La Novella

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Consider the novella. Is it popular pulp fiction? Rare and ambiguous? Is it an unappreciated  and undervalued art form? Is it more like a short novel, or a short story written by somebody with a tendency to ramble? What is the actual length definition of a novella for you, or is it more about subject matter? Is it the bastard red-headed stepchild of the publishing world or what?

Oh yeah, what are your favorite novellas, do you enjoy them generally, and do you think that writing a novella is a good in-between step for somebody who's written a few short stories, poems, narrative essays, and unusually lengthy fanfictions, but isn't yet prepared to commit to an actual novel?

[Tripe]

Heart of Darkness would be my favorite.

I think the nebulous nature of the novella is actually a useful thing, it allows for a writer who becomes caught up in their own story to continue on with what had begun as a short piece.