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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
Anecdote v. story
I foolishly told a student the other day that what she had written was an anecdote, not a story. She, being intelligent and obnoxious, asked me to explain the difference. I went on about story arcs and all that crap, but later looked up anecdote in several dictionaries, and got a lot of lame definitions that all basically said it was a story. One of the definitions of "story" was anecdote.
Somebody's recent post reminded me of this imbroglio.
I still think there's a difference, but am in an awkward position, since I can't find an "authority" that neatly explains that difference.
Would someone kindly help me save face?
Carter Jefferson
http://carterj.homestead.com/
Somebody's recent post reminded me of this imbroglio.
I still think there's a difference, but am in an awkward position, since I can't find an "authority" that neatly explains that difference.
Would someone kindly help me save face?
Carter Jefferson
http://carterj.homestead.com/
Top answer
[nq:1]I foolishly told a student the other day that what she had written was an anecdote, not a story. She, ... awkward position, since I can't find an "authority" that neatly explains that difference.
- [nq:1]I foolishly told a student the other day that what she had written was an anecdote, not a story.
- She, ...
- awkward position, since I can't find an "authority" that neatly explains that difference.
- [/nq] Without researching it, my gut feeling is that an anecdote is more truth than fiction, as in anecdotal evidence.
- It is also a very short form.
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21 Answers
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[nq:1]I foolishly told a student the other day that what she had written was an anecdote, not a story. She, ... awkward position, since I can't find an "authority" that neatly explains that difference. Would someone kindly help me save face?[/nq]
Without researching it, my gut feeling is that an anecdote is more truth than fiction, as in anecdotal evidence. It is also a very short form.
Am
Without researching it, my gut feeling is that an anecdote is more truth than fiction, as in anecdotal evidence. It is also a very short form.
Am
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[nq:1]I foolishly told a student the other day that what she had written was an anecdote, not a story. She, ... awkward position, since I can't find an "authority" that neatly explains that difference. Would someone kindly help me save face?[/nq]
The retailer of the anecdote intends it to impart a message, the success of which depends on the degree to which the hearer regards the anecdote as f
The retailer of the anecdote intends it to impart a message, the success of which depends on the degree to which the hearer regards the anecdote as f
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[nq:1]I foolishly told a student the other day that what she had written was an anecdote, not a story. She, ... awkward position, since I can't find an "authority" that neatly explains that difference. Would someone kindly help me save face?[/nq]
Here's your face back, Carter.
OED on 'anecdote':
1. pl. Secret, private, or hitherto unpublished narratives or details ofhistory. (At first,
Here's your face back, Carter.
OED on 'anecdote':
1. pl. Secret, private, or hitherto unpublished narratives or details ofhistory. (At first,
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[nq:1]I foolishly told a student the other day that what she had written was an anecdote, not a story. She, ... awkward position, since I can't find an "authority" that neatly explains that difference. Would someone kindly help me save face?[/nq]
Sorry, I don't think your position is justified. To me "story" is the more inclusive term: all anecdotes are stories, but not all stories are anecdot
Sorry, I don't think your position is justified. To me "story" is the more inclusive term: all anecdotes are stories, but not all stories are anecdot
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[nq:2]I foolishly told a student the other day that what ... explains that difference. Would someone kindly help me save face?[/nq]
[nq:1]Sorry, I don't think your position is justified. To me "story" is the more inclusive term: all anecdotes are stories, ... defined by professionals I can certainly imagine an anecdote not being considered one. Was that what you meant by "story"?[/nq]
Than
[nq:1]Sorry, I don't think your position is justified. To me "story" is the more inclusive term: all anecdotes are stories, ... defined by professionals I can certainly imagine an anecdote not being considered one. Was that what you meant by "story"?[/nq]
Than
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[nq:2]I foolishly told a student the other day that what ... explains that difference. Would someone kindly help me save face?[/nq]
[nq:1]The retailer of the anecdote intends it to impart a message, the success of which depends on the degree to which the hearer regards the anecdote as factual. This is not an essential feature of a story.[/nq]
Definitely a story doesn't have to be true. In
[nq:1]The retailer of the anecdote intends it to impart a message, the success of which depends on the degree to which the hearer regards the anecdote as factual. This is not an essential feature of a story.[/nq]
Definitely a story doesn't have to be true. In
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The difference is that your usage is of a high order. Most people do not understand that a story is a higher truth than what actually happened and that an anecdote is an account that has one or more of the three essential parts (beginning, middle, end) of a story missing.
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[nq:1]The difference is that your usage is of a high order. Most people do not understand that a story is ... is an account that has one or more of the three essential parts (beginning, middle, end) of a story missing.[/nq]
Thanks, Hank
I don't think much of "higher truths," but the "different order" makes sense. A "short story" is surely more complex, but all the common definitions inclu
Thanks, Hank
I don't think much of "higher truths," but the "different order" makes sense. A "short story" is surely more complex, but all the common definitions inclu
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Thanks to MC's very recent post on the rhyme dictionary, I found this definition in Infoplease:
anecdote , brief narrative of a particular incident. An anecdote differs from a short story in that it is unified in time and space, is uncomplicated, and deals with a single episode. The literal Greek meaning of the word is ?not published,? and it still retains some such sense of confidentiality. S
anecdote , brief narrative of a particular incident. An anecdote differs from a short story in that it is unified in time and space, is uncomplicated, and deals with a single episode. The literal Greek meaning of the word is ?not published,? and it still retains some such sense of confidentiality. S
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Another telling word is "uncomplicated." A story is a series of complications, an anedote may have none.
Thus, an anecdote is a "story" with one or more of its essential parts (beginning, middle, end conflict, complications, resolution) missing. Don't depart from your statement to your students. Those who ponder it will benefit immensely, especially if they are trying to write.
Thus, an anecdote is a "story" with one or more of its essential parts (beginning, middle, end conflict, complications, resolution) missing. Don't depart from your statement to your students. Those who ponder it will benefit immensely, especially if they are trying to write.
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