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What is a Novel? Character, Conflict and Change.

March 21, 2016 By Rachel Stedman

What Is a Novel?

Here’s my definition: a novel is fictional characters undergoing transformational conflict.

What does this mean?

Conflict can be internal, that is from inside the character, where the character grows and changes.  In A Room With a View, Lucy’s perspective on society changes.

Conflict can also be external – where the characters change in response to something outside themselves. In The Light Between Oceans ( a novel by my more famous namesake!) a lighthouse keeper discovers a baby girl and decides to keep a secret.  It’s also worth noting that, although generally fictional, a novel may be based on fact. (A little-known example of fact inspiring fiction is To Kill a Mockingbird.)

In a novel, characters don’t have to be human; the main characters in Watership Down are rabbits, and Beak of the Moon tells a story from the perspective of keas (mountain parrots). But even in these examples, the characters undergo conflict, and they learn something from this conflict that changes them.

Also, obviously, a novel, unlike a play, involves telling the story solely through writing.

How long is a novel?

A novel can  be as short or as long as the author decides, but for adult fiction the following generally applies:

  • A novella: between 10,000 – 30,000 words
  • A short story: between 1000 – 5000 words
  • Flash fiction: less than 1000 words.

And then there’s micro fiction, (I call this tweet-fiction) which is ubershort and almost impossible to write, because how can you set character, conflict and resolution into 140 characters? Ernest Hemingway did, though, in these famous six words: “For sale: baby’s shoes, never worn.”

In summary:

A novel is:

  • A written work
  • Fictional
  • Involves characters, conflict and change
  • Generally (but not always) requires a resolution.

At least, that’s my definition! Over to you, dear reader. What’s your definition of a novel?

Because that’s the nice thing about writing and reading – there’s no right or wrong. There’s only the reader and the words.

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Filed Under: Literature, Writing tips Tagged With: A Writer's Life, Reading, Writing Tips

About Rachel Stedman

Award-winning author Rachel Stedman lives in Dunedin, New Zealand with her husband and two children. Her first novel, A Necklace of Souls, won Best First Novel at the New Zealand Post Book Awards 2014. In 2012 Rachel was the winner of the Tessa Duder Award and was shortlisted for the Tom Fitzgibbon Award. If she's not got her nose in a book, she's on instagram or twitter (@rlstedman) or at her local library. Her website is www.RLStedman.com.

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