Novella

Novella

BLOG SESSION

July 2017

Good Afternoon Blog Readers, Followers, Visitors and Google+ Friends joining us for today's Blog Session!

Today we are going to be discussing the Novella.  Some of you may know exactly what a Novella is, and some of you may not have a clue as to what I am talking about.

Well, everyone is about to find out just what a Novella is, so grab your Journal for today's overview. . .

Journal Notes

In short, a Novella is a short novel or long short story.  Sometimes referred to as a Novelle ~ a story with a compact and pointed plot.

For those Writers following along today on the Blog, you may have discussed writing a Novella with other Writers in the past, and you may have been informed about just was a Novella was when you first asked about it.  You may have been told that a Novella was a work of fiction intermediate in length and complexity between a short story and a Novel.

A Novella has also been described as a short prose tale often characterized by moral teaching or satire.

If you are interested in writing a Novella, then you should know that you will have no problems finding lots of information about how to go about it.  Novellas have grown in popularity over the years.  The main reason for the popularity of Novellas is that people tend to have limited time to read like they would prefer, and since a Novella can be read in a short period of time, not only do Writers love to write them, Readers love reading them!

You should also know that most Novellas tend to be both historical and contemporary novellas.  A novella is typically a short novel, running from 20,000 to 40,000 words, and yet a novella can easily be a complete story of two people struggling through conflicts to reach a romantic happy ending for instance.

The shorter reads are usually placed into anthologies that are thematically based on location, pleasurable interests, camping, sewing, quilting, and the like, and they are enjoyed by people who dislike putting down a Novel, but who have time constraints and therefore turn to the Novella.  Therefore, you can quickly understand how a novella meets their need for a good book that can be read in a much shorter period of time.

Make a note in your Journal that Novellas are a manageable, versatile choice for self-publishing writers.

JOURNAL NOTE:  If you have always dreamt of writing a Novel, but you have never succeeded in finishing one, then perhaps you should consider the slimmer version of a Novel ~ The Novella!

Some of you may be wondering how exactly do Romantic Novellas differ from Novels?

Here are the major differences in Novellas:

• The hero and heroine often have some connection from the past—old friends, childhood playmates or have heard about the other through a friend or through a family member.
• The plot line limits subplots to either none or a minor subplot that enhances the relationship between the hero and heroine.
• The setting descriptions are mainly used to create a sense of place or to reflect the mood or emotion of the hero or heroine.
• The novella covers a shorter period of time than a novel, often no more than a month or two.  The story does not necessarily lead to a proposal or wedding, but allows the reader to assume that as time passes the couple will make a lifetime commitment.

What about the connection between the hero and the heroine?

Because a romance moves through three stages of romantic feelings -- awareness, interest, and attraction -- a novella does not allow the time to explore these three stages fully. Having a past connection between the hero and heroine allows the relationship to develop in a speedy yet believable manner.

Brief History of the Novella

Novellas (despite what their name might suggest) are nothing new.  Make a note in your Journal that Novellas actually predate Novels by a least a century!

Also, you'll find it interesting to note that the practice of bringing together shorter pieces to form a larger unified work is still common practice.

Just remember to make a note that Novellas are much easier to construct, more versatile, and suited to many different styles of storytelling.

In our next Blog Session

Discussion of the Types of Novellas

Friends, for those of you working on your Novel in Camp NaNoWriMo, until we meet back here for our next Blog Session, don't type yourself into a tizzy, take time to relax ...

Peace, Love & Light,

René

© Copyright - René Allen - JULY 2017 - All Rights Reserved