Hi All,

This is my first post - so be gentle. This could have gone in either technique or inspiration but I figure inspiration is always a bit more joyous.

I write for a living and have recently finished my first novel. I am happily agented after some focused pitching.

I have been asked to add an extra 20-30,000 words to the story to fit the genre (and therefore make it more saleable). I am happy to do this as there are still things left to say, back story to develop and detail to add.

So I guess my novel isn't truly finished yet! I wanted to throw this out to the forum to see if anyone else has had to add significant amounts of words to their story, and if so, to ask how you set about it.

I look forward to your insight and inspiration.

Best,
F

Hi, idigokid and welcome to WW.

I just wanted to say that, though I've not experience of the exact situation you're in. But there are others on WW who have, so they should chip in soon. Meanwhile, have a nose around, join a group if you want consistent feedback on work, and ask for help if you need it. Dee and Nik are the Site Hosts, or just stand in the middle of the forum and shout!

Emma

Hi Indigo Kid and welcome to WW
I'm not in the lucky position of being agented (one lives in hope) so I can't answer your question, but I would be interested to know what genre your novel is in, as there was a recent discussion in Private Members about novel length and what word count various publishers prefer.

- NaomiM

Since indigokid can't get into Private Members, I've just posted on that thread to ask if anyone can pop out here and add their two penn'orth.

Emma

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all your responses. I'll be sure to have a mosey about the forums and see what I can find out, but if there is anyone in the private forums with similar experiences then I'd be happy to hear from you.

My main concerns are overwriting the extra content and over editing what is already there. Also any pointers on selecting story elements to expand on.

Naomi: The genre is thriller, although it isn't a rigid fit, so there is scope to try a few things out but it will ultimately appeal to that audience.

I've been informed that the average or perhaps expected word length for that genre is 90-120,000 words.

Cheers for now
F

One way to add extra content to an otherwise finished novel is to add or expand a sub-plot. Sometimes that can be done by enlarging the role of a currently minor character.

Yes, if you feel that what you've written is as you want it - the balance of backstory, the amount of detail (or lack of it) it may be wiser to expand a minor thread and weave it in, rather than write fundamentally against how you naturally do by doing drastic fattening it up (it's quite a lot of words you need) with material that earlier you judged unnecessary.

Emma

Hi Indigokid, welcome to WW and congratulations on getting an agent. It's not quite the same, but when I first landed my current agent, many years ago, he had read a manuscript of mine which he felt needed an extra dimension. It wasn't a question of bringing the word count up to meet a pre-conceived requirement. He just felt, I suppose, that the story as it was lacked something. From receiving his letter and meeting up with him, I had stewed a few things over in my head and basically come to the conclusion that I needed to develop the story of another character. I had concentrated exclusively on my main character and this had led to the book having a relatively narrow perspective. So I went into to the meeting and suggested developing the secondary character in a certain way, explaining why I felt it needed doing and he agreed.

I should add that that novel remains unpublished but the work I did led to him taking me on.

Hello again,

Thanks for all your good advice, it is genuinely appreciated. I've been locked in ye olde garret for the last two days and have developed what I hope is some good back story. But already other characters are clamouring to get more on-page time so I'm away to mow the lawn and do some serious brain storming.

One of the characters is already nagging me so much that I may even extend the ending - the result will be the same but the final denouement should have a little more drama and a little more bite! I have enough back story to weave in throughout - I hope - without breaking it.

It's a first person narrative so developing characters is a little different to third person but just as much fun. It seems like there have been a few ideas gestating in the background while I took a break from it. Hopefully it will now all come together - but for this one I think back story and character development is the way to go, and then weave and refine until it works and makes me want to read more.

I do love writing though, this is the fun bit working out how it's all going to work and seeing where the characters want to take you. Right, back to the mowing and some serious thinking.

Thanks again.

Hello, Indigokid. Congrats on getting your agent, and best of luck with the next stage!

Hope it's not too late to share some thoughts on your query? My first novel started out at only 65k (way too short) and my agent felt it needed a lot of beefing up - ending at 80k, in fact, so still pretty short. For me, that time, the lengthening was partly plot. It was just too linear - there was a central romance, and once the two characters concerned had found each other, there weren't really enough obstacles in their way. That is to say, there were external hindrancees, but no real tension within their own relationship, and my agent told me there needed to be more will-they-won't-they about it. That apart, there were issues about one of the main charcaters - I needed to beef him up and make him less nice early on, so that he could develop over the course of the book. Telling you it all like this, makes me realise what a shamblign amateur I was - basics like pliot tension and character development had totally passed me by!)

With my second book, the editing also involved some lengthening, though much less (from 115,000 to 122,000). It was mainly that my agent felt the ending was too abrupt: that not enough of the motivations were fleshed out nor the final issues sufficiently explored, and that instead in rarther ended with a sudden bang and everything left hanging. The editing therefore involved some layering in of explanations, and a little additonal knot-tying - adding two new chapters near the end, plus some paragraphs here and there within the final four chapters - though the ending still remains relatively open-textured.

Has your agent given you any framework form what it is he/she wants added? It seems odd just to ask for more words and not to give any guidance as to what aspects or areas need strengthening. My agent is alwasy very hands-on with this kind of advice - though I know they vary hugely in how much input they offer. But you could at least have a chat about it...?

Rosy

Hi RT104

Nope, good timing, I've just extended the work, bizarrely enough from 65k to 80k (and a bit) as well so good to know that this happens to other writers too. My only worry now is that I'll edit it to severely and make it short again!

My agent seems like a very nice chap indeed and has been great with what needs working on. Been chatting with him today actually and he has flagged up some essentials that need to be looked at in terms of subverting cliches and developing the protagonist's history further. So far I think I've got the tension but need more context.

I also paid for a read through from a recommended critique service and their report has been quite useful. There's a fairly extended flash back sequence a third of the way through which I may now revisit, initially it was there to keep the pace up but now that I've extended the story it may make sense to switch back to a linear narrative there.

It's certainly a steep learning curve, but definitely an enjoyable one. I've got to do an all over brush up and work through over the weekend, kick in any missing elements, refine description and metaphor - at that stage I'll have a better idea of what is there and what still needs working on - So I'll probably have a few more queries posted yet!

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Thanks for the good wishes btw, please ignore any typos above am flying out the door.