A novel is a lengthy, fictional narrative, while a novella is a shorter, more succinct fictional work. Both offer varied, developed storylines. The literary world graciously houses varied forms, with the novel and novella being prominent yet distinct entities.

Novels are longer works of fiction with more complex storylines and character development, while novellas are shorter than novels but longer than short stories. Novels explore multiple themes and have a more extensive range of characters, while novellas focus on a single theme or event.

Typically, novellas consist of approximately 20,000 to 50,000 words. While there are no strict demarcations, a literary work over 60,000 words is a novel. Stephen King once described the novella as a failing banana republic, a place where stories go to die slow, unnoticed deaths.