Here are my top tips for writing a good novella:
1. You will need to think more about genre. Although they aren't as long as novels, you still need to consider how your novella fits into its genre - what conventions do you observe? Does it reference any other stories?
2. Plot is also really important. You have more room to play with plot here than you have with other story lengths, so consider carefully how your plot rises and falls; where it starts and ends.
3. What makes it differ from a novel? Why couldn't you just transform it into a longer piece? What does the story length add? Maybe there is a reason why your story can't continue on or start earlier. Your story shouldn't just feel like an incomplete novel.
4. Make sure your characters and themes are developed. Don't just try to cram in more action! You have room to explore your characters' nuances - the whole thing shouldn't just be plot. Think about how your character feels and reacts to things, what do they do after hearing certain news, who do they talk to, etc. These will make your story more realistic and believable.
5. Make sure you've done lots of reading of this length. This will give you more idea of what is relevant and what works well. Obviously don't just copy the structure or style of someone else - the more you read, the more inspiration you'll have in order to form your own unique ideas.
6. Again, you can try transforming shorter stories into novellas, and pare down novel ideas into novellas. Each time you'll get a better understanding of the techniques you need - how to add detail and how to cut detail.
Happy writing!
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