Novels Are Hard
Sep. 28th, 2020 05:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingBased on my previous experiences, I think that, in order to complete a significant writing project, I need:
- the project to be of a manageable length
- the project to occupy a manageable timeframe
- the project to receive a manageable level of feedback
- the project to have distinct and manageable milestones
- the project to have room for me to step away between milestones
Instead of writing a giant epic novel, maybe it would make sense if:
- it were divided into a series of novellas
- of roughly 30k words each
- with roughly ten chapters each
- and roughly 2,500 words per chapter
I know this isn’t the traditional publishing model, but Tor recently started to put out novellas of approximately this length. Many of the ones I’ve read during the past year are quite good, and I’m given to understand (based on professional reviews and sales rankings) that a number of these novellas are doing quite well in both digital and physical editions. What I’m envisioning might be possible, then.
In any case, I think it might be worth talking to an agent, but like………… I’m totally broke, I’m very shy, I only have a tiny following on social media, and I don’t have any useful connections in real life. I would need a lot of help, and I don’t even know where to begin.
Maybe it’s still a bit early for all of that, though. It would probably be best to start with an outline and then go from there.
- the project to be of a manageable length
- the project to occupy a manageable timeframe
- the project to receive a manageable level of feedback
- the project to have distinct and manageable milestones
- the project to have room for me to step away between milestones
Instead of writing a giant epic novel, maybe it would make sense if:
- it were divided into a series of novellas
- of roughly 30k words each
- with roughly ten chapters each
- and roughly 2,500 words per chapter
I know this isn’t the traditional publishing model, but Tor recently started to put out novellas of approximately this length. Many of the ones I’ve read during the past year are quite good, and I’m given to understand (based on professional reviews and sales rankings) that a number of these novellas are doing quite well in both digital and physical editions. What I’m envisioning might be possible, then.
In any case, I think it might be worth talking to an agent, but like………… I’m totally broke, I’m very shy, I only have a tiny following on social media, and I don’t have any useful connections in real life. I would need a lot of help, and I don’t even know where to begin.
Maybe it’s still a bit early for all of that, though. It would probably be best to start with an outline and then go from there.
no subject
Date: 2020-09-29 10:02 pm (UTC)(This) is a brief outline of the specifics regarding my plans for this project, if you're curious. No need to read it or comment, just saying that yes, that is exactly what I intend to do.
Cthulhu bless Tor, they are doing such good work and looking fabulous doing it. I think it was probably Emily Tesh's Silver in the Wood and Drowned Country that sold me on the concept. When I saw that she thanked "my initial readers on AO3" in her acknowledgments, I felt something very much akin to hope for the future. It was wild.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-04 03:23 am (UTC)