I've talked about the "curse of the novel" before (back when I had about five followers so I'm sure no one read it), but since I've put a name to it, I thought I'd go a little bit more in depth. I have novelitis. I can only write novels.
I'm sure this seems a little silly. I've talked about writing poetry before, and I've only finished writing two novels, but that doesn't even begin to cover all of the ideas, snippets, and partially written drafts that I've worked on. The problem I have with actually finishing novels is a topic for another today. My problem is ideas.
Both of the novel I've finished started out as short stories. By the time I finished each short story, I realized there was something else there. I could keep going with the story, or in the case of my current WIP, stretch it out so the plot wasn't so rushed. Basically, I've come to realize that I am incapable of writing a short story. Any time I come up with a good idea, it's always too big for the short story format. I just can't reign it in.
Now this isn't always a bad thing. My current story really does work better as a novel than a short story. But it can be a bit frustrating to set out writing a short story, and then realize that there's a LOT more work to do. Writing a novel takes a lot of time and energy, and you have to commit to it.
Maybe I'm cursed, or maybe I just think too big. Either way, the struggle continues. Maybe someday I'll write an actual short story.
And now for the fun part! Thanks to everyone who participated in my 100 Followers Giveaway! I'm at 97 now (getting there, getting there). So now it's time to announce my two winners. The winner of the $25 Amazon Gift Card is (insert drum roll here...) Anna Cade! And the notebook and pen goes to...Leandra Wallace! Yay! Congrats to the winners! I'll be emailing you so you can claim your prizes!
This was a lot of fun. I'll have to come up with more giveaways in the future. :)
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Oh, I know that feeling. Maybe you can write a novella out of your short stories? Something around the 30K word range? I decided to do that with a short I had been trying to write, when I decided that it needed more, and that the world was interesting enough that it deserved more details. But then the story stagnated...so it's been shelved. I think that's okay though! The great thing is that we'll never be out of ideas.
ReplyDeleteI'm familiar with the issue, because I tend to be the same. Novels seem to be my default setting, perhaps because I ghost write so many of them for people. The length of the phrasing and the level of detail is just set nicely to produce sixty or seventy thousand words at a time.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners!
ReplyDeleteI also can't write short stories!!! I don't know why. I'm just totally incapable!
Grats to the winners!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about novelitis. I have a set of novellas that I've forced myself to keep to a 25K word count--tiny compared to the 200K novels that my fingers want to type up. My husband thinks I should expand the smaller guys, but I know, once I let myself go, it'll all come pouring out.
Yay, thanks for the giveaway! I wrote a short story several years ago that I want to turn into a novel. But there's so many other ideas clamoring that it'll be on the back burner for a looong time!
ReplyDeleteHi stopping by to say thanks for visiting my blog and the follow. Following here now and on Twitter, look forward to getting to know you better.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners of your giveaway too.
I have perpetual novelitis...I did manage to write exactly one novel (which will probably be my only one) but my speed has always been the novella.
ReplyDeleteA-Z Challenge at Father Nature's Corner
Congratulations to both winners!
ReplyDeleteI have finish-itis I have a million ideas, unfinished stories I have written just sitting on my computer waiting for an ending. In 2011 I wrote a story for Nanowrimo that I finally decided you know what I am going to finish this bad boy! I did! So now I have one finished novel under my belt that I am editing and a bunch of unfinished ideas! lol. My husband says because I am not finished with my editing that means my story is not done. He doesn't get it! The art of finishing a novel, an idea from start to finish, is probably one of the hardest things I have ever done. And the amount of accomplishment I felt after I did can not be measured. Great Post!
ReplyDeleteI do truly think that writing short stories is a talent entirely distinct from writing novels. Not everyone can master both. Great post,
ReplyDeleteI'm so not a writer but have writer friends and a lot of them struggle with novellas and short stories. I don't know that I'd be able to do them myself. Reading wise I so prefer a full length.
ReplyDeleteAnd woot! Thanks so much <3
Happy A to Z-ing!
~Anna
herding cats & burning soup.