{"id":493651,"date":"2022-04-21T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=493651"},"modified":"2025-05-09T15:23:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T14:23:26","slug":"how-long-is-a-short-story-novella-or-novelette","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-long-is-a-short-story-novella-or-novelette\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Is A Short Story, Novella, Or Novelette?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Do you prefer writing and finishing something quickly or taking a bit longer? Some writers prefer the scope of a novel and dislike the constraints of the<a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-write-a-short-story-in-10-steps-with-examples\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> short story<\/a>, while others feel the opposite way. In between the two forms are the novelette and novella. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be difficult to define an acceptable length for a short story, novella or novelette, so you may not know which category your story belongs in. Is it&nbsp;too long or too short? Why does it matter?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we\u2019ll go through&nbsp;the lengths of short stories, novellas, and novelettes; compare the three forms; and note examples of short stories, novellas, and novelettes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Word Counts For Short Stories, Novellas And Novelettes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Short story: over 1,000 words, usually less than 10,000.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Novelette: 7,500 to 19,000 words.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Novella: 10,000 to 40,000 words.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see there\u2019s an overlap between a short story and a novelette. Also, between a novelette and a novella. We\u2019ll examine these later in the article. <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/12-top-tips-on-writing-flash-fiction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shorter stories<\/a> can hold just as much power as longer pieces, and they too have meaning and resonance. The content is the most important thing. Success does not depend&nbsp;on the number of words, though word count may be important in certain circumstances.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n    <section class=\"free-signup-block  alignfull\" id=\"\" data-redirect=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/resource-downloads\/the-jericho-writers-vault\/\">\r\n        <div class=\"content-container\">\r\n            <div class=\"free-signup-block-container\">\r\n                                    <div class=\"free-signup-image-container\">\r\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/fast-writing.jpg\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                                <div class=\"free-signup-text-container\">\r\n\r\n                    <div class=\"free-signup-text-wrapper\">\r\n                                                        <h2>Love telling powerful stories &#8211; fast?<\/h2>\r\n                                                    <div class=\"wysiwyg-container\"><p>Join our free community for instant access to: <\/p>\n<\/div>                                                    <div class=\"features-list\">\r\n                                                                    <div class=\"feature\">\r\n                                        <div class=\"icon-container\" style=\"background-color: #F7941D\"><i class='bx bx-laptop'><\/i><\/div>                                        <div class=\"feature-text\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"feature-description\">Digital tools like our idea generator<\/div>                                        <\/div>\r\n                                    <\/div>\r\n                                                                    <div class=\"feature\">\r\n                                        <div class=\"icon-container\" style=\"background-color: #F7941D\"><i class='bx bxs-user-voice'><\/i><\/div>                                        <div class=\"feature-text\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"feature-description\">Peer-to-peer support &#038; 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So why is it so important?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Cost<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One consideration in terms of word count is the cost to the publisher. The longer the story the more time required to read and edit it. If printed, the length of the story also affects the outlay required. For an anthology consisting of works by different writers, it makes sense for the publisher to choose shorter pieces for inclusion. In that way not only do they appeal to more readers, but they also have space to include more writers, and thus more people are&nbsp;invested in the anthology\u2019s success. An example is an anthology published by Christopher Fielden called<em> 81 Words<\/em>. The challenge was to write a story in exactly 81 words. It consists of 1000 stories by 1000 authors, with profits going to the Arkbound Foundation. All for a good cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Marketing&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Publishers may also have difficulty marketing shorter fiction. Although it seems short story collections and novellas are gaining in popularity, the novel always seems to take precedence in terms of easier marketing and categories.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as novels are labelled in different genres and sub-genres, not all short stories are the same. The nature of the writing could have a bearing on the length.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Literary stories tend to be longer and more introspective. Other genres, such as horror or crime, may, or may not, be shorter and more action-packed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Reader Fatigue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s said that these days, with technology and our collective struggle with delayed gratification, concentration has diminished. In this regard, shorter stories are very accessible. Some stories can be read in minutes, making them the perfect read for those on the move. If stories are too long, the reader may become bored. Stories need to be engaging right from the start. With a novel, there is more space for preamble, but the short story, novella or novelette needs to get to the point. Faster.