Novel, Novella, Novelette

I don't think I can undertake a full novel again. I think The Apple took a couple of years to write, and I'm not invested enough to spend that much time on a new project.

I have, however, been toying with the notion of writing a novella. Thus, I researched the expected word count:

• Novella: 17,500 – 40,000 words
• Novelette: 7,700 – 17,500 words

A novelette, to me, would be too taxing. While the word count is shorter, the story must necessarily be more tightly written. I like setting scenes, creating little vignettes that provide an interesting peek into the main character's personality or that may seem like nothing, but actually tie into the overall conflict. 

I could, however, do 30-40,000 words easily. And thus, a novella. A novella, for me, would be less stress-enducing. In the past, I've woefully underestimated the number of words I've written. I'd think, surely, I have fifty thousand words so far, when in fact it's twenty thousand.

A novella would also eliminate the need for a (usually) unnecessary side plot. I always hated creating those, though I dutifully did it. 

I have a new project I'm occasionally working on, but I just can't see it expanding to eighty thousand words. A novella I can do.

So, I said I was done writing, but maybe I'm actually not.