Connie Berry--Mistletoe and Murder, a novella

DEBORAH CROMBIE: It's never too early for a Christmas treat, right? We have the perfect one for you today, just the thing to get you in the mood for the upcoming season. Connie Berry is here to talk about a new addition to her wonderful Kate Hamilton mystery series. But wait--this is Book 4.5?? What up with that? Connie will explain forthwith!

WHY A NOVELLA? My Top Five Takeaways

by Connie Berry 

Yesterday I published my very first novella, Mistletoe and Murder, Book 4.5 in the Kate Hamilton series. A novella is a form of prose fiction, usually between 20,000 and 40,000 words, putting it somewhere between a short story and a full-length novel.

Did you know that many of our best-loved works of fiction are novellas? The list includes A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; Animal Farm by George Orwell; The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway; Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote; The Turn of the Screw by Henry James; and (my favorite) The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark.

Why write a novella rather than a novel? I’ll explain why I did, but first let me tell you about my story:

Kate Hamilton and DI Tom Mallory have finally set a date for their wedding—Christmas Eve. As Kate wraps things up at the Cabinet of Curiosities, Kate’s friend Sheila Parker brings in a coin collection for appraisal. Sheila is getting married, too, and plans to sell everything in preparation for her new life. Sadly, none of the coins are valuable, but Sheila claims to possess a £5 gold sovereign, minted in 1839 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Victoria—one of the most beautiful British coins ever struck. The coin, Sheila says, was presented by Queen Victoria to her great-great-grandmother, a laundress at Windsor Castle, along with a personal letter. That could change history—if Sheila can locate the coin and letter amongst her late mother’s boxed-up possessions. When Sheila vanishes, leaving behind a single bloody fingerprint, Kate fears her friend’s life is in jeopardy—along with her own wedding plans.

I became fascinated with novellas while reading Jodi Taylor’s rollicking time-travel series, The Chronicles of St. Mary’s. The series to date includes fourteen full-length novels and no fewer than thirty-two novellas. Good for her, I thought. Novellas are perfect for busy readers with short attention spans and a clever way to use those inevitable “outtakes,” scenes left on the proverbial cutting room floor. I began to change my mind when I read Nathan Lowell’s claim that he can write three novels in the time it takes him to write one novella. Really? I was reminded of Blaise Pascal’s famous line, “I would have written a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time.” Obviously, there was more to writing a novella than I’d imagined. Then I read what Ian McEwan said about novellas: I believe the novella is the perfect form of prose fiction. It is the beautiful daughter of a rambling, bloated ill-shaven giant (but a giant who’s a genius on his best days). I love that image. So much is communicated in a mere two sentences.

Intrigued, I decided to try my hand. The timing was perfect because a plot line that had been floating around in my head for months wasn’t enough to fill a whole novel, and try as I might, all the subplots I came up with felt like add-ons rather than integral parts of a unified story. Would the plot line make a good novella? There was only one way to find out.

I loved writing Mistletoe and Murder. The 38,000 words were exactly enough to tell the story. And I learned a few things in the process. Here are my top five takeaways:

1.  1. Count every word.

In general, the more precise the language, the more powerful the message. This is true for all writing, but especially so in shorter fiction. Colorful, evocative nouns and strong, powerful verbs can do much of the heavy lifting without the need for adjectives and adverbs. Every word counts.

2.   2. Condense the elements.

Novellas have all the elements of full-length novels but in condensed form. There will be a main plot line and perhaps one or two subplots—no more. The cast of characters is smaller, and the time frame is shorter. In Mistletoe and Murder for example, the main plot is Sheila’s disappearance; the subplot is the wedding—will it happen or not? I kept the list of supporting characters to a minimum. The entire story takes place in the six days leading up to Christmas Eve.

3.   3. Clarify the conflict.

Conflict drives the plot forward. What does your protagonist want? What or who is preventing it? What is he or she willing to do to achieve the goal? The central conflict in a novella must be clear, focused, and always in view.

4.  4.  Check the pacing.

The shorter length of a novella requires a faster overall pace with little time for back story, flashbacks, long passages of narration and description, or multiple points of view. The story’s trajectory begins early and moves forward without side trips and delays. Limiting the time frame helps.

5.    5. Create an emotional punch.

In this, a novella is no different than a full-length novel. You want your readers to connect emotionally with your main character and care about what happens to them. Writing Mistletoe and Murder was emotional for me. I hope that comes across.

So what do you think? Do you like novellas? Have you written one? If you have, what were your takeaways? 

Connie Berry writes the award-winning and best-selling Kate Hamilton Mystery series, set in the UK and featuring an American antiques dealer with a gift for solving crimes. Connie was raised by antiques dealers who instilled in her a passion for history, fine art, foreign travel, and all things British. She is a member of MWA, CWA, and Sisters in Crime, and she currently serves as President of Guppies. Her debut novel won the IPPY award for mystery, and her books have been nominated for the Agatha, Daphne, and Edgar awards. Connie lives in Ohio and northern Wisconsin with her husband and adorable Shih Tzu, Emmie.

DEBS: Okay, full disclosure here. I'm a huge fan of this series (you're going to be hearing that alot from me this week, but no apologies!) and I have to admit I was a wee bit disappointed when I realized it wasn't a full length novel. But I was thrilled have more Kate and Tom, at any length, and now after reading Connie's reasoning on the novella, I'm very intrigued and I can't wait to dive in.

READERS, how do you feel about novellas?