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Adaptability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Shorter stories, with their limited scale and number of characters, are easier to adapt for the screen and may appeal more to film directors, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/screencraft.org\/blog\/5-reasons-short-stories-are-easier-to-adapt-than-novels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Screencraft.<\/a> It makes sense. Fewer scenes and settings, fewer actors required. Think Alan Bennett&#8217;s <em>Talking Heads<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, length and purpose are interrelated and we need to look closer at the definitions and word counts for short stories, novellas and novelettes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"How-Long-Is-A-Short-Story\"><strong>How Long Is A Short Story?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/short-story-structure-writing-a-great-short-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">short story<\/a> can be described as a story that can be read in one sitting, unlike a novel that may take days.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A short story will have a limited number of characters. With a short story, there\u2019s no room for a complex plot. The narrative needs to be concise. Setting the scene in vast detail is a luxury kept for the novel. Economy is everything.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some stories take one incident and examine it in detail. Others have a discernible beginning, middle and end. Often in a short story, the ending will reflect the beginning in some way. The character may have changed, gained some insight into their situation, or become involved in the action. Or, the story may have a nebulous ending, leaving much to the reader&#8217;s imagination.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some short stories are under 1,000 words. Often these are described as <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/writing-flash-fiction-complete-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">flash fiction<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most famous short story is attributed to Ernest Hemingway, a master at crafting tales. You\u2019ll probably have heard of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.<\/p>\n<cite>Ernest Hemingway<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Why is that acceptable as a short story when it\u2019s only six words long? There\u2019s no character development, no description of the setting, no plot and yet there\u2019s a story there \u2013 the story behind the words which the reader can imagine. Beauvais talks about the \u2018readerly gap\u2019 in reference to picture books. I\u2019d argue that leaving the \u2018readerly gap\u2019 is essential in any writing. Short story writing at its best excels in this. What is omitted is left to the imagination of the reader.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most short stories seem to be between 1,500 words and 7,500 words long so about 3- 30 pages long (a typical printed page is somewhere between 250 and 450 words) depending on font and print formatting. Also, pages of dialogue may have fewer words, which affects length too.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In some cases, the reader judges the length of a story by the number of pages to estimate how long it will take to read. Often websites will give a reading time linked to their stories. A five-minute read is about average.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of pages, looking at collections of <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/10-great-examples-of-how-to-begin-a-short-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">short stories<\/a>, these also vary in length from three to thirty pages. If you look at some of the great classic storytellers, they had a varied word count in their short stories.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Examples Of Short Story Lengths And Word Counts<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Virginia Woolf\u2019s <em>A Haunted House<\/em> is just over 700 words. About two or three pages.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>One of These Days<\/em> by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is shy of 1,000 words. About three pages.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Why Don\u2019t you Dance<\/em> by Raymond Carver is just over 1,600 words and an estimated five pages.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Hearts and Minds<\/em> by Jack Petrubi is less than 2,000 words. Six pages.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The Tell-Tale Heart<\/em> by Edgar Allen Poe is a similar length at just over 2,000 words.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>A Child\u2019s Christmas in Wales<\/em> by Dylan Thomas is over 3000 words. This is often produced with illustrations as a child\u2019s book, but printed pages would be about nine or ten pages long.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>A Sound of Thunder<\/em> by Ray Bradbury is about 4,300 words long and around fifteen pages.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Award winning story <em>The Edge of the Shoal<\/em> by Cynan Jones is about 6,000 words and around twenty-five pages.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ernest Hemingway\u2019s <em>The Snows of Kilimanjaro<\/em> is 11,000 words long and about thirty pages.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>To All Their Dues<\/em> by Wendy Erskine is almost 11,000 words long. This could fit into the category of a novelette and is included in her story collection.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This would seem to indicate that length is not that important, but is that true? There will be times when the length of your story will have importance. If you are entering a competition where a word count is stipulated, for example.