Why Should I Practice Writing a Novel?
Most people have to practice a skill to become experts, even those people born with a natural aptitude for their craft. Doctors aren’t born knowing how to perform surgery. They need years of schooling and practice before they can be considered surgeons. Lawyers need practice law to really get a feel for it. And novelists need to practice putting words together in a way that tells the story that needs to be told in an exciting and coherent fashion.
Short stories provide the best platform for this practice since they are like novels in many respects. Short stories and novels both require realistic characters, a coherent plot, and settings that make sense. The details of a short story are just as important as those in a novel, perhaps more so. In a short story, you have fewer words to convey the entire arc of your tale, so you have to learn to make the best use of your word count.
Your short story will also need to engage your readers right from the beginning just like a novel. You’ll have to weave your story to a climax just like a novel. And you’ll have to resolve the conflict in your short story just like a novel. A short story follows the same basic design as a novel, except for the length. Therefore, short stories are a great way to practice creating a comprehensive story.
The Advantages of Using Short Stories to Practice Novel Writing
There are many advantages to starting with short stories. They’re shorter, for one thing, so you’ll be finished with it that much sooner. Most of the other parts of perfecting your story will also take less time. Revising and editing, for example, will be much faster with a 10,000-word short story than a 100,000-word novel. And you’ll have an easier time convincing friends and family to read your story if it’s shorter. This means you’ll be able to gather opinions regarding your story without having to bribe anyone to read an entire novel.
The shorter word count has another advantage. With such limited space, usually less than 10,000 words, you have to be very careful regarding what information you include. It tightens your writing, forcing you master the art of conveying information without rambling. You’ll have to plan your story carefully, and this can only benefit your skill as a novelist.
Finally, the market for short stories has expanded exponentially in recent years. The Internet allows you to distribute your story and possibly even make money on it simply by making it available to consumers through websites such as SmashWords. This means that you can sell several short stories while you’re pitching your novel to publishers. Some authors even make more money on short stories than they do on novels.
Short stories are an excellent way to practice before you begin writing your first novel. Short fiction gives you the opportunity to hone your craft and expand into genres you may not have otherwise attempted. The decision to practice the art of novel writing can only improve your skill.
