Is novel writing basically like short story writing, only longer? Let me begin by saying that I am a short story writer who has decided to join the 21st century and transcribe my stories from my notebooks to the computer. In this process, I have decided to take a few of the stories that feature the same two main characters and expand them into a novel. When writing a short story, I normally start with an idea/character/scene, and write a basic outline of how I think the story should go. I write my rough draft and put it aside for a while. A few days/weeks/months later, I come back and change a few things around, add some things ("show, don't tell" kind of adding), take some things out, etc., before making sure I'm happy with the grammar and such. Then I let it sit a while before coming back to make sure it's exactly what I want, changing things if needed. Will this process work for writing a novel?
I don't see why it wouldn't. Novels are stories which are long in nature. My completed one, Phoenix Rising, has one central problem and it takes a while to resolve it to make 90k words (typical novel length). Die Another Day (working title for my sequel) has two issues to deal with, but both are interconnected, to resolve. The key to a novel is making sure you have a plot, subplots, and character arc which will carry you the distance. Most novels (for adult audiences) are 80-120k in length, 80-100k being the acceptable amount from new authors. YA tends to be shorter, 60k. Just make sure you know you're plot can run that long, or you'll have to, perhaps, create a bigger story idea.
Novels are not like short stories. They tend to be more complex, have more characters, and have more room for subplots because of the higher word count. I know some writers find writing stories to be easy while writing novels to be hard (and vice versa). The process you mentioned may work or it may not. It's really hard to say unless you give it a try. The important thing is that you are comfortable with it.
Novels are not just short stories lengthened. But if you have several short stories that you can weave together, it can work. Just make sure you weave them, and don't just tack them end to end. The former is a novel, the latter is a collection.
If that's the best process that works for you, give it a shot. The thing is when you start to write like the others have said previously before me you have to make sure your story can carry long enough for it to be considered a novel. If your short stories involve the main characters in different times you would obviously have to make up something for the time they spent in between if you wish to include your shorts apart of the novel. I would recommend brainstorming about a lot of different ways your story can go, and if you ever run into problems where you can take your story you can always refer to one of your already brainstormed ideas. An outline helps me when I write, I make an outline about the overall plot of the story and what significant things I want to happen as the story progresses. Just some thoughts.
