Short Stories: July 20, 2016 Issue [#7762]
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Short Stories


 This week: Story Lengths
  Edited by: Jay's debut novel is out now! Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

This issue:
Story Lengths
How long IS a short story, really? There is actually a correct answer -- but it varies!
Do you know how to distinguish Microfiction from Flash, a short story from a novelette? And what is a novella, anyway?


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Letter from the editor

So, I recently canvassed the readers of the WdC Newsfeed, looking for a few topics which I hadn't seen in recent Short Story newsletters to cover, since I am squarely in novel-brain, and probably will be for the foreseeable future when this draft is completed.

One of the ones which came up, which is equal parts simple and complex *Laugh* is story length.

A lot of authors, old and new alike, don't have a complete idea as to what actually constitutes the length of a short story, or how to differentiate. There are no hard and fast rules for this, but one place to look for some good guidelines are some of the professional publishing awards categories. Since I'm focused on speculative fiction, that's where the bulk of my experience rests, but as I understand it there are similar standards across different genres.

First out of the gate: Microfiction! I've done another newsletter purely on that topic previously: "Under the Microfiction-ScopeOpen in new Window. but there are a few different things in this category: Twitter-length fiction, at 140 characters or less; Drabbles (100 words exactly) and other short forms such as short-shorts (300 words or less, on average).

Short Stories: I would class flash fiction and what we classically think of as a short story in the same pile, with the distinction that most publishers who take flash will have a specific desired length in their requirements-- for example, "500 to 1500 words." I usually think of a story under 1,000 words as flash, as a rule, but some places will take up to 2,000 words as a flash story, meaning that even a standard-sized entry for the Official contests here on Writing.Com qualify as flash.

Short stories, depending on the publisher, cap cap out around 7,500 words, though some publishers (not many!) might go up to 15,000 words, with most places wanting shorter (in part because it's more economical for them!) Usually length preferences will be specified by the publication, but as a rule of thumb, once you start to be over 12,000 words, the story is definitely verging into longer works territory.

Novelettes and novellas: Some places use these terms interchangeably, but in general, a novelette for most awards-nomination purposes, is anything in the 7,500 to 17,500 range. Above that, and up to 40,000 words, what you have on your hands is a novella. And above that?

Well, that's when you've got a novel, according to Wikipedia. (And many people colloquially accept "50k or higher" as a standard novel length-- and from there, a bunch of genre and target audience concerns come into play for "most common" novel lengths. *Wink*)

Now-- there are very few hard and fast rules for these precisely, but since it's a common question (I got it multiple times!) I thought I'd set out with this in mind, and talk about some of the forms that I find most challenging in future issues.

Until next month,
Take care and Write on!
~jay



Editor's Picks

Great places to play with different lengths of fiction! Some of them are closed for the moment, but add them to your favorites so you'll know when they update!

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge Open in new Window. [13+]
Enter your story of 300 words or less.
by Arakun the twisted raccoon Author Icon

Image Protector
The Writer's Cramp Open in new Window. [13+]
Write the best poem or story in 24 hours or less and win 10K GPS!
by Sophurky Author Icon

Image Protector
Short Shots: Official WDC Contest Open in new Window. [ASR]
Use the photo to inspire your creativity. Write a short story and win big prizes!
by Writing.Com Support Author Icon

Image Protector
Long, Long, Long Open in new Window. [18+]
Prompt-free contest for stories of the lengthier variety. New round May 2024!
by Turkey DrumStik Author Icon


Picks for this issue:

 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor

Image Protector
The Island Open in new Window. [13+]
A young couple desperately tries to cling to their fraying sanity and delusions.
by iKïyå§ama Author Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor

Image Protector
The Voyage of the Wayfarer Open in new Window. [18+]
"Don't try to talk. I was able to resurrect you. You have been dead for three days."
by W.D.Wilcox Author Icon

 
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Word from Writing.Com

Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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Ask & Answer

I'm still canvassing for more of your questions to answer while I'm finishing this novel, so please, drop me a line if there's a burning question that you'd like me to address in a future issue!

~jay

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