Short or Long?

[bodgei]

I have conversations about this pretty often.  I write a lot of short stories, some of them are linked.  I just finished a four story series for my publisher.  I don’t write many novels.  I guess that makes me an oddity.

My friends often point to the novel I sold and say, “Look that proves you can write a novel.”

I’ve known I can write a novel for

Comments

[cornerofmadness]

hands down, I prefer long. Almost everything I write is novel or novella length. When I do write a short story I often get the criticism there is too much story here for a short. I'm not even fond of reading short stories (which is a bit embarrassing for me since I DO write and sell them often then have to slog through an anthology I'm in).

I do write shorts because they're relatively easy sales and it keeps my name out there and I do get inspired by a lot of publisher open anthology calls but left to my own devices, novels every time (which seems to make me your polar opposite)

[bodgei]

From what I have been led to believe, you are much more common than I am. I kinda wish I was more like you. Other writers seem to look at you as less serious if you stick to short stories, and that isn’t really fair.

20K is about where I get really bored and need to work on something else - sometimes I can come back and add another 20K but more often than not I just stop there.

I haven’t figured out a way to say “I know I could write a novel, I just don’t like doing it,” In a way that is both heard and understood.

[cornerofmadness]

I think the problem is very few people do read short stories so they are seen as a lesser cousin to the novel. Maybe this will change with the ebook revolution (well not for me but for others)

[bodgei]

I get that, most people stop reading short stories when they graduate I guess. I don’t think I’ll ever get why writers all seem to enjoy making each other feel bad. I don't think I'm going to feel much different when my novel comes out, than I will when the last story of my short story cycle comes out - but honestly I could be wrong, maybe it will feel different.

[bodgei]

I think right now I love the 10-20 K pieces the most. I do need a lot of world building, I mean you can’t just say “OK hockey playing hyena-shifters” and just expect people to buy it (and lets not even get into hockey playing hyena-shifters in New Brunswick in the 1920s)

I wish Nano wasn’t in November. The one time I did a Nano it was in August and it was fun even without the support you get from doing it all together.

[bodgei]

I'll have to look into that - one year I did a Nano starting mid August and then when Nov rolled around I added my word count in at the same pace it was writen.

[trystan830]

my fanfic as a rule are shorter works. i write what the characters tell me, and i don't like posting multi-part stories that may or may not get finished.

the original stuff i've written is more novella length. it's too long for a short story; there's not enough stuff to make it a novel novel.

i read pretty a little of everything in the genres i like.

[bodgei]

You do what I do, with the interlocked stories.

I think I'm working on a novella now - but I'm not sure

[trystan830]

yep, pretty much.

ahh. novellas are cool too. =D