Writing Excuses

19.06: NaNoWriMo Revision with Ali Fisher: Length

Feb 11, 2024

Ali Fisher, editor at Tor Books and member of Rude Tales of Magic podcast, joins as a guest to discuss editing. They focus on the challenge of finding the perfect length for a novel and how it affects publishing and pacing. Techniques for cutting or adding in manuscript revision are explored, along with techniques for adding length without disrupting the plot. Narrative summary's significance in storytelling is discussed, and a writing assignment is given to listeners.

27:27

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Episode guests

Ali Fisher

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Understanding the target readership and purpose of the story is crucial for making effective length-related revisions.

Exploring missing elements, reverse engineering the outline, and reviewing the use of narrative summary are techniques for lengthening or shortening a novel.

Deep dives

Considering Length in Novel Revision

When revising a novel, length is a crucial aspect to consider. The episode discusses how the length of a novel impacts its reception and marketability. Different genres and age categories generally have expectations regarding word count. For example, middle-grade novels tend to be shorter, while epic fantasy novels can be longer. Pacing is closely tied to length, and finding the right balance is important. The episode emphasizes that the ideal length of a novel depends on the intended emotional impact and the specific genre and category. It encourages authors to assess whether certain elements of the story, such as description or emotional depth, need to be expanded or condensed. Overall, the episode suggests that understanding the target readership and the purpose of the story is key to making effective length-related revisions.

Introduction

3min

The Impact of Length on Publishing and Pacing

9min

Techniques for Cutting or Adding in Manuscript Revision

2min

Techniques for Adding Length to a Novel

13min

Exploring Narrative Summary and Scene Pacing

2min

Ali Fisher, editor at Tor Books and member of the podcast Rude Tales of Magic, joins us for a three-part series on editing.

First up: length! How do you edit your work—whether it's a book or a short story or a novella? Maybe you wrote a draft during NaNoWriMo, maybe you didn't-- either way, we want to help you figure out how to make your writing the perfect length.

Homework: Find two scenes next to each other from your writing. Remove the scene break and write bridging text between the two of them instead. Then, find a different scene that has that bridging text, and cut it into two different scenes so that you are removing it and creating new signposts. See what this does to length and your perception of the pacing.

Thing of the Week (from Ali Fisher): Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

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Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, and guest Ali Fisher. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.

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