when your novel is too short

mema

this is my first novel. I've thought it through before i started to write. I'm on Chapter 7 with 10,000 words so far. My synopsis (which I wrote earlier) has 23 chapters (average chapter so far 1500-1600 words). I've just discovered that If this is going to continue, I'll end up with something like 30-40,000 words, so half of what usually a novel consists of.
I decided to stick to my original plan, carry on writing and see how it goes, and develop a bit more one of the subplots.
and if after I finished my story, I'm still short of a few thousands, I'll think about it again.
I think this is the effect of my 'writing style': use as few words as you can to convey your message.

Has anybody ever come across the situation like this? What did you do? or what would you do if it was your case?

Rosalie

Mema, my first drafts are always short - about half the length that the final novel turns out to be. Somehow, in rewriting, the story grows, partly with added sub-plots, with further developments of characters,adding descriptions and so on. This seems to happen without conscious effort on my part, just as a by-product of the rewriting. Usually after the first draft I rewrite my synopsis and discover all kinds of extra twists and turns.

But I know of other writers whose first drafts are much too long and they have to do lots of cutting. It seems to be a very personal thing.

I'd say don't worry about length as you write your first draft - just keep writing and see what happens.

Stirling

My advice would first be - chill. My aim for my current draft is for 60,000 words, but the publishing standard is 80,000 - 100,000. I can already see where large chunks will be removed, where others will be rewritten, and where whole new sections will be written.

I think the worse thing you can do is put yourself under pressure - it will cause blocks. What will happen as you write, is that you'll hit on new ideas, and realise others that others don't actually work. A big problem with me is that I get too obsessed with getting published that I forget all about the writing, and I get blocked. Of course, I've just broken free and an idea that was nagging me - and a one that I've rejected - has thrown up an amazing ending.

So I say get it written, and worry about word counts in drafts two and three.

Kangaroo

Hi Mema, good to meet you. Good luck with the writing! :-)

dorothyd

Mema, this week I had a meeting with my editor, he came down from the frozen North to see me, which was nice. My book stands at 78,000, he would like 90,000. That is going to take some doing, but he did indicate some chapters where he would like it extended, more information, more background, more explanation even of major events that the duke has skimmed over, because it is commonplace to him but as the editor pointed out, it is not commonplace to the modern reader, so that is my aim, making the book that much longer. When you finish your first draft, you will see clearly where you can possibly add a sub plot, enlarge some sections without looking like padding and generally work on it.

Gully

When I come up short for words, I normally dive into my email inbox at work.
There are so many words there that are simply redundant.
I pick up some juicy ones and 'copy-and-paste' them into discrete areas of my text that is missing some excitement.

This is only the way I do things.
It does not mean that you have to copy me.

Hope this helps.

flyingtart

Some excellent advice here already, Mema. I can only echo it. It's true, once the story's written you will see areas to expand on and even have ideas for sub-plots. Don't think about it just now, just finish the story. Good luck with it! :)

Jay Mandal

Maybe you're writing a novella!

Carol

The novel I started in 1999, got to 40,000 words- it was where I envisioned it ending, but when I got there I realised I had only written half the story, and what happened after that just tumbled out.
Don't worry- it is just your first draft. I agree with all the advice already given- you just need to find what system works for you. (And you do that by writing. :))

mema

thanks a lot, guys for your advice and words of wisdom and experience
:))

Stirling

True Carol.

Think about this today, realised there are plenty of areas that need developing.

Daisy

I agree with all the above advice. Just keep writing and see how it turns out length wise. Then, as already said, you can expand and develop. Enjoy the writing!

Lou Treleaven

A bit of a late comment, but for what it's worth...

One of my books was too short, so I wrote a sequel and stuck it on the end. See how you feel when you get to the end. You might be desperate to keep writing to find out what happens!

Liz

I think too, you should just keep writing in your own style and see what happens. There are plenty of short novels out there. And a spare writing style is greatly admired in various circles.

Good luck!

Tessadragon

they're right, relax and write the first draft, then during the second draft, we flesh things out with description and a better knowledge of our characters and settings.

Fiona

Hi Mema, when I first made the move from journalism to fiction writing (though many people would say they're one and the same thing!) no matter how hard I tried to do otherwise, my chapters always ended up just 1200 words. This is because your standard feature article is 1200 words. It was my natural arc. It really frustrated me. But then I just let myself write my 1200 and use it as a skeleton. The story was down, the characters in place, now all I had to do was go back and flesh it out. So, to echo everyone else here, just write and worry about length later.

dorothyd

Mema, with great joy I can say I have finished the revision of the duke's book and added 7000 words to the existing work without any difficulty at all. I will add a further 500-1000 when I write the epilogue, which is concerned with how the book came to be written, ie with the duke being with me. So it can be done but first have the framework to build on.

Stirling

Fiona, I'm the same. I write short chapters. I think it is a mix of essay writing and disliking long chapters.

Fiona

And laziness ;)

Jay Mandal

Pages 28-29 in December's Writing Magazine might help.