Is thrity five hundred words too long for a short story...

[WCGreen]

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I'm not sure ...........

I don't know if there are strict word lengths for stories.....

Probably some sort of guideline exists, though........

You might call it a novella.

I know those fall between a regular novel in length, and a short story...

Can't wait to see it, whatever you call it! :hi:

[shimmergal]

2. No, 3500 words isn't too long.

I've edited an anthology of short stories, as well as having sold a number of stories I've written, and that's not out of line at all. In fact, it's a moderate length for a short story. Most of mine have turned out longer.

But, the question is, too long for what? If you want to try to get it published, what length of stories does the magazine or anthology you're aiming for want? Check their guidelines. Some only want very short stories of 2000 words or less. Others accept up to 10,000. (If you don't know _what_ you want to do with it, look thru Writers Market (for paying publications) or Novel and Short Story Writers Market (for those that don't necessarily pay)). Good luck!

[WCGreen]

3. Thanks...

[Orrex]

4. I agree with shimmergal

3,500 words is, what, thirteen pages? Not a problem at all. One of the early rules of thumb I learned about short stories is that they're meant to be read in one sitting. A story of the length you mention easily meets that requirement (though, admittedly, it's hardly a formal rule--more of a guideline!).

Or did you mean thirty-five thousand words? That, I suggest, might be too long for a short story and would likely qualify as a novella, as CaliforniaPeggy proposed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. No, actually 2500 to 3500 is the average

[WCGreen]

6. Thanks for all the input....

[petgoat]

7. It depends on the story!

(Sorry, couldn't resist) :evilgrin:

[Wetzelbill]

8. that's pretty moderate, my first published story was 4500 words

typically I stay between 2000 and 2400, but that is just how they seem to be flowing these last few years. I expect to have a short story or two probably approaching 8000 words at some point. It truly depends. Many, if not most, of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes short stories are approaching 9 or 10 thousand words. I think my 4500 word story was about 10 pages in the actual book, single-spaced, so that isn't too for length. I would say 3500 is a pretty solid number.