3 Tips to go from short to long-form writing ️ 

“Short stories are one of the hardest formats to write.”

I’ve heard this several times over the years from several different sources. But for me, going from a short story writer to a novelist was harder. Where I was used to getting things done with an energy-saving word count, I now had the opportunity to write more.

This is going to be easy, I thought at first. I struggled a few hundred times and have a proud folder of dozens of unfinished manuscripts. Then I followed Gerda Taljaard’s advice: I wrote each separate chapter as a short story, but when I finished my first novel, I still came up short.

I had to almost double my word count before considering submitting the book. So, I had to look at what I could do to write more without deluding my story.

1. Getting to know my CHARACTERS

First, I asked myself. Do I really know my characters? How will they react in a given situation? In some instances where I was unsure, I would act out different scenarios until my character’s reaction feels real. 

2. Is the SETTING a character?

When writing short stories, I tried to keep the description of the setting as short as possible. But during a visit home, I realised how the setting influences me. When I visit a place it usually influences my water intake, skin, and hair. It influences my comfort level, and that’s something I am working on incorporating more into my work.

So, ask yourself: how does the setting influence a character’s behaviour or the plot of the story? I don’t think Gabby in Om Jou Te Ken would’ve participated in the war at home, because she fears disappointing her mother too much.

3. Use a different POV

If you are struggling with a scene, write it from the point of view of another character. This usually helps me see the gaps in what I have written. Sometimes a different character opens new avenues, maybe they become the main character, or it reveals a relationship that becomes the heart of the novel. 

I recently used this in a WIP I’m working on and found that when I visualised the events from my secondary character’s perspective, additional chapters popped up – making the story richer.