I thought I was writing a novella. I think I might be writing a novel – albeit a short one. I think I might be on the cusp around the 50,000 word mark, although it would be longer were the language used different, as my protagonist Aiyana speaks in an unusual and abbreviated syntax. Of course the world and her/his dog will tell you that publishers want at least 60-70,000 words for a novel and that trying to get a novella published is hopeless. So what to do in the face of the statistics* and the advice?
Write on – this is my considered solution, let the book be the size it wants to be and worry about all of that later, much later. Here is a brief extract:
I watch the dreamcatcher grandma make me, it blow at the window. Wonder why it ain’t enough to stop this evil spirit. I know she make it from honeysuckle vine she hang out to dry for six whole months. I know she cleanse it with white sage and even though I grown it got owl feathers for protection. Grandma say every dreamcatcher different, weave take on it’s own shape so only good dreams come. But seem like even though she do everything in her power it ain’t enough. Bad dreams coming so I scared to even fall asleep, dream of the river sucking at my throat, dream of the court house, I is standing there and not reading the words of the book. My dreams full of books and I not know what they say, I try to speak the words but my tongue thick and my face red.
Rest my head on the pillows mama gave us, try not to fall asleep. I is eagle far above the water, circling over the bluff. Listen for the river song calling me, it saying I cannot stay. I pray moth night will pass, make up my mind that when morning come and Silas go to work I find Lyle and tell him. I got to leave, we got to go now. Lyle, he my only hope..
*’According to Amazon’s great Text Stats feature, the median length for all books is about 64,000 words. The figure was found through looking at a number of books’ text stats, until Brave New World’s 64,531 word count landed in the exact center of all books–50% of books have fewer words and 50% of books have more words.’ Huffington Post
