains out for her, and she’ll hand you horseshit on a platter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/you-can-beat-your-brains-out-for-her-and-she-ll-hand-you-horseshit-on/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [“The walls of the cell fell away, the sky came down, I saw the big yellow bird.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/the-walls-of-the-cell-fell-away-the-sky-came-down-i-saw-the-big/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [“Don't wanna ride on the devil's side...just wanna ride with you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/don-t-wanna-ride-on-the-devil-s-side-just-wanna-ride-with-you/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [Wrinkles and bones, white hair and diamonds: I can't wait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/wrinkles-and-bones-white-hair-and-diamonds-i-can-t-wait/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [You can't blame a writer for what the characters say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/you-can-t-blame-a-writer-for-what-the-characters-say/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [There is really no practical help that one can offer; it is a matter of self-discovery, of one's own convictions, or working with one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/there-is-really-no-practical-help-that-one-can-offer-it-is-a-matter/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [“...Narcissus was so egotist...he was merely another of us who, in our unshatterable isolation, recognized, on seeing his reflection, the beautiful comrade, the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/narcissus-was-so-egotist-he-was-merely-another-of-us-who-in-our/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [“Is it - I'm not certain - possible to love someone if your first interest is the use you can make of him? Doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/is-it-i-m-not-certain-possible-to-love-someone-if-your-first-interest/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [One of the most difficult things in writing a novel or anything at all is to choose the point of view from which it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-in-writing-a-novel-or-anything-at/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [I've never worked for a newspaper. I've had some very bad reviews in newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/i-ve-never-worked-for-a-newspaper-i-ve-had-some-very-bad-reviews-in/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [But, my dear, so few things are fulfilled: what are most lives but a series of incompleted episodes? 'We work in the dark, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/but-my-dear-so-few-things-are-fulfilled-what-are-most-lives-but-a/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [“…she, glittery voyager of secure destination, steamed down the harbor with whistles whistling and confetti in the air.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/she-glittery-voyager-of-secure-destination-steamed-down-the-harbor/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [“Because it's indeed difficult to portray, in any meaningful depth, another being, his appearance, speech, mentality, without to some degree, and often for quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/because-it-s-indeed-difficult-to-portray-in-any-meaningful-depth/)

[truman capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [“It's a bore, but the answer is good things only happen to you if you're good. Good? Honest is more what I mean. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/it-s-a-bore-but-the-answer-is-good-things-only-happen-to-you-if-you/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

> [“In the courtyard there was an angel of black stone, and its angel head rose above giant elephant leaves; the stark glass angel eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/in-the-courtyard-there-was-an-angel-of-black-stone-and-its-angel-head/)

[Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

[Explore all 585 Truman Capote quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/)

## More Difficult quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/)

[Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/)

> [It is extremely difficult to do anything constructive, let alone deep, on daily commercial television, especially on a talk show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/it-is-extremely-difficult-to-do-anything-constructive-let-alone-deep/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/)

[Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/)

> [It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/)

[Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/)

> [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/)

[Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/)

> [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/)

[Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/)

[Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/)

> [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/)

[Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/)

> [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/)

[Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/)

> [Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. She could just be making blankets now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/someone-else-who-liked-what-i-did-might-turn-around-and-say-she-s/)

[Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/)

Browse all 13,132 Difficult quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When seriously explored, the short story seems to me the most difficult and disciplining form of prose writing extant. Whatever control and technique I may have I owe entirely to my training in this medium.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Truman Capote"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/when-seriously-explored-the-short-story-seems-to-me-the-most/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Difficult"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/when-seriously-explored-the-short-story-seems-to-me-the-most/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/truman-capote-376_difficult_when-seriously-explored-the-short-story_1908484.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/truman-capote-376_difficult_when-seriously-explored-the-short-story_1908484.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/truman-capote-376_difficult_when-seriously-explored-the-short-story_1908484.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When seriously explored, the short story seems to me the most difficult and disciplining form of prose…” — Truman Capote",
                "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": "Truman Capote",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When seriously explored, the short story...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/when-seriously-explored-the-short-story-seems-to-me-the-most/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/when-seriously-explored-the-short-story-seems-to-me-the-most/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
