To change categories, someone would have to clearly articulate the significant differences between the different art forms. Then, they would do an analysis of works offered over a number of years, showing how the new categories would have worked if the definitions had been in place before (i.e. showing which works would be in which categories and how the actual historical awards ignored a set of works). Finally, there would have to be some discussion about adding a new category versus balancing things by eliminating an old category. I think there would be resistance to creating a fifth length-based writing category, while changing the existing categories to keep four might be more acceptable (e.g. make "short story" be up to 10,000 words, "novella" be 10,001 to 40,000 words, "novel" be 40,001 to 100,000 words, and "epic novel" be more than 100,000 words). Give people a year or so to digest the idea, review the specific arguments, and compare the offered research with their own analysis.
There are enough people and enough ideas that we need some way of filtering ideas before they hit the floor.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2005-12-06 06:06 pm (UTC)To change categories, someone would have to clearly articulate the significant differences between the different art forms. Then, they would do an analysis of works offered over a number of years, showing how the new categories would have worked if the definitions had been in place before (i.e. showing which works would be in which categories and how the actual historical awards ignored a set of works). Finally, there would have to be some discussion about adding a new category versus balancing things by eliminating an old category. I think there would be resistance to creating a fifth length-based writing category, while changing the existing categories to keep four might be more acceptable (e.g. make "short story" be up to 10,000 words, "novella" be 10,001 to 40,000 words, "novel" be 40,001 to 100,000 words, and "epic novel" be more than 100,000 words). Give people a year or so to digest the idea, review the specific arguments, and compare the offered research with their own analysis.
There are enough people and enough ideas that we need some way of filtering ideas before they hit the floor.