How long is too long?

[Class37]

How long is too long for a story posted on here?

I've been working on a story for months and what started out as a short story for the summer lovin contest has morphed into somthing else entirely.

I really want to finish what I've started but I think its maybe too long for Lit.

 

[BeechLeaf]

Many good stories take around eight Lit pages, or about 30 000 words. I've read several that are longer, but perhaps ten pages is where you're asking a lot from potential readers.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

There is an audience here for longer stories. Some prefer them to be published in pieces, but my readers like them all in one shot.

This story is 180,000 words, or 81 pages on Literotica.

I have eight other stories of 20 pages or more that all have red H's. Keep in mind, some categories are going to be more tolerant of longer stories than others. I publish my longer ones in the Novels/Novellas category.

Good luck.

 

[Voboy]

My personal sweet spot as a reader (and therefore as a writer) is anywhere between 12,000 and 32,000 words.

I'm aware that's a wide range, but it depends on the story. Many of my stories don't really get going until about 5k words in; my personal rule of thumb is that if I can't make the main characters do something sexual within the first 10k, then my story probably doesn't want to be a sex story.

Realize, too, that every reader has a different sweet spot; I'm well aware my stories are "too long" for several site users. But I don't care.

Write it as long as you want to write it. When the story is over, then the word count matters. If the story isn't over, then the word count doesn't matter. If that makes sense.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I wouldn't worry too much about how long it is for the site. Some series are over a million words and have pretty decent followings, and as long as it's longer than 749 words, you're publishable. Write it, see how you feel, trim or add as needed for the story, that really should be the only consideration when talking about length: does it tell the story without dragging or speeding through important events. Pacing, more than length, is a good metric in that regard.

 

[Trionyx]

21,342 is the ideal length confirmed by multiple scientific studies. Don’t go a word longer or you will be disappointed.

I think Voboy said it best but remember, you will never please all the people all the time. You will be lucky to please some of the people some of the time.

 

[Britva415]

How long is too long for a story posted on here?

https://i.imgflip.com/ayhlz1.jpg

 

[Britva415]

I’d worry less about how long it is and more about whether enough stuff is (A) happening and (B) necessary in a story of prodigious length.

And I wouldn’t even really worry about that until a first draft is done. “How big should a statue of David be?” It can be as big as the raw marble block you started with. Then you just remove everything that doesn’t look like David.

 

[Katie_Mae]

Unlike some other sites, lit has no upper word limit (correct me if I'm wrong here).
I read novels on lit.
If your story is a few hundred thousand words then it isn't too long for lit, however it is possible to write a story too long for the story you wish to tell.

 

[IWroteThis]

21,342 is the ideal length confirmed by multiple scientific studies. Don’t go a word longer or you will be disappointed.

I think Voboy said it best but remember, you will never please all the people all the time. You will be lucky to please some of the people some of the time.

I was told it was 12,345 which, coincidentally, is the same as the combination on my suitcase.

 

[ElectricBlue]

How long is too long for a story posted on here?

I've been working on a story for months and what started out as a short story for the summer lovin contest has morphed into somthing else entirely.

I really want to finish what I've started but I think its maybe too long for Lit.

The longest single story I've seen here was 240,000 words, more than eighty Lit pages.

Contest entries average around 20k - 30k words, apparently. Lit readers don't mind long stories.

 

[anthrodisiac]

The longest single story I've seen here was 240,000 words, more than eighty Lit pages.

Contest entries average around 20k - 30k words, apparently. Lit readers don't mind long stories.

I've seen a couple single entries that were something like 550k, so I really don't think the upper limit is something most people have to worry about.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

Personally? Not about length, but the quality of those words. Remember: words are worth somewhere between 0.01 and 0.50 Firearmsland Pesos each. Spend them wisely.

For Lit? Fucking infinite seems to be the upper limit. Your writing is valid, write as much as you want.

 

[TheLobster]

How long is too long for a story posted on here?

Once you go over 10”, it starts to strain credulity. Anything above 12” is getting into a very unrealistic territory.

…

Wait, what are we talking about here?

 

[UnexpectedLuggage]

I tend to keep between 5 and 10 little pages. I could probably go longer if I wanted to, but I don't feel like the stories I write need it.

My shortest was my very first story at 3 pages, and my longest is 9 pages.

I'll probably break 10 pages soon as I have some stories that I think will inherently just end up being longer, but I imagine my average will stay the same in the long run.