If you are itching to write a story don't let me get in the way. Get that story out of your system and clean it up later. However, while appeasing that itch, there are some things to consider. The first is – How long should it be? That depends on the various types of writing. In this, think fiction, but these types apply to non-fiction as well. They just have different names.
- Vignette
-
This is a short scene
focusing on one moment or gives a sharply defined or clear-cut
impression about a character, idea, setting, or object. Liken it to
taking a photo, say of a friend. It shows them, their emotion, and
what they are doing in one second of time.
- My dog has leaped into a wading pool, rolled around, and
now looks at the people laughing at him with a big, panting smile just before shaking.
- My dog has leaped into a wading pool, rolled around, and
now looks at the people laughing at him with a big, panting smile just before shaking.
-
This is a short scene
focusing on one moment or gives a sharply defined or clear-cut
impression about a character, idea, setting, or object. Liken it to
taking a photo, say of a friend. It shows them, their emotion, and
what they are doing in one second of time.
- Flash Fiction
- This typically
maxes out around 300 words, but
could go up to 1,000 words. Flash Fiction often contains the
classic story elements of a protagonist (this will be explained in
a later lesson), conflict, obstacles or complications, and
resolution of the conflict. Because of the limited length, the
writer is often forced to only hinted at these elements or imply
them.
- See stories by O. Henry, Aesop's Fables, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, and Ernest Hemingway.
- This typically
maxes out around 300 words, but
could go up to 1,000 words. Flash Fiction often contains the
classic story elements of a protagonist (this will be explained in
a later lesson), conflict, obstacles or complications, and
resolution of the conflict. Because of the limited length, the
writer is often forced to only hinted at these elements or imply
them.
- Short Story
- The classic
definition of a short story is something that should be read it in
one sitting. In today's world that could be a lot shorter than a
hundred years ago when life was more leisurely. To put a number on
it, the length seems to run from 1,000 to 20,000 words. Here story
elements have a bit more space to evolve and be filled out.
However, if writing for publication, you will find an upper
limitation around 7,500 words.
- I try to keep the story around 3,000 to 4,000 words, but
that is a personal preference allowing for expanding or shrinking to appease the publisher.
- I try to keep the story around 3,000 to 4,000 words, but
that is a personal preference allowing for expanding or shrinking to appease the publisher.
- The classic
definition of a short story is something that should be read it in
one sitting. In today's world that could be a lot shorter than a
hundred years ago when life was more leisurely. To put a number on
it, the length seems to run from 1,000 to 20,000 words. Here story
elements have a bit more space to evolve and be filled out.
However, if writing for publication, you will find an upper
limitation around 7,500 words.
- Novella or Novelette
- This form is longer
than a short story, but shorter than a novel. Because of its length
the conflicts are fewer than in a novel, but more complicated than
in a short story. Where novels are typically divided into chapters,
Novellas often use white space to divide sections.
- The length recognized by publishers tends to be all over
the place as shown in the table below. Generally, the Novella
falls somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 words.
- The length recognized by publishers tends to be all over
the place as shown in the table below. Generally, the Novella
falls somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 words.
- This form is longer
than a short story, but shorter than a novel. Because of its length
the conflicts are fewer than in a novel, but more complicated than
in a short story. Where novels are typically divided into chapters,
Novellas often use white space to divide sections.
|
AWARD 1
|
GENRE
|
MINIMUM
WORDS
|
MAXIMUM
WORDS
|
|
Nebula Award for Best Novelette |
Science Fiction or Fantasy |
7,500 |
17,499 or 39,999 |
|
Hugo Award for Best Novelette |
Science Fiction or Fantasy |
7,500 |
17,500 or 40,000 |
|
RITA Award for best novella |
Romance |
20,000 |
40,000 |
|
British Fantasy Award for Novella |
Fantasy |
15,000 |
40,000 |
|
Paris Literary Prize |
Literary Fiction |
15,000 |
35,000 |
|
Black Orchid Novella Award |
Mystery |
15,000 |
20,000 |
|
Shirley Jackson Award for best novelette |
Psychological suspense, Horror, or Dark Fantasy |
7,500 or 17,500 |
17,499 or 39,999 |
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novella (abbreviated)
- Novel
- This is
the most familiar form
where the writer
can go into great detail
to describe characters and events, not necessarily in a
sequential format. The length starts around 40K and has been known
to top out at 2,100,00 words. (Realistically, 300,000 to 500,000
words catches most of the upper end), while more sane novels run
about 100,000 words, but the number can vary according to genre.
Each November, the Office of Lights and Letters holds an
International challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in 30-days.
This is not a bad length for a first draft. A novel's finished
length is entirely up to the writer who choses over what period of
time the story covers and how much detail to include.
- J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series looks like this:
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - 76,944 words
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - 85,141 words
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - 107,253 words
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 190,637 words
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - 257,045 words
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 168,923
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Approximately 198,227
- J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series looks like this:
- This is
the most familiar form
where the writer
can go into great detail
to describe characters and events, not necessarily in a
sequential format. The length starts around 40K and has been known
to top out at 2,100,00 words. (Realistically, 300,000 to 500,000
words catches most of the upper end), while more sane novels run
about 100,000 words, but the number can vary according to genre.
Each November, the Office of Lights and Letters holds an
International challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in 30-days.
This is not a bad length for a first draft. A novel's finished
length is entirely up to the writer who choses over what period of
time the story covers and how much detail to include.
From there, I graduated to short stories, crafting that skill over the next 35-years. Publishers, like newspapers, have only so much space, so I became very comfortable writing a story around 3,500 words. The challenge was when requested to cut the word count to 1,500 to 2,000 words, a great game for testing and sharpening skills.
In 2002 I was encouraged to try a novel. Since then I have published ten novels ranging from 70,000 to 100,000 words.
The point is, don't let your writing jump out of the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby. Start small, learn the trade, and let your abilities grow into whatever size you feel necessary to tell your story.
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