If you’ve ever begun writing a story and tried to work out how long it “should” be, you’ve probably found yourself going around in circles. Some will tell you it needs to be at least 80,000 words, whereas others suggest far shorter works can still be called complete. It can all become confusing fast, particularly when every answer you find appears to contradict the last.
Part of the problem here is that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all fit for word counts in writing. What works for a high-octane thriller won’t necessarily work for an epic fantasy, and a short story follows a vastly different series of expectations than a full-length novel. Genre, structure, and even your intended audience all play their own roles in shaping how long your piece should be.
Today at What We Writing, we’re breaking down the typical word count ranges for short stories, novellas, and novels, along with how genre can influence length. More importantly, we’ll provide you with a far clearer view of what those numbers really mean in practice – so you’re free to focus less on hitting a target and more on telling your story well.
Why Word Count Matters In Writing
Word counts in creative writing aren’t just about hitting an arbitrary number – it plays a fundamental role in establishing how your story works on the page. The length of your piece directly impacts pacing, as an example.
A shorter word count usually means a tighter, more focused narrative, whereas a longer one lends you ample room to develop subplots, deepen character arcs, and establish a richer world.
It also moulds the overall structure of your story. A short story normally homes in on a single idea or moment, whereas a novel allows for multiple threads and a more gradual-feeling sense of progression.
Trying to force a story into the wrong length can lead to problems – either it feels rushed and underdeveloped, or stretched out without any filler.
Word count also matters when it comes to publishing. Agents and publishers tend to expect certain ranges depending on the format and genre, and sticking reasonably close to these can improve your odds of being taken seriously.
At the same time, readers come in with their own expectations. For instance, someone picking up a fantasy book is going to expect a longer, more immersive experience compared to someone on the hunt for their next gripping short story.
In this sense, word counts act almost as kinds of signals – helping position your work in a way that feels satisfying and familiar to your audience.
Standard Word Count Ranges In Creative Writing
When people talk about word counts, they’re typically referring to some of the most popular categories in the literary world. These aren’t strict rules by any means, but they’re widely recognised in publishing – and understanding them can help you position your work more confidently.
Quick Reference Guide
| Format | Typical Word Count |
| Short Story | 1,000-7,500 words |
| Novelette | 7,500-,17,500 words |
| Novella | 17,500-40,000 words |
| Novel | 70,000-100,000 words |
Short Story (1,000-7,500 Words)
Short stories are all about focus. They usually orbit around a single moment, idea, or turning point, with minimal subplots and a select cast of characters.
From a writing perspective, this means each and every word needs to work hard. There’s little room for any backstory or world-building unless it directly serves the core narrative. You’re looking for impact – often building quickly to a meaningful or surprising ending.
For readers, short stories feel fast and contained. They can often be read in one sitting, making them perfect for exploring sharp, emotionally resonant ideas without needing a long time commitment.
Novelette (7,5000-17,500 Words)
Novelettes sit in the middle ground and are an interesting, if slightly overlooked, category of writing. These stories offer a bit more breathing room than a short story without the full commitment that comes with a novella.
As a writer, you have the room to expand on the characters and sprinkle in a bit more complexity – perhaps a secondary thread or a more gradual build. But it still requires discipline; it isn’t long enough to sustain multiple subplots or a sprawling world.
For readers, a novelette feels like a deeper dive than a short story but is still reasonably snappy to read. It’s a format most commonly found in literary magazines or genre publications, especially in science fiction and fantasy.
Novella (17,500-40,000 Words)
A novella gives you significantly more room to develop your story whilst maintaining a sense of tightness and control.
From a writing standpoint, this is where you can start to explore characters’ arcs in a bit more detail and build a more immersive setting. You may include a subplot or two, but the narrative is still relatively streamlined compared to a novel.
For readers, novellas usually feel focused and intentional – long enough to become invested, minus the slower pacing that comes with longer works. Many well-known stories fall into this category, even if they’re often marketed as short novels.
Novel (70,000-100,000+ Words)
A novel is the most flexible and expansive form, usually starting around 70,000 words and often extending well beyond 100,000 depending on your chosen genre.
As a writer, this length is perfect for fully developed characters, layered subplots, and detailed worldbuilding. You can take your time with the pacing, introduce multiple storylines, and conjure a more immersive experience overall.
For readers, a novel offers depth and commitment. It’s something they settle into over time, expecting a complete and satisfying journey.
