The Saga of Length

Many of you know that I've struggled with the length of So Not The Drama.

What started out as a 65,000 word book grew to 100,000 during the editorial process. (Don't Get It Twisted stands at a balanced 83,000). I nearly cried when I saw the copy edited version, because it was so long.

I won't call the issue of length a sore topic with me, but it's definitely a sensitive area. I smile graciously when the length is mentioned, while bristling every so slightly inside.

My editor assured me that thanks to Harry Potter, length of YA books isn't nearly as monumental a deal as it once was. She also said So Not The Drama flows and thus, the book doesn't read "long."

So I've come to terms with the size of So Not The Drama and I take some people's initial reaction to in stride. Still, you always feel like you have to defend yourself or, at the very least, explain how the book turned out so large.

So here goes:

- That's how many words it took for me to tell the story. DRAMA is the first in a series. It's the story of how the Del Rio Bay Clique is formed and it sets the tone for the rest of the series.

- I wrote DRAMA with the avid reader in mind. For the reader who loves books to the point that curling up with one for hours isn't just a regular past time but one of their favorites. Fair warning, based on size alone, So Not The Drama, may be intimidating for a reluctant reader.

- I'll use one of my all-time favorite authors (that's right, "the" King) who in defense of verbosity says "I think that in really good stories, the whole is always better than the sum of its parts." King goes on to say, "It's the journey that counts, and if it takes a felled rainforst to get there, so be it."

Now look, I'm NOT Stephen King. Not close. Not comparing my work to his. But I agree with his defense.

I've never balked at the size of a book - not now, not when I was young. But I'm an avid reader. Long books (long, good books) are manna from heaven.

I'm no longer worried about DRAMA's thickness. Good thing since I can't control it, now!

But I'm hopeful a few reluctant readers may tackle it. And here's why...

My aunt called last night. She received her copy of DRAMA. Her usual book flavors are biographies and other non-fiction. She admitted being intimidated by DRAMA's size, despite acknowledging that if it were a non-fic she'd relish the thought of jumping into it. After spending the bulk of her day avoiding opening the book, she finally gave in.

And guess what happened?

She found herself pulled into it.

We talked for a half hour about what she was enjoying about it and how she hoped her granddaughter (my cousin) who is the perfect age for the book, would try and see past the size.

I hope so too.

I understand that not everyone likes long books. It's what separates the occasional reader from the regular one.

So, my encouragement to reluctant readers is- the only way to know if you'll like a book is to start reading it. If you ever utter "this book is too long," while you're in the middle, it means the book isn't holding your interest. Because if you're enjoying a story, you want it to go on and on...and on.