Out Law, novella (?)

[RobReece]

What about Websters?

[g33k]

What about Websters?

Pretty sure I'm already on the mod's radar as Sufficiently Anal Retentive for this thread plus a few more.  But hey, if you wanna join me in Freudland, it's a big tent these days.

[Dina]

dresedenfiles.fandom.com says Backup and The Warrior and Aftermath and Bombshells are all "novelettes," and The Law is a novella.
I'm... not sure I'm helping.
 

You are, because I asked if Backup was not a novella, and, apparently, it is not. It is a novelette. So, we are probably expecting for a story longer than Backup. That is cool.

[Mira]

You are, because I asked if Backup was not a novella, and, apparently, it is not. It is a novelette. So, we are probably expecting for a story longer than Backup. That is cool.

    I wonder who decides which is which?

[RobReece]

  I wonder who decides which is which?

If we're just talking about whether to call it a novella or a novelette,, I'd hope that it's Jim. But my guess is the publisher.  If we're talking about the decision to write a short piece vs. a longer one, I might say the same thing,  but I don't think Jim went through his publisher for The Law, so Jim?.

[Mira]

If we're just talking about whether to call it a novella or a novelette,, I'd hope that it's Jim. But my guess is the publisher.  If we're talking about the decision to write a short piece vs. a longer one, I might say the same thing,  but I don't think Jim went through his publisher for The Law, so Jim?.

  I just Googled it and went to a couple of sites, basically length or number of words are important.

A novelette is longer than a short story but shorter than a novella. The word count is usually between 7,500 words to 17,500 words.

Complexity is important, usually according to the web page I visited a novella is typically from one character's point of view, that fits, one was from the point of view of Thomas, the other was from Murphy's point of view.  However in latter years that has changed somewhat as far as number of "main" characters in either, also there are generally no chapters. Apparently chapters are also found only in novels.  Anyway that's what I found.

[Dina]

Thank you very much, folks. i love this forum.

[g33k]

    I wonder who decides which is which?

TBH, I do not believe these terms have universally-agreed-upon delineations.

I'm inclined to feel the OED is likely to be the closest thing we have to "authoritative" definitions, but even there I wouldn't necessarily be 100% confident.

[Mira]

TBH, I do not believe these terms have universally-agreed-upon delineations.

I'm inclined to feel the OED is likely to be the closest thing we have to "authoritative" definitions, but even there I wouldn't necessarily be 100% confident.

I imagine there are guidelines, word count does appear to be one of the important ones, then it does get a bit more flexible like point of view, number of main characters that has changed over the years. 

[g33k]

I imagine there are guidelines ...

I'd ask 2 questions:  whose guidelines are these?
And then... who else has some "guidelines" that differ?

To be clear:  I do see that information is out there.

But I don't see that any clear consensus definition exists.
Everyones' definition is similar-ish, with varying degrees of "ish"

[Mira]

I'd ask 2 questions:  whose guidelines are these?
And then... who else has some "guidelines" that differ?

To be clear:  I do see that information is out there.

But I don't see that any clear consensus definition exists.
Everyones' definition is similar-ish, with varying degrees of "ish"

There is a website called MWEditing, the author goes extensively into the difference in number of words, point of view, characters for each and also the history of how it got to be what it is today.  It isn't a math problem, so yes, there might be some wiggle room between definitions, but there are general rules to go by.  This website is pretty comprehensive on the subject.