Exact Answer: Up to 40,000 words
There are so many things to be considered while writing a novella. You need to piece out the plot perfectly to make your story more engrossing. The beginning and end of the novella should be perfect. The flow of the story should be there to avoid any fictional error. The writer is supposed to flesh out the characters to give the feeling of real and genuine.
The word limit for a novella would be between 10,000 to 40,000 words. Different writers may have different word lengths. It depends on the story of the novella. The novella would not be lengthy but has to be interesting. Many writers choose to write a short novella, and some go for long. The word count depends on the plot and characters playing the role.
There will be differences in the word length of a novella, as not every writer is going to write the same story.
How Long Is A Novella?
| Types Of Writing | Word Length |
| Novels | Up to 100,000 words |
| Novella | Up to 40,000 words |
| Short story | Up to 10,000 words |
The word length of the novel is longer as compared to the novella. You shouldn’t make a comparison between short stories and novella. The novella’s length would be quite longer than the short stories. the novella contains many parts to make a strong plot (story). The novella has to be lengthy, but not longer than the novel.
This is because the novella contains both the ending and conclusion parts. The novella’s length should not be more than 40,000 words, as the length structure is based on the novella format. You can take a novella in between the novel and a short story. The novella has to be in realistic mode, as the writers are supposed to stick to the rules.
The novella is considered as of indeterminate length according to German writers. The German writers were the best at writing novella in the initial stage. The word length of the novella may vary, as the target audience is not the same for all types of novella. There are people who love to read long books, and these people should find novella really short.
The novella will not deal with huge conflicts. In novels, you will see a lot of conflicts covered in the plot. In the case of the novella, the structuring and plot have to be more smooth and real.
Why Is A Novella This Long?
The novella would be the length, as it has to be somewhere between the novel and the short stories. The word length of each book is fixed. Therefore the proper balance of word count should be strictly followed. The word count of the novella is fixed considering the target audience and many other factors.
There are many points (parts) that are not present in a novella such as multiple viewpoints. In novels, you will find generic adaptability, but it would not be present in the novella. The novella is quite simpler, as it lacks the subplots which, are very common in other types of writings. The novella come to switch many impressive characters.
The characterization of the novella is very impressive. Novella comes under the luxurious literary world. The novella has to give the feeling of richness. The writers of the novella would be good at playing with words. People that face problems in reading a long and difficult to understand novel could find a novella extremely interesting.
The plot of the novella would be quite simple but impressive. The use of words and a simple plot would be a great combination for catching the attention of the readers.
Conclusion
The novella would not be extremely lengthy. Reading a novella would give the feeling of richness. You will explore a world written by a wordsmith. The novella would be a treat for book lovers who admire medium-length books. The concept of the novella is somehow different from the novel.
References
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