In doing so, short stories make use of plot, resonance, and other dynamic components to a far greater degree than is typical of an anecdote, yet to a far lesser degree than a novel. While the short story is largely distinct from the novel, authors of both generally draw from a common pool of literary techniques. Short stories have no set length. In terms of word count there is no official demarcation between an anecdote, a short story, and a novel.