The long and the short of novel writing

[John Dean]

There’s a continuing debate in writing circles about ‘how long is long enough’ when it comes to novels. For instance, some of my novels are reviewed by readers who say they have too much detail whereas some others review the same book with the observation that there’s not enough.

Most authors receive similar reviews and you’ll sometimes hear them saying: ‘It’s like they have read different novels’. Well, in a sense they have because every reader is unique and seeks to take something different from a book.

For me, the reality is that whatever your reader’s likes and dislikes, every word should do its job.

Such a mindset can make for a brutal editing process for the writer. Over the years, I have found my novels becoming shorter. Not because I am not inspired by the stories and the characters but because I am acutely conscious that words must earn their place on the page. If they’re not doing their job, it’s time to hit ‘delete’ or replace them with words that are.

I once rejected a student’s request to devote one of my classes to writing ‘padding’. I said no because padding slows down stories.

Rather, I think it helps to remember that, while readers appreciate a degree of depth to the stories that they are reading, they also like the narrative to keep moving as well. It’s what keeps them turning the pages.

While accepting that a book can never please everyone, it does reward an author to challenge words to justify their presence on the page so that they get as close as they can.

As long as you do that, you’ll keep your readers engaged. And that’s what storytelling is all about.