Process note...length....

[j_cheney]

This is almost always an issue for me.

I was cuddled up in bed this morning, post shower, and the plot bunny whispered in my ear, its sibilant voice (hissy because with those huge front teeth, you can't help but lisp) saying, "You can make this longer...novel length, even."

Yes, the bunny often says this to me. I offer it lettuce if it will just go away.

Pretty much anything can be stretched to novel length, you know.

I knew this one would be 25K when I started it because there's a lot packed into it. Could I make it 90K? Well, yeah....

Comments

[rflong.livejournal.com]

MWHAhahahahhaaaaa!

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Lettuce?

[rflong.livejournal.com]

NO!

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

:oP Pbbbbbt!

To be perfectly honest, I might finish the first draft, and then ask my first readers for their opinion on that. Seriously, it wouldn't be too hard to fluff. More research, though.

[rflong.livejournal.com]

I'm only doing it cause you laughed at me! ;) As far as I can tell length tends to come from (a) details and (b) subplots. More research usually leads to both! :)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

So very true.

[dr-phil-physics.livejournal.com]

The Length vs Quality Matrix

                Good           Bad

Short Story     $ell$         No Sale

Novel         Make$ More   Waste of Time  

Clear?

Dr. Phil

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Still scratching my head...

[spcpthook.livejournal.com]

HA...I just posted how my intended 10,000 word Short story prequel to a MS started meandering at 90,000 words... Glad to know other people have this problem.:)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Everything wants to be a novel ;o)

[marshall-payne.livejournal.com]

Right before the LJ blackout this morning I was going to make a comment here, even went and found a new icon to join in the plot bunny festivities, and now I forgot what I was going to say. Oh well. Here's my new icon. ;o)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Nice icon, though!

[wolf-dude64.livejournal.com]

You got it all wrong -- the bunnies like whiskey. That's why their noses are so pink.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

AHA!

[kelly-swails.livejournal.com]

I envy you. Plot bunnies might be annoying, but I will do all sorts of celebrating when I get a novel to 90K.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I'm just wordy ;o)

[kelly-swails.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Mebbe that's it. I'm sooo not wordy. :)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

My first novel clocked in at 153K. Wonder why I haven't sold that yet.....

[kelly-swails.livejournal.com]

153K?!? Dude, my first trilogy was 180K combined. YA, but still. You are a machine! I just don't know if I have that much stamina. Or maybe I'm easily distracted. Either way.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I write plots that are too complex to be marketable. I'm actually trying to learn to write simpler stories, mostly because they're more marketable but also to keep the length down.

I'm proud to say that the RD of novel 4 came in at 95K, a vast improvement. ;o)

[kelly-swails.livejournal.com]

Your problem and my problem need to get together and comprimise. Then we'd both be set!

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Ah, if wishes were horses.... ;o)

[kelly-swails.livejournal.com]

Oh, and did you see Chuck last night? Frickin' hysterical! Some of the best one-liners of the season. Casey rules.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I am SO in love with that show. The writing is so clever. I must learn to flip off cynical and cutting remarks like that ;o)

[kelly-swails.livejournal.com]

I know, right?