Excuse me, I'm lost...

Just trying to create an internet presence and this place is one of my stop offs. I've done a bit of script writing and have only just written my first novella. I wanted to be a novelist from my early teens but had to give it a bit a of thought for a while first - not being one to rush into things. I'm nearly 48 now. How frequent is the bus service through here?

Quote: Jimster @ 28th September 2019, 10:29 PM

Just trying to create an internet presence and this place is one of my stop offs. I've done a bit of script writing and have only just written my first novella. I wanted to be a novelist from my early teens but had to give it a bit a of thought for a while first - not being one to rush into things. I'm nearly 48 now. How frequent is the bus service through here?

I'm surprised you didn't title the thread "I've a novella".

No, on second thoughts I'm not surprised at all - only about three people would have got the joke!

Take a seat, Jim: the next bus will be along any minute.

It's going nowhere but most of us are on it already so you'll have plenty of company! Laughing out loud

Thank you Rood Eye. It's the journey that counts!

Where does a novella end and a novel begin?

I too have written several "novels" and am currently half way through another one at the age of 63.

I think they both begin and end at the same places when it comes to telling a story, Chappers. However where a novella tends to be the right length, a novel has been padded out with superfluous gunk to justify the hardback retail price. My novella is 20,000 words and currently occupying the obscure dungeons of the overpopulated kindle marketplace. I want to write a 'proper' novel at 50,000 words plus to satisfy my delicate writer's ego once I can dredge up enough superfluous gunk from the basement of my unconscious mind.

Quote: Jimster @ 30th September 2019, 7:53 AM

I think they both begin and end at the same places when it comes to telling a story, Chappers. However where a novella tends to be the right length, a novel has been padded out with superfluous gunk to justify the hardback retail price. My novella is 20,000 words and currently occupying the obscure dungeons of the overpopulated kindle marketplace. I want to write a 'proper' novel at 50,000 words plus to satisfy my delicate writer's ego once I can dredge up enough superfluous gunk from the basement of my unconscious mind.

In my reckoning though I'm no expert on it 50K words would still be a novella and 20k just a long short story like A Christmas Carol. I believe 25-50k is the usual criteria for a novella. What you've written is a novellina. But good luck. I've started about nine and still finished none. Pirate

Well I respect your opinion, Mr Kipper - there seems to be debate about this among the initiates. Maybe it's a novelette? But Novellina is cuter. Get on an finish something, sir!

"The Great Gatsby" is, I think, widely accepted as a novel despite its comprising significantly fewer than 50,000 words.

I've heard that novels used to be a lot shorter "back in the day". With ebooks now you can get away with a short novel because no one can see how thick they are.

"I'm writing a novella."
"Neither am I."

My next project will be fuelled by procrastination.

Quote: Jimster @ 30th September 2019, 7:53 AM

I think they both begin and end at the same places when it comes to telling a story, Chappers. However where a novella tends to be the right length, a novel has been padded out with superfluous gunk to justify the hardback retail price. My novella is 20,000 words and currently occupying the obscure dungeons of the overpopulated kindle marketplace. I want to write a 'proper' novel at 50,000 words plus to satisfy my delicate writer's ego once I can dredge up enough superfluous gunk from the basement of my unconscious mind.

I've got 30,000 already. So maybe I can add a couple of letters to my Novel.