What's a good word count for a short story?

[Guest]

Re: Word count

... Is 5000-6000 words too long. ...

AGAIN - Not if it is the right length for your story.

If you end up with 60,000 words then you wrote a novel, so what? If someone won't read a story that is longer than 3,500 words that is their loss.

When the story feels right, and you know it is what you wanted to say, then it is the right length.

 

[GHM]

Re: Re: Word count

If you end up with 60,000 words then you wrote a novel, so what? If someone won't read a story that is longer than 3,500 words that is their loss.

I don't think I'm ready for 60,000 words yet, just beginning to find out how things work with this site, but I am experimenting and will submit something eventually. Hopefully some people will like it.

Anyway, thanks for the advise.

By the way, I liked the SF story about THE LAST MAN.

 

[fanzee1]

I've received a number of comments stating that my stories are too short. What do you consider a good word count for a short story?

This will sound like bumper-sticker wisdom -- and maybe it is -- but think about it: Instead of worrying about a specific number of words, try this. Start right at the beginning, write the whole story and nothing but the story. Then when you get to the end, stop.

 

[lexium]

Yes it does sound like the same thing as describing a pair of long legs..."They start at my ass and go all the way down to the floor..." from the movie "Let it Ride"

Thanks

 

[estories69]

Lex,

Here on Lit I usually like stories that are 1 to 3 pages in length. They are quick and to the point. Plus, I can't stand reading an erotic story that becomes boring after page 2 and I see 4 or 5 more pages. Of course I've read some long pages that were good too. As for word count, I'm not sure what 1-3 pages Lit is.

 

[lexium]

I try to get the action started in my stories, but after introducing a little about each character and going around the world, there is not much new. HUMP HUMP SCREW SCREW

 

[Guest]

... As for word count, I'm not sure what 1-3 pages Lit is.

About 3,000 words per posted page.

 

[Chicklet]

Enough is Enough!

I say: write until YOU are finished! If your three page story is as long as you want it, if it says everything that you want to say, then screw the readers who think it's too short! If your story isn't going to be done until you have 40 MSWord pages typed out, then that's your story! Never forget that you are writing for YOU. If you enjoy it, how much else matters??

Chicklet (Author of a couple VERY short stories)

 

[lexium]

Very good points

Thank you all for your input. I've received many requests to continue stories that I wrote when my passion was high for them. I've attempted to continue a couple of them, but my passion was gone, and they seem boring to me.

The readers can look forward to some long and some very short stories. I appreciate all of your help.

Thanks a whole lot,

Lexium

 

[MsLinnet]

do any of you plan the story out before you start it so it will 1500 word 50 paragraphs ect

 

[Tatewaki]

do any of you plan the story out before you start it so it will 1500 word 50 paragraphs ect

I fully outline my stories, but not for length. I structure them for content. I decide what I want to say, then decide how I want to say it. I build scene blocks around these ideas, then set out to write each scene. The thing is I do not know how long each scene block will be until it is finished. Some are only a couple of sentences long. Others, ten or fifteen pages. It's like the way my mom used to cook. She'd always tell me "Boy, dinner'll be done when its finished cooking," every time I'd ask her when supper would be ready.

That's how long my stories are, too. They stop when I've finished saying everything I set out to say, and not one word before that time.

Do you know how to target a certain story length? That is a skill I could definitely use! If you know how to do so, how did you learn it?

-T

 

[MsLinnet]

I wish I did
I start a story with an Idea normaly based on somthing that happend then see how it takes me hence i have a lot of unfinished storys on my computer

 

[Chicklet]

I'm with MsLinnet. I wrote an outline once but I ended up not doing ANYTHING on it! = )

 

[Guest]

I'm with MsLinnet. I wrote an outline once but I ended up not doing ANYTHING on it! = )

This proves that it takes all sorts of people to make a world.

I could not work like that at all. I need to know the end of a story before I begin it. I work top down.

Write the idea down.
then
Expand it to a page or so of sub-sections.
then
Write little bio's of each character (Age appearance, etc)
then
Write a timeline of events
then
Expand each sub-section again to sub-sub-sections (each approx 1 chapter in a 60k word novel).
then
I can start to write a story. Sub-sub-sections are expanded to text in whatever order takes my fancy. When they are all expanded right then the story is finished.
then
Spell check and have somebody proof-read it.

Do you know how to target a certain story length? That is a skill I could definitely use! If you know how to do so, how did you learn it?

I usually get a novel in the range 55k-65k words and I can tell at first outline if I have a potential novel-length story. I have one 90% written which is only 25k words but it was never going to contain enough for a full-lencth novel and now it's much too long for a short story (Boo-hoo-hoo).

I don't know how I learnt it; just practice I suppose (over 30 years of writing for a living).

 

[MsLinnet]

hay somone agrees with me for once

 

[Chicklet]

I definatly approve of writing backgrounds on characters, I really like doing that. Especially when my B/F monopolizes the "good" computer and I get stuck on the <shudder> mac. I can write out thoughts that I don't really have to use in my story, but they sort of help me figure out what I'm writing about. Then I sit down and start to type and usually don't stop until I'm at the end, unless I give up on the story which happens more often than not = p

Chicklet