I have almost completed my first draft of my novella - so far I have typed up a reasonable 23,555 words but I'm two chapters away from completion. I'm hoping to write within the novella word count limit although I'm worried on the fact my story cannot be published or the plot might confuse readers.
As I was typing I knew straight away that there are some bits that are in need of changing or tweaking but that could be done during the editing process.
I am asking, whether anyone has written a first draft story and thought of making big changes or cutting things out - things that aren't relevant or anything you feel that drags the story. Have you shared your drafts with others such as friends or family?
How would you make sure your story is completed to your standards?
I am rewriting a novel I first wrote and sent off ten years ago, Jannine. It wasn't accepted, and I stuck it on a shelf in a huff. When I got it out again last year, intending to polish it up and publish it, I realised how much work needed to be done. I'd lost track of the timeline so that too much happened in too few days; the female main character was a wuss, the hero still heroic but unchallenged. In fact I needed to add a whole new middle section to make the story work. It takes a long time to get it right - and you have to do that. Poor work is poor work, and lets down both writer and reader.
It's fair enough to have doubts about your work - writing is a solitary business and it's not just what we do but who we are. It's plain scary to think of putting it out there for someone else to read - but that's the whole point.
However, from what you say, you know there are faults in your story, and you can't ignore them just to stick to the word count. Your work has to be the very best it can possibly be.
Who has set the word count at around 25k? Novellas can vary depending on whether you are aiming for a particular publisher. Have a look on Amazon at other novellas and see how long they are.
There is a difference between editing and rewriting - a huge difference! If you have to make big changes to make the story work, then you have to make them.
Before sharing with friends and family, think; do they like the sort of story you've written? No point giving a soppy romance to your big brother, for instance - he'll be too bored to look closely for flaws. Will your relatives really tell you if they think it stinks? Will they know enough to say what's not quite right and why? These aren't the best people to judge unless they are avid readers of your sort of book, well-read, with a good eye for punctuation errors as well as noting where things go wrong.
When you have written and rewritten, printed it off, read it from start to finish, seen where things should be changed, seen where they go well, and are finally sure that the whole thing is as good as you can get it - then and only then can you be satisfied!