Fringe Fiction Unlimited discussion

Ever since I read "The Moon is Down," by Steinbeck, I've loved the novella. I've written a novel, but have written a few novellas. Anybody find themselves being drawn to write short fiction?

I do. I actually connect stories to my novels. You can find a few of them on my page if you're interested

I've written a short story for an anthology which is out at the end of the year and I recently wrote a novella to go with my YA sci-fi trilogy but it's not something I do a lot. I find most of my stories are full length.

I loved The Moon is Down, but it seems to be one of Steinbeck's least-known books - pity. Besides Steinbeck, there's Heinrich Böll - The Train Was on Time and The Bread of Those Early Years are two of my all-time favourites.

I published a collection of three novellas last year (Three Seasons: Three Stories of England in the Eighties). They're about 25,000 words each. But I'll also put a new one out on its own next month - again, 25,000 words, and I'll do a print and ebook edition.

Conventional wisdom seems to be that a novella is roughly 17,500 to 40,000 words long; below it's a novelette, above it's a short novel. But I'm sure everyone has their own definitions. With changing publishing technology, the novella format's looking more practical.

Richard wrote: "I do. I actually connect stories to my novels. You can find a few of them on my page if you're interested"

Thanks, Richard. I'll check them out. When you say connect, what do you mean? Noticed you teach. I taught history and philosophy for seven years at a community college.

Mike wrote: "I loved The Moon is Down, but it seems to be one of Steinbeck's least-known books - pity. Besides Steinbeck, there's Heinrich Böll - The Train Was on Time and [book:The Bread of Those..."

Thanks for sharing that Mike. I've written two novellas and working on my third. You're right about the Steinbeck. Few seem to know about it, but it's an amazing story. I think it was also a movie; I could be wrong.

my sister is a hardcore novella writer. all her books clock in at 150 pages lolz. I'm of course the opposite (hammers out doorstoppers). folks do what they do. she's short and succinct whereas I'm hella verbose :3

I think all my works fall under novellas or whatever's below that. Although I believe anything over 40,000 is a novel? Waiting for someone to bring out the number list of what's considered what

I have a few novellas pending. I think they are much easier to write than a full fledged novel at least that's been my experience, since I tend to write both.

I find them a lot easier too. It is somehow easier not only to organize your material, but also to keep up the writing impetus.

Justin, no-one's completely sure but Wikipedia quotes the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America guidelines, which do indeed say anything over 40,000 is a novel and anything below 17,500 is a novelette. That said, I used to think a novel was 70,000 words and up - but perhaps that's just what traditional publishers found economic.

Mike wrote: "I find them a lot easier too. It is somehow easier not only to organize your material, but also to keep up the writing impetus.

Justin, no-one's completely sure but Wikipedia quotes the Science Fi..."

Yeah I've seen different ones but most recently I've seen anything above 40,000 to be considered a novel. I didn't know about the novelette though. We have the list of what classifies as what in another thread somewhere, wish I knew were it was.

Probably the Goodreads Review Group? We have specific rounds for novellas (I'm a mod). For the group's purpose, the upper limit for a novella is a little higher at 50,000.

If anyone's interested, the Review Group is here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... - there are links there that explain how to take part in the group and what you have to do. There is a novella review round just getting going - it's here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I write novellas myself. Even published one. The thing is that they are really, really, really hard to market to the big publishers or to the venues that take short works.

I haven't had that hard of a problem marketing mine.

to the reading public is another matter.

I have indeed!

Mary wrote: "to the reading public is another matter."

You might not mention it as a novella but as a novel (since a novella is a "short novel" by definition). Or simply its genre. For instance, when marketing MOMO I often refer to "Kevin M. Kraft's thriller, MOMO" without mentioning the length. Also, novella's are easier to market as ebooks because the size isn't explicit.

I have a novella in my newest story collection, and I've written several licensed novellas for Amazon and Kindle Worlds. I haven't written a stand alone novella and published it yet, but if I get inspired I certainly would.

