Should you write a Novel or a Novella? To help you decide, here are some of the main differences between the two.
Novellas are usually between 10,000 to 40,000 words whereas novels have a much higher word count, anywhere between 50,000 and 140,000 words.
Novels tend to have more complex plots with multiple subplots and storylines. Novellas on the other hand need to be more focused and straightforward plot due to their shorter length.
When it comes to character development, Novels tend to have deeper character development and exploration of multiple characters. Novellas, being shorter, tend to have fewer characters and less in-depth character arcs.
Novels, with more space to spare, can have a can have a slower build-up, whereas novellas need to get on with it with distinct plot points moving the story along quickly.
Whereas novels can have multiple points of view or narrators, Novellas tend to have a single point of view for brevity.
Both novels and novellas are commonly published as both stand alone works or a series, for example, J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Each a standalone story but with a timeline following along from the previous. Novellas can be the same, but are sometimes used as ‘promotional tools’ e.g. side stories in a series.
Novellas can also be conjoined together to form a novel. For example, Keith Lawson’s DCI Harry Morgan Casebook, is actually three separate criminal cases solved by Harry, but as a collection of what could have been published as three separate novellas: A murder in Bournemouth, burglaries in Sandbanks, and the death of a financial expert at work.
Novellas, those delightful shorter works of fiction, have inspired some memorable quotes. Here are a few:
“I write novellas because I don’t like loose sprawling prose.”
Jim Harrison
“I believe the novella is the perfect form of prose fiction.”
Ian McEwan
“The library is inhabited by spirits that come out of the pages at night.”
Jane Smiley
“Take a good book to bed with you—books do not snore.”
Thea Dorn
Whether you’re diving into a novella or a full-length novel, each page holds its own magic!
