How big can a story be?

Gully

There is an idea coursing around my head about a story that I really feel I should be writing.
The only thing that is holding me back is that I don't really know how to plan this one.
Originally I was thinking of a full novel, but I am not sure that the story would hold up to anything like 50-60K words.
"Ok, so it should be a short story" I thought, but 5K words also seem to be limiting the idea's size.

Then I realised that I have absolutely no idea which kind of books/stories make up how many words.
How big is a story?

There are some fantastic little stories in our OWC.
Then again, there are some books I have read that I felt should have been split up into two books to help keep attention going.

So here is my question: Does an idea - does the story - define what kind of publication it will be? Or do you fit your idea to the size of book you want to publish.

Island Girl

I am not in a position to comment on this - but I'm going to anyway. I would assume you should just write the story as it comes, and as the flow takes you, and then worry about extending or abbreviating it to suit a publisher's requirements when you're done. Someone with publishing knowledge will be in a better position to give you a more constructive answer.

Carol

I agree with IG.

Stories can be the length they need to be- according to a published writer who gave a talk to our club recently.
Obviously once you have it written you'll have more idea of what it is.
You can get long short stories of 8-10,000 words+. Or even longer, novella length.

With e-books length is becoming less of an issue in my opinion.

If you know what kind of publication your story would suit, then you can work to those requirements obviously, but if you aren't sure then you need to get it down on paper first.

Often a full first novel is 80,000 minimum I believe (it was a few years ago)- Stirling will probably be able to confirm lengths.

Dwight

For a short story, Gully, they say that only one thing happens, if you can apply that idea to the story idea you've got in mind. So for instance, visitors come for tea, and this is the event that helps young Stephanie to see that she has to stay at home and not do her world-trip gap year. Novels have a lot more to them than that, including strong development of character and plot - two processes you couldn't get done satisfactorily inside 8,000 words.

I should think this becomes second nature to an author from their own reading of short stories and novels: the sort of story that makes a good novel and the sort that makes a satisfactory short.

Viv

Gully, you mention 50,000 words as a novel. That would be a very hard length to get accepted. 80-100,000 is expected these days. If your story doesn't have enough plot, character development etc to sustain that length, then I would aim for a short story - length dependant on market or competition you are going for. But you won't really know until you write it - you may run out of steam or you may get into full flow and it will just grow and grow. Get started and see where it takes you.

Gully

So what you all appear to be saying is, get on with it and see where it goes.
This is the way I've done it in the past, so maybe it is me just about to reach middle-age that has caused me to question myself. (Ahem).

Thanks for all your advice.

Carol

We all have phases like this Gully, when we wonder if what we're doing is working. Good luck.

Red

Generally speaking, a short story is anything from 1000 words to 10,000. Anyhthing from 10,000 to 55,000 words is a novella, anything from 55,000 to 100,000 is a novel and anything above 100,000 would be epic.

As others have already pointed out, just start writing and go with the flow. It is possible to make short stories into novels and vice versa. It just needs plenty of planning and consideration. I turned a short story into a novel, which I'm now editing and I found the process remarkably easy. You may find that you start writing and it gets bigger naturally - a hint that a novel might be needed, or it may be the plot is only enough to sustain a short story. As with everything, just go with the flow.

cath

Really interesting comments here, people. Thanks Gully for starting this thread.

Phots Moll

I agree with those that say write it and see.

A story can be of any length at all - some lengths may be easier to sell, but that doesn't mean your story can't be longer or shorter.