I posted yesterday I planned on doing a prequel to the Alex Kagan series with a novelette about how her grandfather escaped Nazi Germany and ended up falling into the world of Practical Kabbalah. But I realized it is not possible to due her grandfather justice as a novelette. I am going to have to make this at least a Novella. I know not everyone knows the differences but here is the standard word count breakdown in fiction.
A Short Story, under 7,500 words.
A Novelette, between 7,500 and 17,500 words
A Novella, between 17,500 and 40,000 words
A Novel, over 40,000 words.
As I started plotting and thinking about the various ways I was going to tie this into The Sexton and the Reaper and my work in progress TBD an Alex Kagan Novel. I just knew I couldn’t tell this man’s story in under 17,500 words. So novella it will be. I’m not sure how it ends yet, but I know it starts when he is 10 and stuck in Nazi Germany and continues well into his adulthood. His story just doesn’t want to be told in short form. I doubt I will make it into a full length novel because I am too eager to finish Alex Kagan Book 1. But I hope to have it filled out enough to satisfy most readers.
But I still have a problem. Other than his last name Kagan, I have no idea what his first name is. As I mentioned in my last post I’m looking for a good German or Eastern European Jewish first name for her grandfather. Give me your best shot. Winner gets a free copy of The Sexton and The Reaper or My children’s book Egret the Elephant. Winner’s choice! The contest is on Facebook, but it’s a public post, so you don’t have to be “friends” with me to participate. Here is the link. https://www.facebook.com/coreyjf/posts/10200259348020765. Please post your name(s) their.
