: Re: How do I make my book longer? I have a writing tendency where I get straight to the point, especially when I already have an amazing storyline. The ending goes especially quick. I need to

@Moriarity138

Vote Up Vote Down

I have the same issue, and I've come to realize I'm conceptualizing it wrong. It's not that my books are too short, it's that they are missing important things that make up a full reading experience. For me, it's often mainly visual details. My books tend to be dialogue focused, like a screenplay, as opposed to possessing the rich fabric of sensory detail featured by most beloved books.

You may also be shortchanging character development, important scenes, and subplots in your headlong rush to make it to the end. A good rule of thumb is that your late drafts should be editing down something bigger into something tight and trim, not trying to expand a skeleton into a full body. (That's the job of your early drafts.)

I would encourage you to make the same transition I'm trying to make in my own work. Become less goal focused, and live more in the pleasures of each scene of the book, rather than just making it a headlong race to the end. Unless you're already under contract to deliver something by a certain time, there's no real value to getting there quicker, if it doesn't have the quality. A rushed book is like taking personal notes --it means something to you, but it won't live for the final audience. You need to write for them, not you.

(0)

Login to post a comment!