Jude's Blog

• Hell that’s WHY I follow you! @jane_l: i’m going to start #RRTheatre. Will B tweeting abt bad porn&tarot cards. Pls consider unfollowing #
• @jane_l OMG, so the “hero” plays with guns? #
• LOL…sure thing! @jane_l Plus looks like a model=safe #RRtheatre #
• Well, I’m right there with ya! @bookwhore OMG.Corky Nemic is in this!I loved Parker Lewis Can’t Lose.I think I just dated myself big time #
• Oh yeah strawberry beer rocks! RT: @bookwhore: Mmm… Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager. Very very nice. #
• Oh yeah. It’s a microbrew. I don’t think any of the big names make it…yet? RT: @RoseMarieWolf: @judel Strawberry beer? Really?? #
• Dang, now I’m in the mood to go out looking for it @limecello @RoseMarieWolf @bookwhore strawberry beer is one of the few i’ll drink @rebyj #
• Oooh, that’s right down the street! @bookwhore Brother brings it home from work. He’s in specialty foods at Whole Foods Market. #
• Yeah, let’s all get sloshed together! @limecello if i’m all drugged up & can’t drink the least i can do is get everyone else sloshed! #
• Ooh, haven’t seen that yet! How about pumpkin beer at Halloween? Surprisingly good! RT: @rebyj: @judel raspberry beer is YUM! #
• Hubby has made a request for ginger beer ??? Any1 heard of that? @RoseMarieWolf: Count me in! @limecello @bookwhore @rebyj #
• As long as it’s lager and not ale, I’m willing to try any flavor. @RoseMarieWol I am intrigued by different beer flavors… #
• @jane_l If you want anyone’s opinion, I feel it’s too retro and a bit shapeless. Another color would be better. IMO #
• LOL so true! @rebyj I turn twitter on and what do i see?? the @jane_l and @victoriadahl romance has moved on to sharing sexy photos online!! #
• Eeeeeeewwwwww RT: @bookwhore: Apparently Neanderthals disappeared because Cro-Mag’s ate them… http://tinyurl.com/ozacm2 #
• Yes, baking is much nicer than cooking. @rebyj considering actually COOKING but there IS a package of chocolate chip cookies somewhere #
• My stomach is growling but waiting for lunch. I’m going to a pig roast later. #
• No need to be embarrassed. You looked cute. @jane_l That was supposed to be a private DM to @victoriadahl. Am horribly embarrassed. #
• LMAO!! So mean! LOL @VictoriaDahl @jane_l @ElyssaPapa You can delete tweet, but Ely already using pic as wallpaper. #
• Dang, you can’t delete pics there? Sheesh, I notice that anyone can embed pic elsewhere! @jane_l trying to figure out how to delete pic. #
• Having a bad day? Best way to handle it. LOL http://yfrog.com/13gt9p #
• Oh so no prob us all using it as desktop? Looks like it’s still there though. @jane_l it’s deleted don’t care that Ely has as desktop pic #
• I’ll see if I can find ur email addy RT: @jane_l: @judel can u email me link? I thought I deleted it. #
• Maybe u should use twitpic from now. Lot easier to delete!! LOL RT: @jane_l: @judel I found it and deleted it. It exists no more. #
• I’ve made book trailers of a few of my books. Check them out! http://www.veoh.com/group/judesplace #
• I laugh everytime I look at that pic! RT @smokinhotbooks lol I could have used this twitpic yesterday #
• I second that! @foulpapers @VictoriaDahl @jane_l Kudos to you both. Although, can’t help thinking the world is losing out on some funny. #
• Yeah, the sparkly vamps aspect was a bit corny. @bookwhore: @mcvane The teen girl fantasy of sparkly vamps who can go into the sun (cont) #
• I hated the end of that movie. If he had waited 10 minutes, the sun would be up! grrrrrr @mcvane @bookwhore 30DoN…The ending surprised me #
• I disliked 30 days of night so much that I posted a review on my forum: http://tinyurl.com/nnukos @mcvane @bookwhore #
• Yeah, I guess that’s a good way of looking at it. LOL…thanks for RT btw. @mcvane: 30 Nights of Day is, in essence, a cat-and-mouse game. #
• I’ve got a question. Is o_O supposed to be someone raising an eyebrow?? #
• Makes more sense, still bad @mcvane it would be another two or three hours before the sun rise. Film didn’t clarify that. @bookwhore #
• LOL When is there ever a cure for vampirism? @bookwhore @mcvane He sacrificed himself. There was no magical cure. #
• Daily A-Z: D is for donut. Why are these so good? Especially when they’re filled with creme. I usually have to avoid donuts. Too much fat. #
• I guess I haven’t come across one yet. @bookwhore If an author wants to cure her vampire, she’ll find a way. The genre is unbelievably fluid #
• @literaryhall You got hate mail for that? Guess they should be allowed to run around having babies all the time that get put to sleep? Gee! #
• @VampireFaust Ooh, sounds like Underworld. Looking forward to seeing it. #
• @bookgasm Really? I was wondering if DMTH would be any good. I’m seeing Star Trek tonight. #
• @bamgalace Well, there is a second vote for DMTH. Guess it’s definitely worth a rental then. My hubby will not want to see it. LOL #
• U missed all that? lol j/k Jane RT: @mcvane: @jane_l You bought a retro swimsuit? You have a good taste! Which colour? And era style? #
• Watched the original Little House on the Prairie pilot today. Dang, you were young in that show! @MelissaEGilbert My secret is love. #

