Should YOU Write a Novella?

Should YOU Write a Novella?

BLOG SESSION

July 2017

Welcome back Blog Readers, Followers & Visitors!

This Blog Session is for all of the Writers that are here amongst us. And, of course, that means YOU.

There may be someone here today that does not feel that they are a Writer.  And, I guarantee that there is also someone here that feels that their writing is not good enough.  I'll even go a step further...

There is someone here today that has a Novel inside of them that they have been wanting to write for years, and they have not yet done so.  Why?  Because they procrastinate.  Why do they procrastinate?  Because they are scared.  Why are they scared?  Because they think that they will fail.  Why do they think that they will fail?  Because they are stuck in the routine of finding excuses to not do what they really want to do, and because they have not yet learned the art of taking a leap of faith ~

Excuses, excuses ~ e x c u s e s.

Here's the deal, you will write daily.  Get your Journal, Diary, Composition Notebook, notepad, or loose~leaf paper out now, and let's get started . . .

Write daily as a practice

Journal Notes for today to get you writing:  A Novella is a good length to practice writing before getting into writing longer stories which amount to full-blown Novels.

A Novella is a work of fiction somewhere between a short story and a Novel in length.  The Novella amounts to approximately 20,00 to 50,000 words.  (About 50 to 100 printed pages if published).

When you were here last on the Blog, we discussed Novellas, and we also discussed the different types of Novellas.  We left off with a major question for presentation for you today ~ 

"Should YOU Write a Novella?"

A Novella is perfect for you if…

1. You tend to write succinctly.
2. You want to test the viability of a particular sub-genre or market without investing too much time.
3. You want to transition from writing short stories to writing longer works.
4. You want to start a new series quickly.
5. You’re having trouble finishing your Novel.
6. You want to have the option of doing a “fix-up” Novel later.
7. You want to experiment with Form or Genre.
8. You want to write a story for both adults and children.
9. You'd like to work on a Novella before working on the Novel that you have been holding off on.

Well now, if you have already written a Novel, (whether it is published or not dear friend, congratulations!), you should pay attention to this message for today.  Because you may want to try your hand at writing a Novella if you have not written one as yet.

Or, you may have written your Novel, but you are still working on it, and it has not yet been completed, but you want to get your Novel edited and completed.  Or, you may have completed your Novel, and you're ready for the next step of getting it published.  Just remember (not to confuse you) there is nothing stopping you from writing a Novella in the meantime, or at least learning about how to go about writing a Novella so that you may write one later.

You may also be one of the Readers here today that would really like to write a Novella because it sounds like it would suit you.

Surprise!  This message is for everyone reading . . .

If you think that you'd like to write a Novella, to get started:

First, Research Before You Start

In order to help with the development of the plot for your Novella, it would be wise to do a little Research before you start.  If you have some idea of the facts for your novella, when you take your time going over your plot, you are bound to find out that you need more information.  You will not want to have holes in your story while your are writing, so you'd do well to do your research and fill in the holes beforehand.  Gaps and holes in your story only delay your writing progress, and they prevent you from moving forward with your story.  If you have your research started, then it will be easier when you come across places where you need to do a little further research.

Second, Prepare an Outline

In your Novella, you will need to concentrate on one plot with a limited cast of characters.  Prepare a rough outline for your ideas in relation to writing your novella.  This outline that you create will help you to focus on the relationship between the two main characters in your story, and how those two characters came to be in the situation your story (novella) finds them in.  As you break the plot outline down into each scene, you will find that it will help you to build the tension and conflict needed for your storyline.

Third, Know how your Novella will end

You may find it helpful to know your ending, and then work backwards on your storyline.  If you know how your story ends, then you will be able to ask questions of your story working backwards.  You will find answers that lead you to the why that you, as well as you Readers will be looking for as they read your novella.  As you dig deeper into your characters and their personalities, you will be able to connect the relationship that they have with each other in a way that will assist you with the development of your plot.  Knowing the ending of your story will help you with the setting, and the time of year your events are taking place.  Knowing your ending will also give you a better picture of how to set up the mood for the rest of your novella.  You'll also be surprised to find other unexpected ideas that will pop up by working backwards on your novella.  Those unexpected ideas can easily be worked into your story.

Fourth, Don't focus on word count

Your focus should be making sure that your characters and plot are strong enough to last between 20,000 to 40,000 words.  There is no need to fixate on word count while writing.  You can always go back and edit to adjust your word count later.

Fifth, Flow with your Story

If you learn to flow with your Story, then you will find yourself going in directions that you did not expect, which makes for an exciting story!

Characters will take on a life of their own when you follow this flow.  You may have originally planned one direction for your story, and you'll find it going in a totally unexpected direction.  Your characters will also decide to do the unexpected when you are writing with the "flow".  Let your characters lead you ~ flow with them.

You may also find out that your novella takes you along a path that leads to an entirely different genre than what you had planned ~ good!  Experiment with the new genre, and enjoy the process.  This process is about learning how to write a Novella!

NEXT BLOG SESSION:

Novels ~ Novelettes ~ Flash fiction

Novellas ~  Micro fiction ~ Short stories

What’s the difference?

Writers & Friends ~ Until our next Blog Session ~

Keep Writing!

Peace, Love & Light,

René

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