With that being said, different genres still come with their own expectations – some novels run shorter, others (like epic fantasy books) are typically far longer.
A Quick Note on Flexibility
Whilst these ranges are guidelines, they’re not absolute. Some stories naturally fall between categories, and others deliberately break expectations. What matters most is choosing the length that allows your story to feel complete – without feeling the need to rush or overstretch things.
Understanding these formats simply gives you a clearer launchpad – and helps ensure your work meets the expectations of both the publishing world and your chosen audience.
Word Counts By Genre
Whilst rough word count guides are handy, genre is where things begin to shift in more noticeable ways. Different types of stories all come with their own different expectations – not just in terms of content, but also in how much space they need to feel complete.
Fantasy & Science Fiction (90,000-120,000+ Words)
Fantasy and sci-fi novels tend to be on the longer side, usually starting around 90,000 words and easily extending beyond 120,000.
The biggest reason for this is world-building. Whether you’re conjuring up an entirely new universe, a complex magic system, or advanced technologies, the audience needs time to understand and immerse themselves in that world. On top of that, these genres usually include multiple characters, layered plots, and high-stakes conflicts, all of which require room to develop properly.
Readers picking up a fantasy or science fiction novel usually expect this level of depth. A story that’s too short can feel underdeveloped or rushed, particularly if the world isn’t fully fleshed out.
Romance (60,000-90,000 words)
Romance novels normally come much snappier, often falling between 60,000 and 90,000 words.
These stories are usually tightly focused on the relationship between two central characters. Because the emotional arc is the key driver here, there’s less of a need for sprawling worlds or multiple subplots. The pacing is also typically more direct, moving efficiently through key moments in the relationship.
Reader expectations also play a significant role. Romance readers often prefer stories that are engaging and emotionally satisfying without being overly long or drawn out. A concise structure helps maintain that momentum.
Thriller (70,000-100,000 Words)
Thrillers sit somewhere in the middle of the two genres we listed above, typically ranging between 70,000 and 100,000 words.
Pacing is everything in this genre. The story needs to move quickly, with tension building steadily throughout. While there’s room for twists, subplots, and character development, everything needs to serve that core sense of urgency.
If a thriller is too long, it can lose its momentum. If it’s too short, it may not fully develop the stakes or payoff. This balance is what keeps your readers turning the pages.
Literary Fiction (Flexible, Often 70,000-110,000 Words)
Literary fiction is the most flexible when it comes to the word count. Whilst many novels usually fall somewhere between 70,000 and 110,000 words, there’s far more variation here than in other genres.
This is because literary fiction is often driven more by style, character exploration, and theme than by plot. Some stories benefit from a lean, restrained approach, whereas others like to take their time to fully explore ideas and relationships.
Reader expectations are also different here. There’s generally more openness to unconventional pacing or structure, which allows for greater freedom in length.
Check Out Our Complete Guide On Mastering Narrative Pacing
Why Genre Matters
Ultimately, though, genre shapes word count because it shapes what the story requires. A fantasy novel requires space to build a world, a romance needs to sustain emotional tension, and a thriller depends on pace and momentum.
Understanding these expectations doesn’t mean you need to follow them rigidly; however, it does give you a clearer sense of what readers are looking for and how to deliver a story that feels satisfying within its genre.
How To Choose The Right Length For Your Story
Once you’ve got a handle on the typical word count ranges, the next question is a more practical one: how long should your story actually be? The answer here usually boils down to what the story itself needs, rather than forcing it into a predefined category.
Start off by asking yourself what your story is really doing. Is it a tight, character-driven moment that could be told in a few thousand words, or does it involve multiple arcs, settings, and conflicts that naturally demand more room? Allowing the story to guide the length is usually far more effective than trying to stretch or compress it to fit an expectation.
It’s also worth checking whether you’re overwriting or underwriting. If scenes begin to feel repetitive, slow, or filled with unnecessary details, the story might be longer than it needs to be. On the flip side, if characters feel underdeveloped or events move too quickly, you may not have given the idea enough space to expand.
Another crucial factor here is your audience. Are you writing for readers who expect fast, self-contained stories, or for those who want something immersive and expansive? Knowing this helps you mould not only what you write, but also how much you write.
Finally, consider your publishing goals. If you’re looking for traditional publishing, staying within expected ranges can make your works easier to position. If you’re self-publishing, you have more flexibility – but reader expectations still matter when it comes to satisfaction and marketability.
