How Does a Short Story Differ From a Novel?

The short story and the novel are both a form of narrative fiction, but they are quite different. However, they both focus on three points of emphasis: the theme of the narrative, the characters and the plot.

The short story is not really a fan of foreplay. The reader will reach the climax of the story a lot faster here than in a novel. A short story is a more concentrated piece of work and bares its soul up front. The theme is evident, the characters are limited, and so is the time span. The crafting of the story is done much faster. Oftentimes, there is only time for one incident to take place, so it will not be as complex as the novel.
Every word will count in a short story, so the word choice will always be very descriptive. The dialogue will be very engaging throughout the entire story.

The novel tend to court their readers for a while before getting to the really good stuff. It is an extended version of narrative fiction.
Even though the novel is a work of fiction, it will try to imitate life or certain situations that readers can empathize with, or at least be sympathetic towards.
The novel often starts with allegory, followed by an exposition, complication, a crisis and a climax, before reaching the conclusion.
A novel will tend to focus on the problems of one main character versus focusing on the plot. It will engage the readers by leaving literary crumbs, or small climaxes, throughout each chapter.

Resources

• Novels and Short Stories