From A Writer’s Desk
bliss wrote: Story length
« Thread Started on Jun 25, 2006, 11:36am »What defines a short story from a novel? It’s length? It’s level of detail and development?
It’s something I’ve been wondering.
Each market/editor/publisher may have it’s own definition, however these are considered standard:
Extreme Shorts:
Not very common, these are quick quips and fillers under 100 words. It is very difficult to write a high quality story with full plot and characters in less than 100 words, but it can be done.
Flash fiction:
Gaining popularity in some markets, these super short shorts are less than 750 words. Like Extreme Shorts, it is very difficult to write a high quality story with full plot and characters with so few words. Not many writers can do this well, but it can be done, and is a good quick read, when written well.
Minute Mysteries:
Before Flash Fiction came to be, there were these tiny and popular often, murder mysteries. These super short shorts are less than 750 words, can be read in a minute or less, and can be seen in such magazines as Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen. Like Extreme Shorts, it is very difficult to write a high quality story with full plot and characters with so few words. Not many writers can do this well, but it can be done, and is a good quick read, when written well.
Short-Short:
Anything under 5,000 words, but usual between 1,000 – 2,500 words long.
Short Story:
Usually used to describe any story less than 7,500 words, but all stories under 15,000 words are considered to be “short”. Short stories often have a full cast of characters, plot twists, and are sometime “serialized”.
Novelette:
A short story that is between 7,500 words to 17,500 words.
Serials:
A set of short stories, each with the same characters and basic setting, but with a totally different plot and story. Often published at a rate of one per month, they continue to tell the story of the life of a certain character. Some serials continue one into the next in chronological order, while others are random stories about a single character, with no real timeline. If the serial becomes popular enough, the short stories are often gathered up and reprinted in chronological order as a single book/novel. Sherlock Holmes is probably the most famous serial ever written.
Novella:
A novella is too long to be considered a truly short story, but it is still not long enough to be called a novel. Most are between 17,500 words to 40,000 words, often published as mini-books known as chapbooks.
Novel:
A long story 40,000 words or more, with no limits, most are 150,000+. When most people think writer, they think of a person who writes “books”, i.e. one who writes novels. A novel is a complex story filled with characters, villains, sub-characters, plots, twists, turns, detailed descriptions of characters and landscapes, and an ever-moving flow of action. Novels are too long to read in one sitting, often taking several days, even weeks to read. Rarely seen in magazines.
Prequel:
Part 2 of the story, that is really part 1 of the story you already told. A continuation of the first story, that tells of the events that took place before the beginning of the last story.
Sequel:
Part 2 of the story. A continuation of the first story, that tells of the events that took place after the ending of the last story.
Trilogy:
A story so long that it had to be published in three separate volumes. May have as many as 500,000 words or more.
Series:
A set of stories with more than 3 volumes, usably paperback novels, each with the same characters and basic setting, but with a totally different plot and story in each book. Often published at a rate of one or two per year, they continue to tell the story of the life of a certain character. Some serials continue one into the next in chronological order, while others are random stories about a single character, with no real timeline. If the serial becomes popular enough, the short stories are often gathered up and reprinted in chronological order as a single book/novel. Nancy Drew Mysteries are probably the most famous series of books ever written, spanning over 300 volumes and more than 60 years of writing. Started in the 1930’s the Nancy Drew series continued to see new storied added to it until Carolyn Keene’s death in the 1990’s. Sadly due to her 1930’s contract she never received royalties, was paid less than $800 per novel, and was not allowed to keep the copyright to her creation. A lesson here: read your contract VERY, VERY carefully BEFORE you sign it.
I hope this helps
~~EK