• They came upon a pier and Leo ducked behind a column. Viv stepped into the surf to avoid him jumping out at her. As someone jumped out #jrf #
• in front of her, she screamed and fell back into the water. Laughter and applause erupted around her as her best friend held out a hand. #jrf #
• “Damnit Tina!” Viv threw a handful of sand as she jumped to her feet. Her friend laughed and embraced her. “Sorry, hun, couldnt resist.” #jrf #
• As she looked around at all her friends emerging from behind the pier, Viv scanned their faces for Leo. “Couldn’t have done it w/o my…#jrf #
• …accomplice,” Tina snickered, pointing over her shoulder. Relief flooded Viv as she locked gazes with him. “How did you know I’d come?” #jrf #
• Leo winked at her, “Tina said u couldn’t resist me.” Viv gasped, her mouth agape as she swung on her friend. “You didn’t!” Tina laughed. #jrf #
• “What can I say, I know ur type, girl!”She swung her arm around Viv’s shoulders and squeezed.”Now, lets go eat some cake and get drunk.” #jrf #
• “My type?” Viv gaped, her cheeks red as beets. She avoided looking at Leo as Tina steered her through the pier’s columns. A beer… #jrf #
• appeared in her hand, and Viv took a big swig. A long table covered with food had balloons tied around it. She shook her head in awe. #jrf #
• “U mad at me?” she sucked in her breath at his words. Not turning around, she shrugged. “Not really.” He nudged her face toward him. #jrf #
• “Liar…couldn’t help it though. Tina swore me to silence. I hope ur happy with surprise?” Viv finally smiled at him and nodded. “Yes.” #jrf #
• “I thought u didn’t like to follow the rules,” she teased. He looked puzzled for a moment. “Only with my friends.” Leo’s expression… #jrf #
• …softened as he moved closer. “Happy Birthday, Viv.” She felt his breath on her face as his lips gently touched hers, his warm and soft. #jrf #

I wanted more than just my twitter tweets, so I decided to write a short article on what I feel differentiates a story from a novella, and a novel.

There are many online publishers now-a-days, and they all have word length requirements. Most want a minimum of 60,000 words but will accept a range of less to a bit more. There is no set in stone cutoff for when a story becomes a novella or when a novella becomes a novel, since every publisher is different. I use the following cutoffs in my own writing, since they are even and tend to work well for me.

A story is the smallest of the three, of course. It usually only has one plot, maybe one smaller sub plot. Not enough words to go into too much detail with characterization or back story information. It starts quickly, gets straight to the point and then ends. I feel that a story is any amount of words up to 10,000. Some publishers will increase this number anywhere from 12,000 to 15,000 words, but I feel that anything in the 5 figures deserves to start with “novel”.

A novella can provide more detail. It’s a wannabe novel that didn’t quite reach its full potential. It can have a few sub plots in addition to its main plot. It is basically a short novel. Some people call these novelettes, but I think the proper term is novella. I use the word range of 10,000 to 50,000. Some publishers will say a novella goes to 60,000, since they don’t feel any novel should have less than that amount of words.

A novel is any full length story at least 50,000 words (at least 60,000 by some publishers). There is no maximum amount of words. Of course, if the book is too long, you risk boring your reader. Sometimes less is more, and I know that I don’t usually pick up a book that’s too big. You have to remember your audience when you write a novel. If you can’t tell the whole story in less than 100,000 words, you might consider breaking it up into a trilogy or a series.