How long or short is typical for a short story? I have an idea for one, but just want an idea of what to shoot for so I can flesh out the story-line a bit more.
Posted by genevive42 (Member # 8714) on :
Without looking up one of the charts that can be found around the web, I'll say this:
Up to 1000 words - Flash Fiction 1000-5000 words - Definitely a short story and will fit in almost any short story market. But technically, 1000-7500 words is considered a short story. At 8000+ words you're in novelette territory
Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :
For the Hugo and Nebula Awards, the following word counts apply: Short Story: up to 7499 words Novelette: 7500 to 17,499 words Novella: 17,500 to 39,999 Novel: 40,000 to infinity and beyond
Posted by djvdakota (Member # 2002) on :
Depends on your market, which means you should know your intended markets' submission guidelines.
But I'll agree with Genevieve--5000 words is imminently more sale-able than 7500 or 10,000, simply because the number of markets that will accept your story decreases exponentially as your word count rises.
Posted by Utahute72 (Member # 9057) on :
Wow, Eric is old school, I'd thought I was the only one that would get a 2001 reference.
Posted by Grayson Morris (Member # 9285) on :
Uh, wait - that wasn't a Toy Story reference?
Posted by tchernabyelo (Member # 2651) on :
There should be as many words in your story as there need to be to tell the story you want to tell.
Posted by Grayson Morris (Member # 9285) on :
Tchern is absolutely right. That said: I once wrote a 25K-word story that alpha readers helped me cut to 2.5K. That, as it turns out, was too short as told: I need either to rewrite or add to it. But my point here is that, when I wrote the 25K, I thought every single word was necessary. Turns out they weren't.
I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to write a story within a certain word count. I think every story can be told many ways, some longer, some shorter, each with its own unique power and grace.
Posted by elilyn (Member # 9426) on :
Thanks for your insight. I just wanted an idea so I could pace myself when writing. Seems like you all know your stuff.
Posted by Smiley (Member # 9379) on :
A friend of mine told me, 'When you write a story, start at the beginning and when you get to the end - stop.' I've always found that to be helpful.