I'm writing my first novella. Its a spin off from a series I'm writing (second one about to be published). And want to keep it to max 50 000 words. Must admit I rarely read novellas and short stories, prefer a full length novel.

Yolanda wrote: "Must admit I rarely read novellas and short stories, prefer a full length novel. "

There's a person for every book. :-)

I'm one of those people who can't get enough of reading novellas. Something long enough to get my teeth into but short enough to read in one setting. I'm not afraid of a thousand page brick, but you need enough time to read it without forgetting what's already happened.

My first published "book" was actually a novelette, "One Helluva Gig." Came out only in e-book, for obvious reasons. Besides the odd length, it fell into a really narrow genre called "rock fiction." So it's been, needless to say, a tough sell.

Kevin wrote: "My first published "book" was actually a novelette, "One Helluva Gig." Came out only in e-book, for obvious reasons. Besides the odd length, it fell into a really narrow genre called "rock fiction...."

I've found it works better to bundle them together into collections as well as sell them individually. At least, the collections sell more.

Mary,

I had considered that, but so far haven't come up with anything of a similar theme/genre. That particular piece was well outside of my usual work, which is mainly suspense and horror.

Justin wrote: "I think all my works fall under novellas or whatever's below that. Although I believe anything over 40,000 is a novel? Waiting for someone to bring out the number list of what's considered what"

If it weren't for Wiki I wouldn't know the "official" number. lol

Angel wrote: "I have a few novellas pending. I think they are much easier to write than a full fledged novel at least that's been my experience, since I tend to write both."

I like the pace of writing one, however, I find myself going back and smoothing out the fiction.

Mary wrote: "Kevin wrote: "My first published "book" was actually a novelette, "One Helluva Gig." Came out only in e-book, for obvious reasons. Besides the odd length, it fell into a really narrow genre called ..."

Thanks for the advice. I've been selling them as singles. I'll try the bundle approach.

Kevin wrote: "My first published "book" was actually a novelette, "One Helluva Gig." Came out only in e-book, for obvious reasons. Besides the odd length, it fell into a really narrow genre called "rock fiction...."

I sang for a grunge band in the early 90s. I'll have to check it out.

Yolanda wrote: "I'm writing my first novella. Its a spin off from a series I'm writing (second one about to be published). And want to keep it to max 50 000 words. Must admit I rarely read novellas and short stori..."

I've written a novel as well as a few novellas. I like it all book wise, and having a history in academia, I'm partial to non-fiction despite never having written any.

Virginia wrote: "Yolanda wrote: "Must admit I rarely read novellas and short stories, prefer a full length novel. "

There's a person for every book. :-)

I'm one of those people who can't get enough of reading nov..."

Consider this a "like" :)

Mary wrote: "I write novellas myself. Even published one. The thing is that they are really, really, really hard to market to the big publishers or to the venues that take short works."

They are difficult to market. I like to turn mine into screenplays. A lot of novellas have become films.

For anyone wondering here's the word count most places go by: up to 1,000 words is flash fiction; 1,000 to 7,500 is a short story, 7,500 to 15,000 is a novelette, 15,000 to 40,000 is a novella, and above 40,000 is a novel. But some places consider 40 to 60 thousand as a short novel.

For anyone wondering here's the word count most places go by: up to 1,000 words is flash fiction; 1,000 to 7,500 is a short story, 7,500 to 15,000 is a novelette, 15,000 to 40,000 is a novella, and above 40,000 is a novel. But some places consider 40 to 60 thousand as a short novel.

Was a time when 60,000 was a typical novel. For various marketing reason, they've grown.

Have novels grown because people want to read more or because publishers want longer books, or both?

Distributors. They want the price to normally be a penny a page.

This is feasible because, actually, the physical material to make the book is among the smaller slices of expense.

Interesting! Is the penny a page the price distributors charge or the retail price?

I'm starting to gravitate towards novella length. After writing a 450-page monster, shorter feels better for me at the moment.