Writer's Fallout Shelter

I write short stories, i would love to write a novel, but don't seem to have enough wind in my lungs yet. Anyway does anyone believe that all short stories are built around some kind of revelation of character and or event. Does that have to be? I am almost sure that it does, but what stops us from saying what has been said, what makes it fresh? I guess this is a tangle of questions and if it is addressed somewhere please point me to the link, but i'd love to hear others ideas on short stories and what they "should" accomplish with regard to characters and revelations. Belles