60,000 unexpected words

In yesterday's post (about the "soft stuff") I quoted award-winning author, Alexander Boldizar, on the importance of long-form fiction. 

In other words, big novels.

Not necessarily epic 500,000-word fantasy novels. But books in the 90,000 to 150,000 word range. My first novel, Much Ado About Corona — for a completely biased example — ended up being 150,000 words (500 pages).

It wasn't intentional. After thirteen rewrites, it was only a little past 90,000 words — the most popular length for a novel. But rather than my beta readers asking me to abridge, cut and butcher — they were asking for more content to be added. More hero's journey character development for Vince. More scenes with the villain (Constable "Corona" Mackenzie) going from mild-mannered cop to COVID psychopath. More scenes with Raj, the reluctant hero who'd rather just get the shot than see his anti-vax friends shot for real. 

Oh, and then there was the extra "Moonbeam" chapter that was so much fun to write and read...

So, I ended up going back to work on the manuscript for another eight months, adding about 50 new chapters — 60,000 words. I was a bit concerned people would find it too long. Instead, readers complained it was still too short.

For example, one reviewer gave it four stars instead of five on Amazon, saying, "My only complaint is that the story ended up being incomplete, to be continued in Book 2 (which has not yet been published -- oh no!!)."

Fret not. Book two is half-done. But you can help warpspeed its arrival by leaving your own review on the Amazon nearest you (and on GoodReads ). The more reviews you leave, the more books I sell — for as Frank Herbert used to say, "Money to a writer is time to write."

John C.A. Manley

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona, All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of philosophical fiction that are "so completely engaging that you find yourself alternately laughing, gasping, hanging on for dear life." Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber.