Difference between Novels and Novellas

One of the key features of Bushland Castle Productions is our Niche Publishing arm. There will be, if all goes to plan, a series of themed fiction and non-fiction novellas, annually. The First theme for the fiction series is the Otherworldly Emergence. We are aiming for 26 unique speculative fiction novels that encompass this theme. The non-fiction series that will be open for submission in August 2025 will be Australia: living in the 70s, we want real stories from people who were living in Australia in the 70s.

Novella Inspiration

My Inspiration for the Novella series was to have something similar to the mills and boon romance novels that were everywhere when I grew up (well in my 20s, not in teens) but not in the romance genre. A trusted brand that you can pick up and know that there is going to be a story that covers the complex nature of the theme in a fun and engaging way, but only takes a few hours or a weekend to read depending on your reading pace.

I love fantasy stories and because I love fantasy stories I haven't really read widely enough. Also every new story is a huge commitment. So another key feature for me is to encourage our writers to share a diverse range of stories within the speculative fiction genre. That could be anything from magical realism, alternate history, Fantasy, Sci-fi, superhero and many more. It is creative and subversive. Immersive and realistic. Paranormal and Meta. I cherish the idea that I will be taken on an adventure that will be the whole story in easy to consume bites.

I also think that there are key takeaways from memoirs that you can't find anywhere else. As a creative we are constantly learning and growing in many ways. There are s so many people with stories to tell that don't feel they have a place to tell it. They are not famous. Just everyday people overcoming challenges that others would find insurmountable. It is like having a cuppa with your grandparents and hearing about the good old days. Again, these can be presented in a number of ways. A biography is often quite long and big commitment to look behind the scenes on someone's whole life, but a memoir is just a snippet. In novella format you can read it in a few hours or over the weekend.

Novella Story Impact

There is an impact to the story writing in the novella category compared to writing a full novel. When writing something like a fantasy novel you would expect that there will be a word count of a minimum 90k words and with a novella there is a cap at 45k. So there is only so many things that you can fit into the shorter format. Realistically, it is the same as watching an episode of a show compared to a movie. An episode, when does well can still encompass a whole arc but there will be easter eggs that link it to the greater series.

With the other worldly emergence series, the Authors have been collaborating in a community setting to develop these easter eggs within the different stories. It could be a prologue that continues to develop its own unique linking aspect. It could be a character that has a way to over see each story. It could be a specific flower or a piece of jewelry that appears conveniently in each one. as the stories are still in the development phase and submissions are still open until the 27th of July 2025 there is no way to make a decision that everyone will be able to have there say on. Please feel free to send your ideas on through and let us know what you think.

So the cast of characters can't be huge for a novella. Because that will exceed the word count. Each character needs to have a purpose in the story and have a reason to be there. There would be no reason to include the name of the cashier and how long they have worked in the store in a novella. That would be a distraction from the main plot. It is said that there should only me 2 main characters in a novella, but the Authors in the Otherworldly Emergence Series have been very creative with the use of their characters so it is interesting to see how they fit more in.

The pacing within the story needs to be tight. You can't get distracted by side quests when there is a limit on the word count. The arc needs to reach its zenith earlier and there are less subplots than a full novel. This does not mean that is all there is for the story to tell. Some of the Authors are using their novella as a taster for a larger novel, but there is always a completed story in this series.

Depth of the world is impacted. If the story is set in a contemporary world, that reduces the need for the author to over describe anything. But when there is a fantastical element to the ordinary, the ready will have a chance to suspend their disbelief and embrace the adventure easier. This contemporary link that is being used in the Other Worldly Emergence series has come in really handy for the word count.

Creativity and diversity is increased in a novella. Because it is so fast paced and engaging for the reader there is no messing around. The writers are creative in the ways that they develop instant immersion into the scenes and they use tricks from a mix of genres to make it interesting.

Summing it up

Novellas provide an amazing opportunity for readers who are time poor. Like most people in this generation.

• They still have a full story arc and provide an immersive experience for the reader.

• They vary widely in range and genres, topic and story types.

• They maximise the use of character development and utilise a smaller cast.

• They are conscious of developing key areas of their world for maximum impact.

• Easy to read in a few hours or over the weekend.

If you have any thoughts on novellas, send through your thoughts. An exciting opportunity awaits between the covers.