Here is the Two Hundred Word Tuesday question for 15 JAN 2019:
What is your favorite writing format and why: Jumbo Novel (over 120,000 words); Long Novel (over 80,000 words); Novel (over 40,000 words); Novella (17,500 – 39,999 words); Novelette (7,500 – 17,499 words); Short Story (1000 – 7,499 words); Flash (less than 1,000 words)?
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2 comments
Although I’ve read jumbo novels, for a normal read I prefer the long novel. The length gives the author time enough to develop characters and plot. Flash fiction never interested me either as a writer or a reader.
I tend to lump the shorter formats of short story, novelette and novella together. They work well for a quick read where a lot of time can’t be devoted, or in a collection. The challenges of writing the shorter formats help an author develop their craft. And it provides the reader with a greater variety of things to read.
Author
I tend to both write and read on the longer end of the scale, at least under “normal” conditions.
That’s not to say that I haven’t done a LOT of work in the shorter formats, even flash. For many years, I made my living writing short stories for magazines of various types, and almost everything there was under 8,000 words. The exact length varied with the publication and even the immediate needs of a single publication.
For the ultimate in flexibility, again under “normal” conditions, you can’t beat a collection of shorter works, especially by a number of different authors. A series of quick reads with a variety of voices is very attractive to most readers. It’s even better when the collection can share a common theme, but the logistics can turn into a nightmare…one that very few writers can deal with and even fewer publishers can wrangle together.
Oh, and never forget: “Normal” is just a setting on the dyer.
Keep Loving!