Please
welcome author Mickey J. Corrigan. She's talking about Word Lengths today. And there are Giveaways!
Why
Do Novels Have to Be So Lengthy?
Mickey
J. Corrigan
Although
I am a writer and have been for many years, I spend much of my time editing
manuscripts for other writers. So many times my clients tell me they
"need" to add 10,000 or 30,000 words. Or 2973 words! Why? What does
the word count matter if the story is complete and the manuscript is polished?
Unfortunately,
word count does matter to literary agents and publishing houses. Many will only
accept for review manuscripts that meet certain length requirements. This means
authors are shaping their stories to fulfill the current size guidelines.
I
think this is a shame. Your story is your story and should take up the space it
needs and deserves. A novel is a novel if it tells a complete story, has depth
of character, and sweeps the reader along for a full ride. That ride may only
take a reader a single afternoon, or it can last for months. There are great
stories that fill thick volumes, others that fill only a hundred pages.
To
share an example, I edited a manuscript for a client who has written an
engaging story about a man who faced and surmounted some difficult odds. It's a
story of triumph of will. The manuscript was well written and together we
edited and polished it until it shone.
Then
my client attended a writers conference where he met with two literary agents.
Both told him the manuscript was too short and would need to exceed 100,000
words. He returned with his hopes for publication crushed. His choices appeared
to be to expand the story with fluff or give up. I have gently suggested trying
elsewhere first. He could show his manuscript to the agents and small presses
that do not require such a massive word count. However, his passion for the
work has been squelched.
Some
of my favorite novels are short. The Great
Gatsby. The Postman Only Rings Twice. The Old Man and the Sea. Animal Farm. The
Outsiders. The Giver. Would these
books be published today by the big American publishing houses? Probably not. Would
we have missed out on some of the best literature ever written? I think so.
***
Mickey
J. Corrigan is the author of many books that are too short. Recent books include the
edgy novellas in The Hard Stuff series from the Wild Rose Press (Whiskey
Sour Noir, Vodka Warrior, and Tequila Dirty); the spoofy Geekus
Interruptus and F*ck Normal from Australia's Bottom Drawer
Publications; and the thriller Sugar Babies from Champagne Books.
Her newest short novel is Songs of theManiacs from Salt Publications in the U.K.
Visit Mickey at:
Gritty Urban Drama, Noir
Modern Dreams from
Salt Publishing, U.K.
Songs of the Maniacs
by
Mickey J. Corrigan
When the real you is someone you don't know,
then you sing the songs of the maniacs.
From
her office at a mental health institute outside what appears to be Miami, a
troubled young woman counsels deeply disturbed clients while coping with her
own heightening concerns. These include frightening consciousness lapses, violent
memories of a high school sexual relationship, a menacing stalker, and an
annoyingly arousing visitor who may or may not be insane. All this on a single
stormy day at a time when a new mental health disorder has become epidemic and
is threatening to distort memory and identity, unmooring the validity of
reality itself.
The
young woman’s search for illumination becomes an eerie struggle, as she
attempts to understand her past, present, and true self. The hypnotic pull of
the story lies in the mystery of the storyteller herself and her murky, uneasy
sense of doom. A seductive and chilling novella, Songs of the Maniacs relies
on clear prose and uncluttered imagery to delineate a fascinating
descent into the abyss beneath the lush tropical surfaces of contemporary
American paradise.
Amazon Kindle
That's horrible! I know why publishers/agents mention such word counts because that's typically what sells, but a book should be the length it should be, whether that be a short story, a novella, or a novel. There are publishers and magazines/anthologies that take different lengths, and any length--to some extent--goes with self-publishing. In fact, self-publishing is bringing back some writing forms like the serial and the novella that almost vanished in the more recent years of publishing. Even publishers nowadays will have novella/short stories in between books in a series. There are places for all lengths. :)
ReplyDeleteTrue, and I hope agents understand this. I hear the NY publishers are asking their top authors to write novellas. As a way to draw new fans.
DeleteThat's such a sad story! I completely agree that a story needs it's own pace, and sometimes it really sucks being forced into guidelines established that don't suit everything. Honestly, I tend to write on the shorter side of things and like it that way :)
ReplyDeleteMe too. But it makes for a harder sell.
DeleteI have heard this recently, but the truth is, most publishing houses have word length restrictions. I've found myself editing out good bits because I'm a few thousand words over the accepted length. This man's story is typical.
ReplyDeleteGreat share Mickey.
Hi Kelly!
Denise :)
Yes, it is typical. Still, I felt sorry for him. You have to be tough and hang in there in the writing biz.
DeleteI have an editing client who has been asked to reduce her word count because it's over 100,000. Unfortunately, word count does matter to editors and agents.
ReplyDeleteWord count shouldn't matter. It's about the story. I hope the man finds a home for his manuscript. It sounds like it's a good one.
ReplyDeleteThankfully in this modern day of self-publishing, I think some of those crazy guidelines are being bent. Readers latch onto stories of all sizes, and it's awesome to see it happen.
ReplyDeleteUnleashing the Dreamworld
That is another benefit of democratizing publishing. So maybe we'll have more space for shorter novels in the near future.
DeleteHello, Mickey! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI was rejected a few times because my manuscript was too short, only by a few thousand words, meanwhile my story was complete. I'll continue to shop it around. I believe shorter works can be published as novellas and longer works--I've seen this happen--have been split into two books to meet publisher requirements. Anything is possible.
ReplyDeleteI always find it odd that so many authors have a hard time cutting their novels down. I'm like Medeia above--shorter is me! I guess that's why I fit in children's books...my MGs are only 40,000 words.
ReplyDeleteI do hope that writer doesn't give up trying. I agree he should take his manuscript elsewhere and with any luck someone, somewhere will see the sense of publishing it just as it is.
ReplyDeleteThis is just what I need. I just finished a manuscript that is way too short compared to 'current standards', but I don't know what to add apart from fluff. Great advice.
ReplyDeleteI think the word count should be a suggestion, if anything. Like most books in this genre or for this age group are ____ number of words. But, books that have less or more words should be considered for their writing. I would rather read a shorter book that is well written than a longer book with fluff thrown in.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the author you mentioned will find the right press for his work!
Thanks for sharing!
~Jess
Interesting. I get so frustrated by books that are padded out with unnecessary waffle in what is so obviously an attempt to meet a word count.
ReplyDeleteword count should be considered, to an extent, but content should definitely be the priority!
ReplyDeleteand your book sounds like an enticing chiller!