A novella is shorter than a novel, but longer than a short story. They are usually between around 10,000 to 40,000 words, and can be read easily in one or two sittings, making them great for readers who want a faster but still satisfying journey towards The End.

> Here are 7 reasons to write a novella:

1. When starting out as a writer to discover your style and voice:

A novella involves less commitment than a novel, and can be a fun and revealing way to experiment with a few different styles to find out what and how you like to write. It can also be a way to practise focusing on just a couple of main characters and a basic plot, before working on developing secondary characters and sub-plots.

2. To try a different genre, point-of-view, or experiment with a new story idea:

For writers who may have already written one or more novels, a novella can be a great way to explore a new genre and see how it feels. It can also be a way to try a different point of view, for example, going from third person to first person, or vice versa. Novellas can be good ‘experiments’, but can also be publishable and successful works of fiction.

3. To reclaim your joy & passion for writing, and stimulate your creativity:

If you’ve been writing for a while, or have become busy in other areas of your life and have lost touch with your writing, novellas can help to stimulate your creativity and give you an outlet to simply write for the joy of it, and see where it leads. They can be good for writing in between longer novels, to break up the routine a bit and inject some new enthusiasm into your writing life.

4. To use as a freebie to encourage new readers for your other books:

From a marketing perspective, novellas that you make available for free, such as via self-publishing, or in conjunction with a publisher, can be a great tool for attracting new readers. You can give one away to new newsletter subscribers, social media followers, or to those who have bought other books. A novella can be a useful introduction to an author.

5. As a complement or prequel to a series:

Novellas can also help to add extra interest to an existing series, by offering fans a bonus read. They can be written as a kind of ‘bonus feature’, like extras in a DVD, or can be a bridge between two linked novels, or a prequel to act as a lead-in to the series.

6. As a holiday-themed story or topical story to coincide with world events:

Themed novellas are popular, and easy to market around appropriate times such as certain holidays and special occasions (Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day, etc). You can also write a topical novella to coincide with world events in areas such as politics, royal life, current affairs, and other issues that are popular discussion points.

7. For an anthology with other authors:

Your novella can stand alone and/or be included with other novellas in an anthology; a collection of similar novellas by other authors, so that you benefit from cross-promotion. Your readers are likely to enjoy similar books by other authors, and vice versa. These are often self published but can also be traditionally published as a virtual boxed set, or a print compilation.

Novellas are fun, fast, and have many possibilities when it comes to adding to your catalogue of books or expressing your author brand. They also allow readers to get a taste test of what your writing style is like, and so for readers they are a great way to discover new authors, enjoy an introduction to a new series, or to enjoy reading something different without committing to a full length book, especially if their available reading time is brief.

Just because a novella is shorter than a novel, doesn’t always mean it is easier or quicker to write, though in general the time frame is usually faster. It still requires the same process for a writer, in terms of establishing an idea and concept, authentic characters, conflict and plot development, and a satisfying conclusion.

With novellas, there is not as much time to get to The End, and sometimes this can be tricker to work out out how to get there while maintaining enough plot interest and character development.

But there are tips and tricks to planning and writing a great novella, and I’ll be teaching these in an upcoming online course, as well as what types of publishing opportunities there are for novellas, and how to market them and make them a valuable and worthwhile addition to your book catalogue.

For this course, I’ll be focusing on romance novellas, which I like to call: Lovellas. 🙂

So if you’d like to learn How To Write A Lovella, head on over to the course information page where you can find out more and also register and take advantage of a couple of special offers! >> https://writingmojoacademy.com/how-to-write-a-lovella/ (the course will also be available as a download after the live event is complete)

Do you like to write or read novellas? Feel free to comment with your favourites, or leave a link to your own…

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