I’ve written quite a few short stories with word counts ranging from 1,500 to 12,000. A few friends have suggested I expand some of these stories into novels. “…you know, just add another 70,000 words.” Easy for them to say!
At first this sounds like a great idea since a novel has the potential to earn more than a story, but at closer examination, the prospect has proven all but impossible. Well, impossible for me, anyway, since I’ve never actually completed a novel. As a tech writer, I’ve completed many guides and user manuals, some 90,000 words long, but fiction? So far, that’s been out of my reach.
I wrote a YA novel once, but it was more like a collection of short stories built around a central theme (similar to Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles). Since I never liked the ending to that YA adventure, no one has seen it. Whenever I tell someone I’m a writer, immediately they ask, “Oh, what have you written?” They’re referring to novels, of course; that’s when I have to admit I don’t have one of those.
I truly believe that some stories are meant to be short stories. What if someone had convinced Shirley Jackson that her story The Lottery needed to be much longer. Thank goodness, that didn’t happen. Her story is perfect at about 3,500 words.
And yet, I want to believe that some stories can successfully be expanded into novels (e.g. Ender’s Game started as a story). Over the last two years I’ve written three spec fiction stories that I’d like to turn into novels. I’ve fussed with them and added a couple thousand words to each, but I just can’t seem to go any further. Yep, I know; I need to build a Plot!
Since I changed hats from a tech writer to a fiction author, I’ve become a solid pantser, yet pantsing a story only takes me so far. I can pen good short stories, with tension, emotion, believable characters, surprises, and hooks—stories that win contests and get published, but a whole novel? Not even close. I marvel at members of my writing group who pen novel after novel. I visit their websites and groan at their impressive titles and book covers.
So how could I successfully transform a short story into a novel? Would I pad every page, every section, every chapter until I reached the desired word count? Not necessarily. When Stephanie Orges wrote about this subject she explained: “Should you go back and expand on the parts that lead up to the climax? No. If you are writing just to drag out the beginning, that’s all it will be – a drag. Instead, try picking up where you left off at the end of the short story. Ask yourself what happens next.”
Okay, so I kept looking. In another article about this process, an author wrote: “Contrary to what others will tell you, I think ideas for short stories and ideas for novels are fundamentally different and one cannot be turned into the other.” Hmmm. That makes sense too. At last I found “Five Techniques to Develop Your Short Story into a Novel” on Writer’s Relief. The author’s advice included a section on common pitfalls in this process. I agreed with everything he wrote, including the line: “Not all short stories are meant to become novels.” I see that, but I think the three stories I’ve selected are good candidates for this transition.
For instance: The sci-fi story is about two guys and their experiences with space travel and aliens. To make the story longer, I can add more characters, including a female. That should be good for another 10,000 words. I can expand existing settings and add a few more, which would add another 6,000 words. I can create a frightening near-death accident to add another 3,000 words. I still don’t see how that will get my story to 90,000 words, but one step at a time.
Through the Internet I’ve found a few ways to accomplish my feat of story expansion, but perhaps the most important next step involves plotting the new parts.
Groan.
Ann is a former English & Computer Science teacher, tech writer, and instructional designer. She has a B.A. in English & a Masters in Computer Science. She has written and published many short stories and articles and has co-authored and copy-edited numerous books. She’s won writing awards in most categories, including flash fiction. She lives in Utah, is president of the Just Write chapter for the League of Utah Writers, and has been a member of RMFW for years. She attends the Western Slope meetings when she can.