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Writing The Novella: Exploring Long-Short Fiction: an Interview with Michelle Kicherer
by Writing Workshops Staff
A day ago
Step into the fascinating world of long-short fiction with Michelle Kicherer, whose debut novella, Sexy Life, Hello, has already made waves in the literary scene. As a book and music critic for the San Francisco Chronicle with work in The Masters Review, The Sierra Nevada Review, and The Berkeley Fiction Review, Michelle brings both experience and a fresh perspective to the art of novella writing. Her latest work, hailed as "one of the most compelling short reads of the year" by Willamette Week, serves as a testament to her mastery of this captivating, in-between form of storytelling.
In her upcoming six-week course, Writing The Novella: Exploring Long-Short Fiction, Michelle invites writers of all levels to discover how to harness the novella’s unique ability to balance plot advancement and character exploration. With her trademark blend of warmth and insight, she’ll guide students through analyzing iconic works like George Saunders' Liberation Day, K-Ming Chang's Cecilia, and Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.
Whether you're struggling to start your novella or wondering how to shape its structure, Michelle’s class will show you how to craft an immediate hook, strategically pace your story, and deliver a narrative that captivates from start to finish. Be prepared to engage in dynamic writing exercises, connect with fellow writers, and leave each session inspired. If you're ready to dive deep into the novella form and expand your storytelling toolkit, this is your invitation to join Michelle Kicherer’s creative space—one where curiosity and craft come together to spark literary magic.
Writing Workshops: The novella occupies a unique "in-between" space in literature. How does this form offer writers opportunities to experiment with narrative and character in ways that short stories or novels might not, and how will your class encourage such experimentation?
Michelle Kicherer: I love how novellas provide a little more room for character and plot development. There's a lot of ways this shows up (and we'll look at examples of each!) but one example is the idea of "change" in a story. With a short story we often only have time for the beginning of a change in a character; maybe they have a realization or a shift toward the end of the story but we don't really see how it plays out. With a novella, you can show how a character changes, so that by the end of the story we can actually see them acting or thinking differently. We'll look at plenty of other examples, too!
WW: You'll be exploring works like "Liberation Day" by George Saunders, "Cecilia" by K-Ming Chang, and "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway. How do these specific novellas serve as learning tools for aspiring writers?
MK: For one thing, the style of each writer is very different. You've got the satirical stylings of Saunders, the elegance, surrealism and sexiness of Chang, and the stark language of Hemingway as his narrator, Santiago, struggles to catch a Marlin. (the three stories couldn't be more different; and each is structured in unique and equally effective ways)
WW: One of the key takeaways from your course is learning how to start a novella with an immediate hook. Can you share a sneak peek into how you'll guide students to captivate readers right from the first page?
MK: One of my favorite activities is to do a deep read of the first page. We'll look at the first page of several novellas and ask ourselves: what's going on here? What am I curious about?
WW: Each of your classes begins with fiction-focused, generative writing prompts. How do these warm-up exercises enhance the creative process for your students?
MK: These prompts will get the juices flowing for their own works in progress, and/or help students start a brand new story. We'll build off the prompts as the course goes on, so that we can practice tools for brainstorming, starting, climaxing, ending and editing a novella.
WW: You emphasize creating a safe, judgment-free space in your classes. Why is this atmosphere important for writers, and how does it contribute to their growth during the course?
MK: One of the most helpful practices a writer can engage in is talking through their work. This involves sharing brand new ideas -- an incredibly vulnerable process! If we feel safe to share any ideas or questions we've got, whether around our own work or the work we're reading together, we're bound to be far more productive and empowered to keep writing and keep creating. My teaching motto is: "There are no such things as stupid questions, only pretentious instructors."
WW: Your debut novella, Sexy Life, Hello, has been praised as "one of the most compelling short reads of the year." How has your own experience with writing and publishing a novella shaped your teaching approach for this course?
MK: Part of this course is designed around the concept: things I wish I knew when I started this project. It's really interesting to dive deeper in the world of novellas as I concurrently work on part 2 of Sexy Life, Hello. Part of what's so exciting here is that I'll be working on my own novella while we're working together on each students' novella-in-progress.
WW: With your background in covering books and music for the San Francisco Chronicle, how do insights from journalism and music inform your teaching methods for writing novellas?**
MK: I'm always reading new books that haven't yet had any reviews. The first thing I do is start jotting down a list of things that stood out to me then review those curiosities once I've finished reading. It's a great exercise to do -- no one has yet told me their opinions on the book; most people haven't read it yet so there's no bias going into the process. All I'm doing is simply noticing and allowing myself to be curious --- when I finish the book I'll look back at my notes and see what patterns showed up, which curiosities mattered and which were less important. We'll do some of that in this class as well (which is also part of why it's fun to look at a 70-year-old book that already has tons of reviews/opinions, alongside a brand new book from a newer writer, as well as one from a couple years ago from a very well known writer). Super fun and helpful stuff!
WW: You mention that you aim to have one weird new experience every day. How does this practice influence your storytelling, and will you incorporate this approach to inspire creativity in your students during the course?
MK: I love this question!! I think each of us has a different definition of "weird," but for me any time I'm engaged in something new, and am in some way in unfamiliar territory it gets my storytelling gears turning. I'm constantly looking for new material; my goal is to create stories that are memorable and a little weird. Those ideas come to me from the collection of weird new experiences I'm always looking for. Sometimes it's as simple as going on a walk and turning right every time I see a red light ahead; sometimes it's taking someone up on an offer to go pick up a bee hive, or to go look at a warehouse of broken windows. I mean, there's bound to be some sort of story there; I don't know where it'll be exactly but in some way these experiences help color my stories.
Avoid the waitlist and sign up for Michelle Kicherer's upcoming class: Writing The Novella: Exploring Long-Short Fiction.
Instructor Michelle Kicherer covers books and music for the San Francisco Chronicle, and her fiction has appeared in The Masters Review, The Sierra Nevada Review, The Berkeley Fiction Review, and others. Her debut novella, Sexy Life, Hello, came out in September 2024. Willamette Week called it “one of the most compelling short reads of the year.” Michelle aims to have one weird new experience every day.
