21,227 words

I set out to write a short story. I’d experimented with the form on two previous occasions producing thriller/mystery stories of approx 3,000 each.
This story though had more to say and when I finished the first draft I had 21,227 words. We all know it’s about quality not quantity but Word also gave us Word Count for a reason and when you read about other writers producing 3,000 words a day, every day, you do want to know how you measure up.
So, 21,227 words is pushing it for a short story, though its not unheard of, but falls well short of Novel status, even the shortest novels come in at over double that length, so my story falls into that rather awkward category of Novella. Awkward because they are too lengthy for magazines and too short for book publishers, unless you’re talking Anthology.
A story of 21,227 words, or a Novella, is however the perfect length for an eBook.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

a leopard's spots

Image
Further to my Big Cat post: I should have posted this picture last week, it slipped my mind, I don't know why. I'm pleased with it. Her name is Tequila. Photo is the author's own
Read more

life in lockdown

Image
It's 15 days since I last posted, about Covid-19, and in that time the world has been upended. On a Macro scale things have become nightmarish, with hundreds dying in every country, and society as we knew it (certainly in the West) changing out of all recognition. The Macro, informs the Micro, of course, and individually our lives and routines have had to change and adapt too. But amongst the wholesale changes, I've managed to hold on to a few familiar things. I suspect we've all latched on to certain things that are still available and familiar and make us feel more secure in uncertain times. For me, my morning exercises (after coffee) are something that I can continue with, speaking with family and friends, texting and emailing continues too (perhaps more frequently now). Listening to the radio. Gazing out of the window at trees and clouds, a simple pleasure I've always enjoyed and can continue to enjoy. And walking is still allowed to us too, in fact it's encoura...
Read more

recent disappointments

Image
I do try to always look on the bright side, but sometimes it's just plain hard to do. It's almost a given that January will be dark, gloomy, and generally parsimonious with its blessings. It's the same every year, and that's fine, I know that, so I just keep my head down, grit my teeth and get through it.   So when I step into February, I usually feel that I've turned a corner. This year however, February had some shocking weather up its sleeve. It was the wettest February weather in over 250 years. Constant downpours, drizzle and mizzle. But I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, if you live in the UK, you'll have had many an outing cancelled, many a shoe spring a leak, many an umbrella turn turtle and die. February this year was very hazy and disappointing. I was very excited last autumn when Bernie Taupin published his memoir, Scattershot - Life, Music, Elton and Me. It went straight onto my TBR (To Be Read) list. If you aren't aware Bernie is El...
Read more