Hello writing family,

First and foremost, novellas are fun to write. Many people have that dream in their head of someday writing that novel. I admit that I had it as well. It sounded so glamorous to me, like the ultimate achievement.

But, you know what? My first published work is a novella. All published works are valuable. Not everyone wants to read a 120,000 word novel. In fact, most people I know and people I have observed carrying around books, prefer a shorter read for a variety of reasons, which I’m going to list below.

For you the writer, a novella is a great idea for many reasons, which again I’m going to list.

Consider the following reasons for writing a novella or two instead of or in addition to that thick, glamorous novel.

9 Reasons to Write a Novella

• you have more time than in a short story but not as much as a novel, so it could be the perfect length. You have a short time to develop strong characters, strong character arcs, and wonderful story development. This could help you to grow as a writer for when and if you do decide to write a full-length novel
• with novellas, you can write a trilogy or a series where you publish in succession in less time, so you won’t keep your fans waiting, increasing the likelihood of your readers forgetting about you
• you can produce finished works more quickly and establish yourself as a writer
• you can offer novellas as eBooks for a lower price, which readers are expecting these days
• a novella can introduce readers to your style and to upcoming novels.
• you can explore your story ideas without having to commit to a full novel
• you can use them as a prequel to a novel about what takes place before your novel… a backstory, if you will
• if you write several before you write a novel, you can build a readership
• you can appeal to readers who are busy and prefer shorter works. There are way more out there than you may think

These are just a few reasons writing novellas is a good idea. Think about it and decide if a novella or two might be right for you.

A Few Bonus Reasons for Writing a Novella

• maybe your story ideas are good, but not quite enough to carry through a full-length novel
• you could compile short stories you’ve written into one novella length work. That’s what I’m currently doing. There are many people who prefer reading short works. Consider people who like to read magazines. They’re shorter than a book and the articles can be read in one sitting, just like a short story. You can then appeal to that market as well

I hope this information gets you thinking and gets your creative juices flowing. Have fun and drop me a comment. I’d love to hear about your ideas and works in progress.

Happy Writing!

Here is my first published work, a novella called, “A Girl from Nowhere.” It’s only $1.99 on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=gina+burke+a+girl+from+nowhere&ref=nb_sb_noss