There is more to writing a short story or a novel than just the amount of words. Many publishers will consider specific length manuscripts for their short story of novel submissions… but like I said, there is more. Generally a short story (and this can vary by publication) is approximately 10-thousand words or less for magazines and up to 15-thousand words for anthologies. Novels (again, this varies by publisher) start at about 60-thousand words and go up from there. A novella is about 20-thousand to 50-thousand words. Manuscripts of 100-thousand words or more are rarely accepted as single books by publishers (unless you are a previously published and proven author) because of the cost of manufacturing; there are exceptions, but generally a publisher will ask for too-long books to be broken down into a “series”.
Short stories will often have one major plot and a limited number of characters. Novellas and novels can have sub-plots interspersed with the major plot or theme and a cast of characters that come and go throughout the book. A short story can evolve into a novel, but the novel with all of its subplots cannot be truly squeezed into a short story. A sub-plot should never overshadow the main plot even if there is a temporary concentration on it.
Writers may feel more comfortable writing short stories, others are at ease with novels. Although I have written several (successful) short stories, I find they are more limiting – I have to discipline myself to stay on a very specific track. When I write a novel I can let my characters write their own stories and just steer them back now and then. That’s just me. The decision to write a short story, novella, novel or saga is up to you , the author, to decide whichever you feel most comfortable with.
What if you haven’t made up your mind and just started writing? What signs should you look for? If you find you’ve told your story quickly in just a few pages, beginning to end, you might just be a short story writer. If you are trying to reach for those 60-thousand words and find that you are filling up your pages with unimportant and unrelated nonsense, you might just be a short story writer. And if you find yourself breathless after trying to come up with enough dialogue and action for a small group of characters, you might just be a short story writer. Don’t force a word-count with lots of “dreamy descriptions” (often called purple prose), your readers will easily see through it.
On the other hand, if you find that your cast of characters seems overly crowded and you can’t seem to fit all of the action you need into the story and still keep it under 10-thousand words, you might just have the makings of a novel on your hands. Whatever length you secede to make your story, make sure that there is enough action for your reader to keep wanting to turn the pages and continue reading. Also you don’t want to present such a huge cast in front of your reader that they are completely confused – if you don’t have the time to “introduce” each character, maybe you are trying to cram too much in.
There are some basic components to any story – no matter what the length: setting, characters, conflict, climax, and ending. Your setting can influence your story depending on time period, culture, and “outside influences”. The characters introduced should be relevant to your story or any sub-plots. The conflict is the event the story revolves around. The climax is the height of action towards the resolution of the conflict. The ending is as the resolution is achieved; this may or may not be the happy-ever-after (HEA). If you are planning a sequel, the ending should include a “hook” that will interest readers in the next story.
Before you begin writing it is a good idea to check a publisher’s submission guidelines for recommended lengths. Know your publisher, know your market and know yourself.
Writing exercise: Outline a story. Keep it simple with one central plot. Make sure that you include all of the components of a story. Now use the same central plot and throw in a few sub-plots and additional twists and turns.
Writing prompt: Finish these sentences TEN times (of course differently each time): (1) When I am home, I… (2) I would never wear that with… (3) By the time the party was over, I was too…
