What the heck is a Cupcake Novelette?

I describe my current series of writing projects as Cupcake Novelettes. What exactly does that mean? Well, a novelette is a piece of short fiction which is longer than a short story and shorter than a novella (obviously, much shorter than a novel), and falls between 7,500 and 17,499 words. Mine are always a minimum of 10,000 words. The average Young Adult novel is 40,000 to 60,000 words, so my Cupcake Novelettes are about 1/4 the size of those.



Why cupcakes? Because, like my novelettes, a cupcake has all the deliciousness of its larger counterpart, but packed into a smaller size. It can be easily consumed in one large mouthful, or enjoyed in several bites if you prefer. My Cupcake Novelettes are stand-alone, complete stories which focus on short, distinct periods of high conflict in my characters' lives. They are the perfect length for reading during a short flight or a long study hall.

Sometimes you want a cake, to enjoy over several days, or even to sit and eat in one sitting if it's one of those days.

But sometimes...you just want a cupcake.