BellaOnline Forums Career Fiction Writing How long is your story?

Do you know what you are writing yet? A novel, novella, micro fiction? Check out my new article on story length Story Length and then check back here and tell us how you "measure up".

Well, I guess I can start...

My story originally was only 60 thousand words. Which isn't terribly marketable as anything. So, I added some story to it...and added some...and added some and now I am at 120 thousand words. Which is a bit long, actually. So I guess I need to start trimming....LOL

I wish I was at the trimming stage! Alas, I have a ways to go... I'm writing what I hope will someday, in the distant future, qualify as a novel. I'm only a little over 5,200 words now, so it seems like a steep hill to climb towards the 70-90,000 that I'm aiming for. I have everything planned out, scene by scene, but for some reason I keep getting stuck! I'm too in love with the story right now to not perservere, though, so hopefully that will continue.

I have 2 completed
- one for the adult market in holding pattern waiting for re-writes and polishing. about 100,000-105,000
- the other for the middle grades market that I am working on re-writes of now - a trilogy each book at about 35000-36000 which is appropriate for that market.

Campbell,

Oh, to be in love! With your writing that is. Heather Sellers talks about writing as being in love. I think I am somewhere between a separation or a divorce, though. LOL. Not really but I am getting kinda sick of working on my project and the attraction of something new is appealing. But I need to be faithful, I think and keep going at it. Good for you for perservering, too. Perhaps you would be interested in an online writing group forming here on the discussion boards online...? If so, check out the thread on this board about it and throw your hat in the ring!

HeyYou!

That is quite impressive. I know the work it takes get get over 100K down on paper so kudos to you! I hate rewrites, though and that is where I am stuck. What genre do you write?

Oh it's easy to be in love with the writing - the Muse drives that and I merely type to see what's coming next. It's when she goes into hibernation and leaves me with the re-write, re-write, re-write, tweak, tweak, tweak, polish, polish, polish, submit, submit, submit, ... THAT's when it gets tedious!

Oh, I know what it's like to contemplate divorce with a project too....I'm the worst about writing myself into corners! My new strategy is to just get something written down, even if I hate it, then come back to fix it later...at least that way something's getting done. So far that's kept me loving this one, even when it stagnates a little. I'll definitely check out the writing group, that sounds really helpful and fun! Thanks for the suggestion. :)