How Long Should Your Work Be?
November 6th 2006 09:18
One of things that some beginning writers struggle with is how long their written work should be? You often hear questions like "How long should a short story be?" or "How long should a novel be?" or "How long should an article be?" While there are certain guidelines and a rough estimation can be a good thing - particularly in the case of a novel - generally, a written work should be as long as it needs to be to do its work well.
The length of a short story can vary from 500 words to 10,000 words. There's not really any set word length for all short stories. When writing a short story, the best thing to do is to forget all about word count and just write the story you want to tell in however many words you need to tell it. Trying to write for a specific length can create problems for your fiction. You may try to drag on a short story that could be told more effectively in less words. Or you could cut down your short story and end up deleting valuable writing. When your short story is first written, word length should be your last consideration.
When you want to get it published, however, it becomes a different matter. Publications will usually have specific guidelines on the word count of their short stories. If you want to be published in that publication, then you will need to meet that word count. The best way to do this is to pick a short story that has a word count that either fits the guidelines or comes close. You can edit it if it is a little too long or a little too short. Don't take something that falls way outside the word count specified and try to make it somehow fit. It won't be good for your story. The only exception is if you write a short story and feel it would be a better story if it was told in far fewer words, or if you feel there is a lot you could add to make it a longer story.
How you view the length of your view will change, depending on the type of material you are writing. Novels will need to be at least a certain length, and novels that are written for Romance publications may need to meet strict word count guidelines. Articles will often be written for a specific publication, and the word count will reflect their guidelines. Work that is written for the internet is usually shorter than material written for print publications. But don't let these guidelines have a negative impact on the work you want to write. Write what you need to. Use as many words as it takes. If the word count doesn't suit your intended publication, then write another piece that does.
The length of a short story can vary from 500 words to 10,000 words. There's not really any set word length for all short stories. When writing a short story, the best thing to do is to forget all about word count and just write the story you want to tell in however many words you need to tell it. Trying to write for a specific length can create problems for your fiction. You may try to drag on a short story that could be told more effectively in less words. Or you could cut down your short story and end up deleting valuable writing. When your short story is first written, word length should be your last consideration.
When you want to get it published, however, it becomes a different matter. Publications will usually have specific guidelines on the word count of their short stories. If you want to be published in that publication, then you will need to meet that word count. The best way to do this is to pick a short story that has a word count that either fits the guidelines or comes close. You can edit it if it is a little too long or a little too short. Don't take something that falls way outside the word count specified and try to make it somehow fit. It won't be good for your story. The only exception is if you write a short story and feel it would be a better story if it was told in far fewer words, or if you feel there is a lot you could add to make it a longer story.
How you view the length of your view will change, depending on the type of material you are writing. Novels will need to be at least a certain length, and novels that are written for Romance publications may need to meet strict word count guidelines. Articles will often be written for a specific publication, and the word count will reflect their guidelines. Work that is written for the internet is usually shorter than material written for print publications. But don't let these guidelines have a negative impact on the work you want to write. Write what you need to. Use as many words as it takes. If the word count doesn't suit your intended publication, then write another piece that does.
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Comment by Illie-T-Redd
The Devil & I
Majikal Mysterium
But the main point that you made is that length should always be the last consideration.
A story should be written the way you want it to be written and then edit it later to fit guidelines, etc.
Comment by Anonymous