By David Maillu
Published August 28, 2023

Crossing the Red Line by David MailluWhen you want to write a novel, one of the first questions which come to your mind is, “How long is my novel going to be?”

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Many unprofessional people begin by giving the novel specific length. Like, I want my published novel to be about 300 pages. Others think ambitiously of writing a longer novel. However, the  fact on the ground is that it is the flow of the story in addressing the subject matter which should determine the length of the novel. In other words, you write until you have finished addressing what you want to say in the novel fully. The problem is, if you decide on the length of the novel, you will not be guided by quality but quantity. You so easily run into the problem of outstretching the story in order for you to reach the intended length. You do so by including other unnecessary details which spoil the flow of the story.

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Hard Times Aren't Forever by Elizabeth NzimenyaThe length of the novel doesn’t necessarily determine the importance of the novel. There are short novels which beat the importance of long novels. To emphasize, down the road, it is the subject matter which gives the novel its quality.

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