Does Size Really Matter?

I like writing novellas, and novel-length books, and blog posts, and tweets. All of them have different word-length requirements, which is part of the fun, and the challenge. Whichever mode I'm in, while I'm in the midst of it, it feels easy to do. But when I get away from it, all of a sudden I've temporarily lost my ability to function within those limits.

For example, when I don't tweet for a couple of days, I can't seem to make 140 characters work. At all. It feels so confining that I end up deleting and rewriting a simple tweet at least three times before I send it off. However, when I'm back in "tweet mode", most of my thoughts are in 140-character bite-size chunks. I can zip tweets out right and left without even checking to make sure they're the proper length.

I never expected to feel that way about tweeting. I started out writing full-length novels, so anything less than 250 to 300 pages feels abbreviated to me. When you have a word count of 70 to 100 k, there's plenty of space to walk around and enjoy the scenery, all while giving the characters lots of adventures and time to grow and change. 

That is also the tricky part of writing novels. With a word count in the upper thousands, it can feel like you'll never get the characters to their HEA. You hit that Heartbreak Hill part of the writing marathon, long before the finish line, where you know you've given it your best shot, but you fall to your knees, panting, because you don't have anything left. Many a manuscript has faltered at this point, well before it managed to reach The End.

Novellas have their own challenges, too. I wrote my first one, Summer Lovin', because I knew there wasn't enough story for an entire novel. I thought it would fit well in the smaller space, and I naively believed it would take a shorter amount of time to write.

Hah!

It's a deceptively challenging creature, the novella. It requires brevity, but not too much or you're writing a synopsis. It demands a well-developed story, but again, not too much or it becomes a novel that doesn't realize it's too big for its britches. In an email exchange my friend Julie DuChesne commented that writing novellas is like "putting control-top pantyhose on your imagination", adding, "You can stretch the boundaries a little bit, but in the end only so much is going to fit."

It's a challenge I enjoy, though (even if my brain is not keen on wearing stockings as headbands), so I'll continue to write novellas. I'm in the midst of one now (Heartbreaker) with another one (Lord Rakehell's Love) on deck. I've even decided to write some seasonal sequels to Summer Lovin', thanks to readers asking for more of Mia and Luke's adventures with Hellboy, the puppy with a shoe fetish. However, now I know to allow twice as much time to write half the number of words.

The funny thing is I didn't use to like reading novellas. If I liked the author, or the characters, I wanted a full-length story. But now that my reading time borders on the non-existent, novellas are perfect. They're like a reading snack. I can finish one in a relatively short timeframe, but feel completely satisfied. Since I got my Nook, I've probably read a zillion novellas (conservative estimate). They've introduced me to authors that I wouldn't have encountered otherwise, and I can get my reading fix in, without feeling guilty that I'm taking too much time away from writing my own stories.

Especially those shorter ones that take double the time to finish.

So now my question to you is: what size do you prefer?  

Comments

[Heather Boyd]

Hey Donna,

I actually have always enjoyed both. Early on in my romance reading, I stumbled on a few books that featured shorter stories by well-know print authors (my intro to novellas) and I still look for those along with stand alone. I probably reread novellas more often than novels.

So excited to hear there will be more of Hellboy! Loved that mutt and story.

[Donna Cummings]

Heather, I'm glad you enjoyed Hellboy and his antics! I'm looking forward to hanging out with him again soon. LOL

I remember discovering some new-to-me authors via short story anthologies in print, but I don't know that I truly appreciated the shorter format until now. And maybe it's because of my own efforts in writing them. LOL I definitely enjoy them now.

[Mae Clair]

I've been partial to novels over novellas, but lately I've read a few novellas and have enjoyed the brevity of them. Like you said...a fulfilling snack. I still tend to prefer the full course meal of a novel (even a series if it's a good one), but I like my appetizers too :)

I'm working on novellas for two different anthologies with other authors, so it will be a challenge to see if I can write one as well! :)

[Donna Cummings]

Mae, I'm so excited about your anthologies! I can't wait to read your stories in them. And I'll be interested to see how you feel about writing them -- make sure you report back. :)

I like appetizers, and full-course meals too. In fact, this discussion is making me very hungry. LOL

[Melissa]

Great question! I read this yesterday but I was still in "decompression mode" from finishing my finals. Yay! But yes, if I have to choose, I prefer the longer story. I'm glad though that I don't have to choose or, better yet, I can have it all because I've always loved anthologies of novellas too. If we're talking food, then I always feel like I'm getting a buffet when I buy an anthology!

I also think it's cool that, with the option of reading them on e-readers, more novellas can "stand alone" outside of anthologies. I guess I don't notice the page length so much when browsing online and I tend to try novellas more and more.

But I totally agree that shorter in length does not mean easier or less time to write! A romance novella, as I'm finding, is especially challenging because it feels like trying to create a hybrid that shares the best features of a short story and a novel. Brevity AND a happy ending? A tall order!

Never say never though! LOL I sometimes think I am "wired" for writing a novel, but it's interesting how the characters seem to know when to "say when." I think my current novella will stay a novella in length even though it borrows a bit more from the "open ended" feel of a short story. Next time, who knows?

[Donna Cummings]

Melissa, yay for being done with your finals! I'm so glad you got some decompression time too--you've definitely earned it. :)

I like your buffet analogy for the anthology -- a great way to look at it. I've read more novellas because of my e-reader, and maybe it's because I don't have to commit to a longer story, although if I like it, then I wish it was longer. LOL

I agree that the characters know when to "say when", and they really do dictate the story length. It's challenging when they don't want to exit the stage, though. LOL I wonder if some of them think they were novel-length rather than novella-length. :)

I'm looking forward to reading your novella!

[Quantum]

I think it is important that a book gives a complete and satisfying experience. Size doesn't matter but needs to be optimal for the experience being shared. If the ideas and characters warrant a full length novel then that's the size it should be.

As the last page closes the reader should sigh contentedly, open a new bottle of scotch, and whisper "that was wonderful, please write me another"

All your books are sigh-worthy Donna! LOL

[Donna Cummings]

Quantum, you are the sweetest! Just the boost I needed to motivate the muse this morning. :)

I agree that the book has to give a complete and satisfying experience. I've read a few stories that seemed to end abruptly, and that made me want to THROW a bottle of scotch. LOL As a writer, I know it's tricky to get everything just right. It's fun to have so many different formats available to work with though!