How long should my novel be? It is written for adolescents/young adults and I am wondering if it is going to be too short. Does anybody know this?
2007-01-11 04:10:43 · 6 answers · asked by GeekGirl 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
It doesn't matter how short a novel is. If its only about a 100 pages that's just as good as when it would be 600 pages. Its best to keep the readers occupied rather than to bore them to death with those 500 extra pages.
2007-01-11 04:15:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Your novel just has to be long enough to tell a story. You can always call it a 'novella' if it comes in on the short side.
There are tons of very good novellas out there whose 100 or so pages pack a punch. A few examples are:
Animal Farm - Orwell
Metamorphosis - Kafka
The Pearl - Steinbeck
There are even some very good non-fiction books that need no more than 60 pages. One that comes to mind immediately is Darkness Visible by William Styron.
Sometimes an editor or a teacher will want you to expand certain ideas or concepts to make the story richer and that is fine.
But if you can chose your words wisely and tell your story concisely with 40,000 words, do not under any circumstances feel you have to add another 10,000 just so that it looks like a meatier book. It's a crime to pad a story like that and your characters and your readers won't be any better off.
Good luck!
2007-01-11 04:32:40 · answer #2 · answered by ♥ Sono A ♥ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The average young adult novel runs between 50,000 - 60,000 words (although I have seen some shorter and some longer). So shoot for 50,000 and see what happens.
The average adult fiction novel is 75,000 - 100,000, but this also varies.
If you're using MS Word, there is a word count feature that helps you keep track. :) Good luck!!
~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song, Divine Intervention and The River
http://www.whalesongbook.com
2007-01-11 04:24:31 · answer #3 · answered by Cheryl Kaye Tardif 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have to write an 80-page thesis, that would make like a 120 pages in bookform.
That's 50.000 words.
I hope this is of any help.
2007-01-11 04:16:53 · answer #4 · answered by Lene H 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Don't worry about length, as long as the story is complete.
2007-01-11 04:13:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
100,000 words or less depending on the type of book you are going to write
2007-01-11 05:14:28 · answer #6 · answered by John 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