Ask Jerry
Short Story or Novel
Asked by Ulises Amaya on July 5, 2020
Hey Jerry,
I'm on page 50 of a first draft story that I initially intended as a short story but now seems to be too long. Do you recommend throwing every idea I have into the story and going for a full length novel or keep a shorter length in mind and strip away in the second draft?
Jerry's Answer
It's be hard to say without seeing it, Ulises, but you might try both. Let the story take you where it will and then see what you have. If it holds up as a novel, great, but you can also then attack the whole and see how tight you can make it, even to the point of using part of it as a short story.