Why not write a novella?

If you find yourself with an idea that is too complex for a short story and yet not long enough for a novel then maybe what you have is a novella. Some years back novellas were particularly popular however, somewhere along the line, it seemed that someone dictated that printed novels should be at least 100,000 words.

Well things have changed. There are publishers who publish novellas, for example The People’s Friend novellas which are around 45,000 words and, of course, you have the option of self-publishing.

If you are intending to write for an established printed collection then it is important to study the publisher guidelines and research the type of stories they publish. If you intend to self-publish then you have more options; it is still useful to research your market if you want to maximise your chance of success however you can choose to write in any genre and to any length.

One of the great advantages of writing and self-publishing a novella is that you can write your story to its natural length. You do not need to add or delete characters and story lines in order to produce a piece of work that meets word count requirements.

Typically a novella will have shorter chapters that a novel; it will also have fewer characters and conflict situations. There will be few, if any, sub-plots that involve characters other than the main character and viewpoints may be confined to one or two. Of course these points are only general guidance and you should tell your story in the best way possible.  

If you have an idea then why not start writing today. Complete your 20,000, 30,000 or 50,000 words and get them in front of your readers.

You may be interested in my book – Write it! – which covers how to write and complete a 20,000 word book in 30 hours or less.

Happy writing.