Does size matter?
Posted on | February 3, 2010 | 1 Comment
Well of course it does!
(I’m talking about fiction here *g*)
Recently I came to the discovery that it’s now very difficult for me to write “short.” I used to write short stories all the time, anything from what I refer to as “ficlets”–which I usually post on my website as free reads–to short novellas. I used to say that was my preferred format, and I was delighted at the idea of epublishing because the business model is perfectly suited to shorter-than-novel works. Writing shorter works for publication also has the added benefit of my being able to finish them sooner, self-edit sooner, submit sooner, publish sooner than I would if I were writing a full-length novel. I could write a first draft of a short novella in a weekend, but it took me four months to finish the first novel I ever wrote.
So for a while I was completely enamoured with the short story and did not write much above 25000 words. I usually didn’t outline, I winged it (and many of those stories are in a file that shall never see the light of day *g*) and I had a lot of fun writing. I was a bit cavalier about the whole thing. I think there was a bit of the commitmentphobe in me.
I mean, writing a novel is a big commitment. It’s not just the time, it’s also the, erm, creative juices. Four months with the same characters? Hitting a rough patch in the middle and thinking what you’re writing is complete and utter crap, and then ignoring an idea that hits you for a new story? Especially when that idea is bright and shiny and intriguing and the characters are different and cannot possibly be as challenging and as frustrating as the current WiP, surely…well, yeah that takes dedication, will-power, and yes, commitment.
One day I determined that I’d have all three of those, and looking back…the first novel was the hardest. It gets easier with each one. Maybe not easier in terms of the actual writing, but the way I feel while I’m writing has definitely gotten easier. And addicting. I love the novel format. Starting a new one is like setting off on a challenging but ultimately–usually–satisfying journey. I look forward to spending that amount of time with the characters. It’s like I’m totally domesticated now, no more wanderlust for me! *g*
I still love reading shorter stories, but the story ideas I plot these days are pretty much all for novel length work. My recent Samhain release, Seeing You, comes in at about 26000 words and I wrote it over two years ago…I doubt I’d write anything that short these days. (See the link I threw in there? Shameless plugging, thy name is Dakota. *g*) And the few short pieces I do write, I have to meticulously plan out. No free-style or winging it, or before I know it I’m adding a subplot here and a few secondary characters there, maybe another subplot and there’s no way that can be done in less than 20000 words.
I like to think this is all part of growing and maturing as a writer…but maybe it’s just a latent discovery that I’m a size queen. *g*
So now I’m curious (and as I said I still like to read the shorter works)…what do you all like to read? Do you find a certain story length more satisfying than others or does size not matter to you at all?
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