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How do you know when a story is a novel or...not.

So, how do you know when a story is a novel or not. I have written exactly one short story after deciding to become a writer. And, really, it was just a chapter in a book. It won a local contest. But, it wasn't really a short story.

Now I have an idea, inspired by recent pop culture. Half the world's population poofs away. A lawyer loses his wife and child in the poofing. He also happens to be the attorney that was hired to deal with drafting of a will and the subsequent legal proceedings to get the will valid. Central conflict deals with a McGuffin that was bequeathed by one of his clients, without his knowledge, that, oops might just undo literally all of the poofing. Hijinks (legal and shooty-shooty-stabby kind ) ensue.

So, novel, something shorter than a novel? And, most importantly, why?
 
A novel has at least 50,000 words (though I've seen some sources say 40,000 or 60,000, the word count range is usually in the 50,000 zone somewhere). Less than that, it is either a novella, novelette, or short story. It all boils down to word count.
 
A novel has 50,000 words (though I've seen some sources say 40,000 or 60,000, the word count range is usually in the 50,000 zone somewhere). Less than that, it is either a novella, novelette, or short story. Depending upon how many words, depends upon what you've got.
Right, I understand the word conventions. But that isn't the question. How do you know at the outset and how do you figure it out?
 
Sorry. Not sure I'm following.
Suppose you have a story idea, like what I have above, you haven't written a word. But you want to start planning it. How do you decide at the outset if the story is a short story or a novel before you have written a word of the story?
 
Suppose you have a story idea, like what I have above, you haven't written a word. But you want to start planning it. How do you decide at the outset if the story is a short story or a novel before you have written a word of the story?
Oh. I think I see what you mean.
For me, to be honest, I don't really know until I've done a lot of brainstorming on it. Usually, I will sort of decide whether or not I think it will be better shorter or if it is enough to expand into a full length novel, but there have been times where I will start something, thinking that it will be a novel, but it doesn't quite make to the 50,000 word mark.

I think this is one of those situations where it depends upon how you go about your writing. I tend to be a plantser, having the story brainstormed in my mind and then transferring to paper once I feel I've got a full story.

With what you have, I can see it being any of the above mentioned book sizes. I think it really depends on how you execute it and how you go about developing the characters, their archs, subplots. Sorry, but it's really hard to say what exactly you might have. My best advice would be just to write it out and see what you have.
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
How many POV characters do you have? Home many plot threads do you have outside of the main one? How many scenes do you think you'll need to resolve each plot thread?

If your scenes are around 2000 words each, a 100k novel will have 50 scenes to set up, travel through, and resolve all your threads. If you have 2 POV characters, then it's roughly 25 scenes each to resolve each of their plots and subplots.

A short story typically takes one idea/plot thread/ problem and one character and brings the reader to a decision point. Sometimes the decision is revealed. Sometimes not.

A novel has multiple plots twined together into something bigger. It reveals a plot thread and explores multiple aspects of it, not just one.

Sorry a bit rambley. My 2 cents.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
You don't know. You will, after you've written two or three or five novels. You'll start to get a feel for how you might hit a particular length target. But as a beginner, it's an utter mystery. All you can do is write the dang thing and see what you wind up with. Then do another. And another.
 
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