April Warm Up Tasks

If you’re signed up for StoryADay May I have good news:

Starting tomorrow, I’m planning to send out tiny tasks, every week day in April, to help you warm up and get ready for a fantastic May. They’ll be here on the blog and, if you’re signed up for the challenge, in your inbox too.

They’re optional, should take less than 10 minutes, and can be done in batches at the weekend, if your week gets busy.

Not signed up for May yet? Sign up now:

So, You Want To Write A Novella?

Novellas are usually around 100 pages long, or between 20,000-50,000 words.

They have a long, proud history in the world of fiction, but have fallen out of favor in the past 60 years or so largely, I suspect, because of the economics of publishing, but also because we get our fix of this scale-and-scope of story in the movies.

(Think about it: a screenplay is around 120 pages)

OK, so longer than a short story or ‘novelette’ and shorter than a novel…but that can’t be the only difference, right? So what makes a novella, a novella?

Aspects Of The Novella

Well, like most movies, it largely

  • follows one character and
  • is limited 1-2 subplots (the way a series or a soap opera isn’t1),
  • tends to be limited to 1-2 sequences of time in your character’s life,
  • has a limited cast of supporting characters,
  • has space for us to get to know your characters better than we would in a short story (or commercial) but less well than we would in a novel (or series).

Further Reading

I’m not going to pretend to be an expert in this form, but I did dig up some good articles on the topic from people who can credibly claim that title.

Expert articles

The Novella: Stepping stone to success or waste of time? from The WriterMag

How to Write a Novella – With Paul Michael Anderson from ReactorMag (formerly Tor.com)

Reading List – Mystery

One-Sitting Mysteries: Crime Novels Under 150 Pages – from Murder & Mayhem

The Crime Fiction Novella – from Murder & Suspense

Reading List – Horror

The Strange Case of Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson

Nothing But Blackened Teeth, Cassandra Khaw

Reading List – Science Fiction & Fantasy

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

All Systems Red, Martha Wells

The Saturn Game, Poul Anderson

This Is How You Lose The Time War, Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

Reading List – Literary

Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan

The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Leo Tolstoy

Daisy Miller, Henry James

Discussion Questions

So what do you think? Is there room for this middle child of fiction? Do you want to try it? Have you? Do you like reading these kinds of very-short-novels or very-long-short-stories? Leave a comment.

  1. And when I say “a movie is”, obviously I mean ‘most’ and not ‘weird and wonderful arthouse experimental flicks’… ↩︎

I’m Talking About Practice

Visual artists keep sketchbooks. 

I’m not sure if it’s something they’re taught to do or something they’re compelled to do., but if you tried to tell a visual artist not to ‘waste their time’ on anything but the piece they’re trying to sell, they would blink uncomprehendingly.

The constant, unfinished, experimental sketches are essential fuel for their finished works.

We writers seem to have a lot more angst about doing writing that doesn’t ‘turn into something’.

  • Do you ever worry if you’re wasting time because you’re jotting down ideas or fragments of conversations? 
  • Do you feel pressure to be completing works and getting them published?

I think we feel this way, in part, because of the way “how  to write “reference books are written (Chapter 1: how to find ideas, Chapters 2-11: Craft techniques to develop those ideas; Chapter 12: how to get an agent, publisher, seven-figure book deal and then sell the film rights).

But a more powerful reason we feel pressure to craft finished pieces is that everyone can and does write, daily, even if it’s just text messages, and has been able to do it since they were a child. 

Writing seems ‘easy’ in a way that creating a painting or a sculpture (or writing a symphony), doesn’t. 

When the people in our lives ask, “when’s that book coming out” we feel judged (even if it’s meant in a supportive way).

And so we rush back to the Big Project full of good intentions and impatience, only to discover that crafting that big project feels like standing at the foot of Everest, in flip flops, and hoping to get to the top by next weekend…because we haven’t equipped ourselves properly, or kept in shape by doing sketches, crafting characters, drafting dialogue, and writing down our ‘what if’s on a daily basis.

An invitation to a training mission: This week, capture 3 Story Sparks a day, for five out of seven days.

Hand write them in a special notebook you carry everywhere or capture them in a note in your phone. Use a journaling (or journaling app) to add pictures and sound snippets, if that inspires you. 

Don’t worry about what you will do with these sparks. Just practice noticing how the world unfolds around you.

Keep writing,

Julie

Writing Prompts: Sensory Writing Series

A few years ago I put together a series of short story prompts aimed at helping you explore the different senses in your writing. You can use them in a larger work in progress, or you could write a series of short works that go together, tied up with the theme of ‘senses’.

  1. Smell
  2. Sound
  3. Touch
  4. Taste
  5. Sight

Bonus points: write about the fuzzier senses (sometimes lumped together as ‘proprioception’) that allow you to do things like walk downstairs without looking at your feet, stand up in the dark without falling over, and know how closely someone is standing behind you, even if you can’t see them.

Sneak Peek at some of the Guest Prompters for StoryADay May 2025

Get Ready to Write Every Day in May with Inspiring Prompts from Literary Legends

[25 March 2025] – StoryADay is thrilled to announce the upcoming 2025 StoryADay May challenge, set to inspire writers of all levels to write a new short story every day throughout the month of May. This year’s challenge includes exclusive guest prompts from some of the most exciting voices in contemporary fiction, including P. Djèlí Clark, Rich Larson, John Wiswell, Jennifer Hudak, Lori Ostlund and many more.

StoryADay May is a month-long writing event designed to challenge writers to commit to a daily writing practice and push their creative boundaries. This year, the challenge is made even more exciting with special guest prompts from award-winning authors who have contributed their own unique writing exercises. These prompts are crafted to spark new ideas, inspire creativity, and help writers explore fresh storytelling techniques.

Some of the literary luminaries who have joined this year’s lineup include:

  • P. Djèlí Clark, Hugo Award-nominated author known for his speculative fiction that blends history with bold new worlds.
  • Lori Ostlund, author of After the Parade and The Bigness of the World, whose beautifully crafted stories of human connection and transformation have earned her wide praise.
  • Rich Larson, whose gripping short stories and science fiction work have captivated readers worldwide.
  • John Wiswell, whose award-winning, inclusive fiction regularly appears in ‘best of’ anthologies.
  • Jennifer Hudak, an acclaimed writer celebrated for her short stories that explore identity, relationships, and the human experience.

These guest authors, along with others, are offering their personal insights and prompts to help participants unlock their imagination and make the most of the challenge.

Why Participate in StoryADay May?
 StoryADay May isn’t just about quantity—it’s about creating a consistent writing habit, connecting with other writers, and honing your craft. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, the challenge provides the structure and motivation to write every day. The guest prompts will help you approach your writing with new perspectives, while the StoryADay community provides a supportive environment to share your work and celebrate your progress.

How to Join:
 Writers of all levels are invited to sign up for the StoryADay May challenge at https://storyaday.org/signup. Participation is free, and registrants will receive access to the daily writing prompts and community support throughout the month.

Don’t miss this opportunity to join a vibrant, creative community and make 2025 the year you build your writing habit—one story at a time.

About StoryADay
 StoryADay is an online community dedicated to helping writers develop their craft and maintain a sustainable writing practice. With a focus on short fiction, StoryADay provides writers with challenges, prompts, workshops, and community support to help them reach their writing goals. Founded in 2010 by writer Julie Duffy, the challenge and community have become fixtures of the writing community, earning a frequent place on Writer’s Digest magazine’s, 101 Best Websites for Writers list