How to Write a Novella

A novella is longer than a short story and shorter than a novel, about 15,000 to 50,000 words. Writing one is a challenge. You don't have the luxury of the novel to explore themes and subplots. On the other hand, a novella isn't just a long short story or a novel excerpt. Follow these steps to write one.

Instructions

1. Read as many novellas as you can find. Pay attention to the rhythm of the writing and story development. Good Short Novels has book reviews, but be aware they also cover novels from 50,000 to 80,000 words, which aren't novellas.

2. Explore your characters thoroughly. Your readers have to know them well enough to care what happens to them in 20,000 to 50,000 words.

3. Take the time to map out the setting. You can get away with spaceless, timeless settings in a short story, but you need to take your readers to a definite place and time in your novella.

4. Write about the key scenes that move your story forward. The plot must fit naturally into two or three climactic moments. Less makes a short story; more is for a novel.

5. Plan the progression of the story. Unlike a short story, a novella's structure isn't something you can grasp in your mind. On the other hand, the novella isn't suitable for subplots.

6. Write a rough draft. You'll likely end up with a work that's longer than it should be even if it falls within conventional novella word length.

7. Set the novella aside for at least a month. Read it through again and graphically map the story's progression using an asterisk for climactic moments. You should see a line moving upward, separated by 2 or 3 asterisks, with a sharp fall at the end after the final asterisk.

Tips & Warnings

• Search Amazon and your library catalog by title and type in "novella" to get a list.

• Length alone doesn't make your work a novella.

• Don't neglect short novel collections for novella samples.

Resources

• Find reviews of short novels, including novellas, here.