In the end, the “right” length is the one that fully supports your story without holding it back or overstaying its welcome.
Can You Ever Break The Rules?
The short answer here is yes – but only if you’ve got a solid grasp on why the “rules” exist in the first place. Word count guidelines aren’t strict laws; they’re patterns that have developed based on publishing trends, reader expectations, and what tends to work commercially. That means they’re helpful, but not limiting.
There are plenty of successful books out there that fall outside standard ranges. Some novels are deliberately snappy, yet still feel complete and fulfilling; others stretch well beyond their typical genre lengths because the narrative demands it.
In both these instances, what matters most is that the length feels justified by the content.
The crucial difference between breaking the rules successfully and simply ignoring them is intention. If a shorter novel still delivers a fully realised story, readers won’t question its length. Likewise, if a longer book maintains pacing, tension, and engagement throughout, readers will happily stay with it.
Problems tend to arise when the word count isn’t serving the story. A book that feels too short may leave readers wanting more development, while one that is overly long without purpose will soon lose its momentum.
So, whilst it is absolutely possible to step outside the typical ranges, it helps to know what those ranges are first. Think of them less as restrictions and more as expectations – you can bend them, but doing so intentionally is what makes all the difference between feeling unconventional and feeling unfinished.
Common Word Count Mistakes Writers Make
Even after you’ve gotten a good grasp on word count ranges, it’s surprisingly easy to encounter some issues when you start applying them to your own writing. One of the most common mistakes is padding a story just to reach “novel length.” Adding extra scenes, descriptions, or subplots that don’t serve the central narrative can make a story feel slow or unfocused, rather than more complete.
The opposite issue is cutting too aggressively. In an effort to keep things tight, some writers remove too much, leaving characters underdeveloped or key plot points underexplored. A shorter word count isn’t automatically better if it means the story no longer feels fully realised.
Another popular mistake we’ve seen is writers ignoring genre expectations. A 50,000-word fantasy novel, for example, may feel short to readers who have come to expect more world-building, while a 120,000-word romance might feel unnecessarily long. Understanding what readers typically expect in your genre helps prevent these mismatches.
Finally, there’s mislabelling your work. Calling something a novel when it fits better as a novella (or vice versa) can create confusion, particularly when it comes to publishing or submitting to agents. These labels carry certain expectations, and using them accurately helps position your work more effectively.
In most instances, these issues all come down to focusing on the word count, rather than what the story needs. When the length begins serving the writing rather than driving it, the problems usually evaporate.
Quick Word Count Cheat Sheet
If you just need a simple reference, here’s a quick breakdown of the most common creative writing formats, and their typical word counts.
A short story usually falls between 1,000 and 7,500 words. These are compact, focused pieces that often centre on a single idea, moment, or character arc.
A novella typically ranges from 17,500 to 40,000 words. It offers more room for character arcs and plot compared to a short story, but still keeps a relatively tight, contained structure.
A novel usually starts at around 70,000 words and can go up to 100,000+, depending on the genre and story complexity. This format allows for fuller world-building, multiple subplots, and more detailed character arcs.
When it comes to genre, expectations shift slightly. Romance novels often sit around 60,000-90,000 words, whilst thrillers tend to range from 70,000-100,000 words. Fantasy and science fiction usually run longer, often up to 90,000-120,000+ words due to the need for extensive worldbuilding.
These ranges aren’t strict rules, but they do provide a useful launching point for shaping your story and understanding where it fits.
Wrap Up
There isn’t a single “perfect” word count that every story needs to sign up for. While guides for short stories, novellas, and novels can certainly be helpful (god knows we’ve leaned on ones like this one over the years!), they’re ultimately just that – guidelines, not fixed rules.
What matters most is whether your story feels complete and satisfying on its own terms.
In practice, it’s always better to focus on the story first, and the word count second. A well-told narrative will always matter more than forcing your work into a specific range, and most issues with length tend to resolve themselves during the editing process anyway.
If there’s one takeaway we’d like to leave you with, it’s this: don’t let word count hold you back from finishing your draft. Get the story down first, shape it afterwards, and let the final length emerge naturally from the writing itself.
James has been passionate about storytelling ever since he could hold a pen. Inspired by the epic fantasy and historical dramas he devoured in his youth, his work now centers on dark, psychological tales featuring intense, introspective characters and atmospheric, gothic undertones. In 2025, he founded What We Writing to share his creative journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way with fellow writers and passionate storytellers.
