Making Short Fics Longer
I know the joke about fic writers is that we sit down to write a 1k short fics and end up with 10k, but a lot of us struggle with that, me included, and after a friend mentioned it was an issue for them, I thought I’d post what works for me using a quick fic I wrote for a prompt as an example. I’ll post some links to articles and resources at the end of the post.
Also, there are a lot of experienced writers in fandom, so if anyone has some additional advice, please feel free to add to the post!
When I want to add length, I ask questions about my fic that the fic doesn’t really answer well or in detail. Here’s my first paragraph from Persuaded:
Goldanna tied on her bonnet just in time to notice Varel approaching. She dipped the brim so he couldn’t see her scowl. Damnable man, always popping up with some sort of business just when she was about to take some time for herself. She would have loved to give him just the tiniest slice of her mind, but seeing as he was several steps above her on the ladder at Vigil’s Keep, she’d have to bite her tongue yet again and pretend to have some patience for civilities. For a time at least. She forced on a thin smile and raised her head.
Some questions:
Where precisely is Goldanna in Vigil’s Keep?
What does Goldanna look like?
How had her days been going before this?
What does her bonnet and clothing look like?
What is her impression of Varel’s appearance?
What is the day like and how does it affect her mood?
In fanfic I tend to lean a LOT on what the reader brings with them since they’re often as familiar with the world as I am, but it does mean I get lazy. I could have easily expanded that one paragraph to two or three by diving into more description and putting more work into establishing details that would have answered the questions I asked.
Even just keeping to the one paragraph I could have used description to add more words. Here’s a revised version of the first bit of the paragraph:
Goldanna stood just outside the door to her small home and tied on the bonnet Amelie had given her long ago. Her friend had brought it back from Orlais, and despite the delicate pink ruffle along the brim, and the green satin ribbon that slipped through Goldanna’s fingers as she tied the bow, had declared it, “suitably plain for a Fereldan.” Just as she finished, Goldanna noticed Varel approaching.
There! I just went from 12 words to, um, 69 words. If I thought about the questions more and how to incorporate my responses to them into the piece, I could have easily built out another paragraph or three.
You’ll notice that I can’t include more description without including more background and character stuff, but heck, those are also tools for expanding your work. More description gives your reader a clearer mental picture of the scene, background and character stuff gives them a richer understanding of your character.
You can also fill out the dialogue. Here’s the main part of the exchange in my story:
Ser Varel, a fine day to be out in the yard, isn’t it?” She sounded daft, but pleasantries were expected and after all, it was a beautiful spring morning. “Yes, yes it is!” He returned her smile though his was a good deal more genuine. “A pleasure to have the rain finally done with.” Ah. Perhaps this was about the Keep’s washing then. Things dried slower when her crew had to hang them inside the laundry, and there was just the beginning of a backlog. “It surely is. I’ll be glad of the chance to get caught up on work. Just mean to have a quick walk outside the walls before I start.” She nodded towards the gate and picked up her skirts to save them from the yard's mud. Hopefully the man could understand the hint. There were small pleasures her life here afforded her that Denerim had never offered, and a stroll along the trade road on a blessedly clear and warm spring morning was one no man, no matter how senior his position, was going to deny her. “Oh, yes. Well.” Varel glanced at the gate. “Rue mentioned you’d planned that. I rather hoped —” “Oh no, I’m having my walk, Ser. I understand there’s work to do, but I’ve an hour before Rue needs me at the laundry.” There were birds singing to her outside the walls and she had to be standing here listening to him demanding time of her that she had no intention of giving him. “I understand that, I do, I simply wanted —” “And I wanted to have a walk.” Goldanna’s smile disappeared. Varel was, as far as he went, a good man. He was firm with his orders and fair in his demands. His smile was pleasant on a face that was handsome enough, but none of that had earned him any special regard from Goldanna. “I promise you, Ser Varel, as soon as I get back I’ll once again shackle myself to the washing tubs, but it’s been three days of rain while I kept myself in that damn laundry scrubbing every piece of cloth your people brought to me. I’ve earned a walk.”
Actually, I wouldn’t expand this too much. I wanted 3 solid beats to that bit, so I’m happy, but on to the last part:
She turned to march toward the gate, but Varel threw up his hands in surrender. “Please! I understand that! I’ve no intention of stopping you.” Suspicious, she narrowed her eyes. “Isn’t that exactly what you’ve been doing?” “It’s exactly what I’ve been trying not to do.” He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, something Goldanna had seen people do on more than one occasion when they’d had a run-in with her. Then he opened them and offered her an arm. “I only meant to ask if I might accompany you. For me, it’s been three days of being shut in an office reading through stacks of papers. I can’t think of a more fitting way to enjoy the end of that than spending a bit of time enjoying this day in your company.” Goldanna stared at the proffered arm. He was mad. His three days must have driven him a good deal more stir-crazy than her if he thought her company was something to enjoy. Still, maybe there was something to admire, just a little, in a man who could take a small tongue-lashing from her and then decide to put himself at risk for more. She took his arm and tried not to think too hard about what folks might say. “Fine. You can come along. Just know that I’ve no intention of hurrying back.” “Of course. I don’t think I could hurry you if I tried.” His smile returned, and Goldanna grudgingly admitted to herself that it was indeed a very pleasant smile.
More questions:
Why does Varel think he’d enjoy her company?
Why is he interested in her to begin with?
What are they going to do on the walk?
What does the walk lead to for both of them?
I never have liked the quick wrap up on this piece, but it was a quick thing done for a prompt, so it’s fine. If I wanted to make it longer, I’d probably make the end less resolved, and then take it to another scene where I could address some of those questions.
I’d pick up with Varel telling her about some plant, a description of it, some dialogue where her interest in him (if not in the plants) is growing, some reveals about why he seems to like her, etc.
If I didn’t want another scene, I could at least tease out that last bit of dialogue more and maybe have a few more lines of her being stubborn and him revealing more of why he’s interested. The other great thing about dialogue is that it can meander a bit. The characters don’t always have to stay precisely on target. Goldanna might have asked about his paperwork while she thought his offer over. Varel might have complimented her bonnet in an attempt to up his chances.
I also could have introduced another character, like one of her younger kids, for a tiny bit, to give Varel and the reader to see Goldanna at her best. Maybe someone delivers a note to Varel. I often forget there’s a world world going on around the main characters and that sometimes having that world interrupt them can be helpful. I just have to make sure that any interruption serves the characters and stories I’m trying to write.
So!
Ask questions. To address those use things like descriptions of the setting and characters, background information, consider adding a character, teasing out dialogue, and maybe consider adding a scene to go deeper.
If you want an exercise, take something of yours that's short, start interrogating it and see where you can add more.
Here are some additional resources with more suggestion:
13 Tips to Help You Lengthen Your Short Story
The Right Way to Expand a Too-Short Piece of Writing
