Expanding text

Perhaps, rather that thinking of it as 'expanding text', you could look at fleshing out your characters and perhaps your plot as well. That will keep you away from the idea of adding in words for word-count sake, and lead you towards a more integrated result.

But it might be that you have a gift for shorter writing, and that the novel length is just too long for your style. There are some wonderful books that are basically linked short stories.

My first tip is: decide where it is that your story is lacking, and then try to shore that part up with the appropriate tools and tricks.

Some authors, for example, are very strong on action and page-turniness, but less strong on, say, motivations or emotions. Other authors are very strong on world building but their plot is not as complex as it could be. In either case, addressing the lack will add words.

Of course, you might find that the whatever is 'lacking' might be fixed by 'less' rather than 'more'. A story lacking in clarity might need to have a few darlings cut, for example.

My second tip is: The Emotional Craft of Fiction. The exercises therein will lengthen and improve your story, by adding emotion. But this tip only applies if emotion is lacking in your story.

I edit and rewrite about a million times anyway.

Click to expand...

Me too. Tight and punchy is good, and going deeper in the right spots is great.

tammons said:

Not just expanding text to add words. I figured out long ago that doesn't work for me.

Click to expand...

Oh, good - I was just working from your thread title. So, yes, deepening and shading and colouring are excellent ways to approach the task. I like to try listening to my characters and asking them questions. It's one of my fave parts of writing.

Good luck

My first drafts are always short (WAY shorter than genre expectations) and I use the subsequent drafts to expand.

While I've done the

More in depth character development. More visual world building. Getting into the head of the narrator

Click to expand...

my favorite things to add are conflict and tension.

The best example I have from my own work was an auction, which in the first draft my character lost and and it was disappointing and oh, well. But auctions are naturally rife with conflict and tension, right? So in subsequent drafts I really played that up, drew out the scene, and I added what I thought was a much more interesting and engaging scene.

MythMonger said:

My first drafts are always short (WAY shorter than genre expectations) and I use the subsequent drafts to expand.

While I've done the my favorite things to add are conflict and tension.

The best example I have from my own work was an auction, which in the first draft my character lost and and it was disappointing and oh, well. But auctions are naturally rife with conflict and tension, right? So in subsequent drafts I really played that up, drew out the scene, and I added what I thought was a much more interesting and engaging scene.

Click to expand...

I was thinking something similar when I woke up this morning. A few fraught moments (scenes) that technically might not need to be in the story can be added (or augmented) in low-tension parts.

If a character enjoys a sport, say soccer, it can come in through props they push out of the way in one part of the book, the reason for their physique in another part, and then a big game (scene) where they get knocked off their feet but they make the goal (or they don't) can be fun to add, too.

I struggle with 'under writing' so much. Great advice, I'll be watching this thread!

A trick I use (because I also write short), find places with "quiet time", like where you say "One week later" or "the next morning" to skip some time with not much happening. Figure out something to put there. They're often excellent spots for character development or bonding, and can potentially lead to new subplots that make room for even more things.

I always write minimalist and go back and add things in revision. I know that I'm doing it and I know what needs to be added. I'll even leave myself notes in the manuscript on what to expand on and I also maintain a "revision notes" list of things I know need to be changed or expanded when I come back around to it.