Whether it's your first time or your sixth time, writing a novella in 12 weeks isn't easy.
As a 2021 ONC Winner and 2023 Honorable Mention, I would know. After years of participation and reflection, I have lots of advice to share on how I did it. In...
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Hi, all! This is the first mini-interview in a series with past ONC winners who have volunteered to reveal what they wish they knew before they started on their award-winning novella as well as their pro-tip about writing novella-length fiction in general.
The lovely Dante_greywolf, Grand Winner of the 2021 ONC, shared these answers with me last January. Please consider checking out Dante's work, especially if you're a fantasy fan!
Question One: What is one thing you wish you knew about the Open Novella Contest before you starting writing for it?
Because I only had three months to write the novella, I decided to set "The Last Werewolf" in my hometown [Antwerp]. I've lived here for thirty-two years- I know everything, right? No research needed.
Nope, I couldn't have been more wrong!
As the story progressed, I found myself losing a lot of time researching and studying maps. Vidar is also immortal and has lived in Antwerp for centuries, so whenever I referenced something from the past, I had to do research again. I learnt a lot about my hometown, so that was fun. But if I could do it all again, I would have done the research prior to ONC so I could focus solely on writing
Question Two: What's your best piece of advice or your favorite writing tip when it comes to working on novellas or entering your work into a contest?
I'm a slow writer, and those that have read my main fantasy series know that I like to take my time (pace-wise) to set up a scene, describe the scenery, and make small, gradual changes towards character growth (or their downfall, in case of one of my POVs).
I didn't have that luxury with a novella. Things had to move quickly. I limited myself to one POV, and I used a lot more exposition than I would have done in a full-length novel, just to get the basics of the world and the character across and get to the "good stuff."
So a tip I have for other ONC writers is to keep a steady pace, envision an end-goal that you work towards and don't get tempted by a side-plot that could be cool as well. You can always expand the story after ONC.
Also, know that judging books is really hard, and objective, and there is always a hint of subjectivity. Please be kind to the judges. If you didn't make it to the next round or the winners, it doesn't mean your story is bad.
