The Most Common Problems New Authors Have - and How to Fix Them
Hey all, today I wanted to take a second to talk to you about some more of the common questions and problems I see popping up every now and then on writer’s groups and forums. These are just some of the things real writers are struggling with, and if I can offer a fresh perspective it may help someone out there get through a rough patch or problem area of their manuscript.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into our first question.
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1: What length should my story be?
This is a HUGE question that I see all the time. People are, somewhat justifiably, confused on whether their story counts as a short story, a novella, or a novel. People ask “how many pages should my novel be?” or “how long should each chapter be?” on a seemingly daily basis, especially in the amateur writing circles.
So, let me set the record straight. In professional literary writing, no-one cares about page count. Page count will differ drastically depending on font, page size, spacing, formatting, or images. The same book could be printed in 1000 pages, or 100.
The thing writers should think about is WORD COUNT. Word count is the metric by which we judge the length of literary fiction. And, thankfully, word count can be used to organise our works of fiction into neat categories that classify them.
-A short story is anything less than 10’000 words.
-A novella is 10’000 to 40’000 words
-A novel is anywhere above 40’000 words.
For example, my current working copy of The Whispering Depths is sitting right around 75’000 words, putting it firmly in the novel category. However, my first draft of The Road to Ithaca is currently sitting at 28’000 words, and will likely reach 30’000-35’000 by the time this draft is fully written, classifying it as a novella.
These word limits are broadly agreed upon, but not necessarily concrete. In reality writing can take on any length and still hold value, so these categories are closer to loose guidelines than hard rules.
It’s also worth noting that there are several sub-categories within these three classifications. For example, micro-fiction is generally considered anything under 500 words. I, personally, tend to find these sub-categories restrictive and meaningless, so I usually just stick to the above three labels. That being said, you can call your story whatever you like.
As a quick side note, traditional novel formatting will fit approximately 300 words on each page, meaning 100’000 words should fit on roughly 330 pages (formatting dependant).
Now, there’s also the genre expectations of the audience to consider. Readers generally don’t want to pay for something too short, and usually won’t commit to something that’s too long.
For fantasy (as is my niche) generally 65’000-130’000 words is the sweet spot, with anything over 100’00 being considered long. This puts The Whispering Depths on the shorter end of a fantasy novel, which is true, but it’s generally a good idea for an authors’ first novel to be slightly shorter.
There are notable exceptions to these rules, of course. For example, all of the books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series (or Game of Thrones, for you TV lovers) are at or above 300’000 words, with some reaching as high as 415’000. That is astronomically long, but due to George RR Martin’s long career, loyal fans, and the popularity of the show it’s totally fine. I don’t recommend writing a 400’000 word manuscript to any first-time authors. George has been an author a very long time, and knew what he was doing on that one.
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2: How do I write good action scenes?
Good question, nobody knows.
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3: How do I start?
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen someone join a writers’ group or community and ask “How do I start? I’ve always wanted to be an author but don’t know what to do!”
Now I feel for these people, but I think they’ve mixed something up in their heads. Writing is one of the most accessible hobbies in the world. All you need is a pen and some paper (or a laptop if you live in 2024). It’s really all you need. The rest is entirely up to you.
Now, that’s not to say writing is easy. It isn’t. But it is accessible.
So the easiest way to write is to… start writing. It sounds reductive, but it really is the only way to get over the paralysis that comes with beginning a new endeavour. Write whatever you like. Write a random scene that goes nowhere and means nothing. Write a short story that’s derivative, sloppy, and boring. Write fanfiction, if that’s what takes your fancy. It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to publish everything you write, you don’t even need to show your friends or loved ones if you don’t want to.
I look back on things I wrote years ago, and I cringe to read the horrible prose and overdone tropes, but that’s a good thing. It means I’ve grown and matured as a writer, and you will too.
Once you start writing, even if it’s only a little, you will improve. You will get better, your stories will start to feel exciting, your characters will begin to feel real. You can start to write in ways that will entice your audience to feel the way you want them to feel, or to experience what you’ve written. THEN you can show people. You can even publish your work, if you re-read it and find that you like it.
But you can only get to that point if you start now. Don’t wait until tomorrow, don’t leave it for when you finish that one task or finally leave that one job, when your life will finally be quiet and stable, because it won’t. Write now. Today. Write garbage, if that’s all you can write. It’s fine, just keep doing it.
Now, yes. There are techniques and strategies in writing. But don’t worry about that for now. Just write, and you can learn as you go. You can improve with every short story. And, if you need, my blog will always be here with helpful tricks and techniques to help you (be sure to sign up for email notifications so you don’t miss out!!).
For now, start. Improve, re-read, and edit later.
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So that’s all for today. A bit of a shorter one, but I just wanted to address a couple of the big queries and concerns I see most often.
Did any of these tips strike a chord with you? Let us know!!
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Thanks for reading!
