So I started out with my story Misfortune's Child and intended it to be a short story, something along the lines of 4000-5000 words or so. But as I wrote and told the story, it grew and grew until I realized that now that it's done it's 10,700 words.
My question is this: Have you ever set out to write a short story only to realize that it turned out to be almost novella in length? I have realized that sitting here thinking about my own story ideas that I don't know if I can think of writing any story that would truly be "short". All the books I've read lately have been full-length novels and multiple books in the series, so maybe I've lost touch with the composition of a short story. Does anyone else seem to have this problem at all?
Posted by The G-Bus Man (Member # 6019) on :
I tried writing short stories with my main heroine character. Didn't work out. Long story short (no pun intended...or is it?) I gave up and started writing the novella I'm writing right now.
I think in the end I tried to cram so much stuff in, it just fell apart as a short story, especially since development of a lot of detail about the character was very important to me. I'll conclude with saying that, if it's too long to be a short story, then it's simply too long to be a short story and I think you made the right choice by expanding it into a novella.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
Well, over the years, I've had a lot of trouble just getting something to run long---usually it falls anywhere between one thousand and ten thousand words. (My current novel is something of a fluke---and it's been seven years since I landed anywhere near its current lengthwise size.)
"Let the story find its own length" seems good advice, unless you're writing something-to-order and have to keep it a certain length.
(On the other hand, my last novelette-whatever ran twenty thousand words---which seems long for a story with only two major and four minor characters. I cut and cut but couldn't get it down any further---at least, not yet. I may write a couple sequels and turn it all into a novel.)
Posted by JeffBarton (Member # 5693) on :
Oh, yes. I tried my first short story with what I thought was a simple 3-step plot. I wrote it and then hammered the 'fat' out of it to fit a 5000-word submission limit. Two Hatrackers pointed out that it was too short - that I'd taken out all the depth and characterization. They suggested I make it a novel, which is now in progress. It might turn out at Novella length, but it's no short.
My other attempt at a short came in at 7500 words. The intended submission limit is higher than that, so I didn't hack it too severely.
So, yes, I find it hard to write short stories and keep them short if they have much of a plot and have any characterization, description or touches that add depth.
Posted by ChrisOwens (Member # 1955) on :
Happens every time. I aim for 5000 words and it ends up being 10000. At least.
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
A story is as long as it is. Don't fight it.
Posted by arriki (Member # 3079) on :
A friend once said to me that some ideas are short story ideas and some are novel ideas and you have to learn to tell the difference. Wish I could.
Posted by Brendan (Member # 6044) on :
It is easy to tell the difference. When you finish writing, you press Tools->Wordcount. If it comes in at below 7,500, it is a short story idea.
I have never written a novel, but have several times been told that the story could be the start of a novel. Usually that is a problem with the story.
Posted by annepin (Member # 5952) on :
I tend to have the opposite problem--everything runs too short. The only short story that ran long for me was my very first one, and when I revisited it I realized it was extra meaty because of a lack of focus.
The adage "the story is as long as it needs to be" is a little misleading. I don't think it's meant to imply whatever you want to write will end up being the story. The key word is "need". The story should have just the right balance of the MICE elements to tell the story you want to tell. The other elements I'm thinking about here are OSC's MICE. This isn't to say the finished product isn't novella length, but the fact that you're starting out with the idea of writing a story and having it routinely inflate suggests to me your story might benefit from a tighter focus.
Posted by Kakichi (Member # 5814) on :
Wow it's good to see that my story isn't the only one that inflated itself. I always knew in my head the story of this child and his journey to what he will become and knew that it wouldn't be a short process but I was trying to get a short story out that I could get published and get my name out there, but now it turns out I am definately gonna have to make it novel-length.
Posted by MartinV (Member # 5512) on :
Almost every story I start ends up a novella or even a novel. That's why I stopped participating in contests for short stories. If I write fast in order to catch a deadline, I end up with 60+ pages of text.
Posted by Pyre Dynasty (Member # 1947) on :
All the time. I'll get going on a project and then I realize that it's going to take 20,000 at least to say what I want to. Then of course I get disheartened because I'm usually writing a short to rest from the novel that I'm supposed to be writing.
Posted by Umi-chan (Member # 5881) on :
I start out writing a story which I meant to be short and then I introduce to many plot complexities which I love and it begins to build. Often times I'm in search of an ending too, if I already know where the end is I'm far better at reaching it.
