what is important while writing novel? quality or quantity?

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11 Answers

Darik Majoren Profile
Darik Majoren answered

Quality . . . You can have a thousand pages of frivolous drivel that someone uses to prop up broken furniture, or 300 pages of an intriguing tale that leaves the reader unable to stop reading until the finale.

The problem is the latter takes talent, while the former only takes time.

PJ Stein Profile
PJ Stein answered

Quality!  I once bought a novel that looked like it had a great plot. I couldn't wait to start reading it. I never made it past the second chapter  because of all the useless stuff the put it in.

Levi F. Profile
Levi F. answered

As far as the technical definition of "novel" goes, quantity matters to some regard, but once a certain point is reached, it shoudln't matter at all. And I'm often disappointed when I read a novel only to discover that much of it is filler.

Tom  Jackson Profile
Tom Jackson answered

I'm for quality also, and apparently quality requires sufficient length for a novel to be "good."

How long should your novel be to be published?

There is no simple answer to the question. Most adult novels are at least 60,000 words. The average adult fiction novel runs from 75,000 to 100,000 words. Non-fiction novels can have both more or less words but most publishable novels for the adult market, again, should be at least 60,000 words. Young adult and children's market novels are considerably shorter. They run on average from 45,000 to 75,000 words. Some novels aimed for a youthful audience are as short as 30,000 words.

Having an industry standard novel length can seem rather arbitrary, but there are some good reasons behind the set word count. And I am not jut talking about profits, although those are important too. If a novel is too short, more often than not there are plot holes and/or a lack of development in characterization, scene, and plot. However if a novel is loo long there is usually to much exposition and overwriting. Most authors, myself included, have a tendency to write either too much or not enough. Finding the happy medium is why the industry norm is out there. It is a formula that has been tested, works well for the readers, the publishing houses, and hopefully works well for the author too.

http://fiction-writing.yoexpert.com/writing-a-novel/how-many-words-does-a-novel-have-to-have-to-be-pub-29049.html

Rooster Cogburn Profile
Rooster Cogburn , Rooster Cogburn, answered

Quality and the ease to read it. I just read a book called : The Last Ship that they made a TV show out of and it was the longest most boring book I've read in years. Way too long and "windy". Nothing like what I've seen of that show either. Quality really makes a difference over quantity !

Cookie Roma Profile
Cookie Roma answered

I think quality is much more important.  That said, what is quality depends on the reader    Some people are more "plot driven" while others are "character driven."

David Johnson Profile
David Johnson answered

Hm, I am a student myself and I still know that feeling when you have to meet the requirements of the written task. And from my own experience I will tell you that no matter how much you wrote, the quality of your work should be at the first place. If you are not sure about your paper, you may have it checked by the writers I trust. Go to Marvelous Essay and check what they will do for you.

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