When One Has Finished Writing a Short Story One Should Delete the Beginning and the End

Anton Chekhov? Ivan Bunin? André Maurois? Paul Engle? Apocryphal? Dear Quote Investigator: A famous author offered the following astonishing advice: After completing a story one should cross out the beginning and the end. This guidance has been attributed to the prominent Russian playwright and short-story writer Anton Chekhov. Would you please explore this topic? Quote …