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n<section class=\"promo-block  alignfull\" id=\"\">\r\n    <div class=\"content-container\">\r\n        <div class=\"promo-block-container\">\r\n                            <div class=\"promo-image-container\">\r\n                                            <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/editorial-services\/short-story-review\/\" target=\"\">\r\n                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Meet-Your-Match-writing-3.png\" alt=\"\">\r\n                                                                <\/a>\r\n                                    <\/div>\r\n                        <div class=\"promo-text-container\">\r\n                <div class=\"promo-text-wrapper\">\r\n                    <h2>Want an expert assessment of your short story?<\/h2>                    <div class=\"wysiwyg-container\"><p>With a Short Story Review, you&#8217;ll get detailed editorial advice on your short story or collection from an editor. Feedback will cover everything from character and structure to style, pace and punctuation &#8211; as well as how effectively stories in a collection fit together.<\/p>\n<\/div>                                            <div class=\"cta-container\">\r\n                            <a class=\"cta-btn has-background has-thriller-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/editorial-services\/short-story-review\/\" target=\"\"><span>Find out more<\/span><\/a>\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n                                    <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"How-Long-Is-A-Novella\"><strong>How Long Is A Novella?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A novella is sometimes described as a short novel. The word derives from the Italian, meaning new. It usually has one character and one plotline. It will typically not be divided into chapters although there may be sub-divisions. For example, the aforementioned <em>To All Their Dues<\/em> by Wendy Erskine is sub-divided into three parts with three protagonists. This makes it more akin to a novelette.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Novellas tend to follow a linear structure with the main action centred on the protagonist\u2019s development. This could be an inner conflict that is resolved or simply explored, rather than a series of events. Due to brevity, there isn&#8217;t the scope for several sub-plots or settings although some elements of the novel may have some complexity.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The word count ranges from 10,000 to 40,000 words. It may contain between 100-200 pages. The usual length is over 17,500 words which enables more depth of character and plot development. Novellas are often published as part of a short story collection as a novella is difficult to publish except perhaps in terms of an e-book due to financial considerations explained previously.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Examples Of Novella<strong> Lengths And Word Counts<\/strong><\/strong>:&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of these are quite famous and have been made into films.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Of Mice and Men<\/em> by John Steinbeck is 29,550 words and 107 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Animal Farm<\/em> by George Orwell is 36,000 words and 144 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The Sense of an Ending<\/em> by Julian Barnes is 40,750 words and 163 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Seize the Day<\/em> by Saul Bellow is 36,000 words and 144 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The Old Man and the Sea<\/em> by Ernest Hemingway&nbsp;is 28,000 words and 112 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The Death of Ivan Ilyich<\/em> by Leo Tolstoy&nbsp;is 32,000 words and 128 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Train Dreams<\/em> by Denis Johnson&nbsp;is 29,000 words and 116 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The House on Mango Street <\/em>by Sandra Cisneros&nbsp;is 40,000 words and 160 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As with the short story examples, these vary in length. The Julian Barnes novella tips the scales at over 40,000. Also regarded as a novella is Solzhenitsyn\u2019s<em> One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich<\/em>, which is a hefty 52,000 words and 208 pages long.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"How-Long-Is-A-Novelette\"><strong>How Long Is A Novelette?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the novella is the younger sibling&nbsp;of the novel, then the novelette falls somewhere in between a short story and a novella.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a word count of around&nbsp;7,500-19,000 words, the novelette borders both the top end of a short story and the length usually acceptable for a novella. As with the short story and the novella, writers may be constricted in terms of the number of characters they can use and the amount of plot development they can include.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The plot will probably be linear and uncomplicated&nbsp;with few, or no, sub-plots. One or two characters will feature \u2013 not a cast of hundreds. It will have a defined focus and will be complete as a story. The novelette enables writers to give more flesh to the bones of their short story, though the writing still needs to be concise.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Examples Of Novelette<strong> Lengths And Word Counts<\/strong>:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>The Metamorphosis <\/em>by Franz Kafka is 11,500 words and 46 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Death in Venice<\/em> by Thomas Mann is 14,000 words and 56 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde<\/em> by Robert Louis Stevenson is 13,500 words and 54 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The Spectacles<\/em> by Edgar Allan Poe is 9,200 words and 35 pages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The Little Prince<\/em> by Antoine de Saint-Exupery&nbsp;is 16,500 words and 65 pages&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see there are examples here that are widely regarded as novellas. Distinguishing between these forms can be&nbsp;difficult and confusing. This may mean you end up editing your story, to make it longer or shorter, depending on the market you\u2019re trying to appeal to, and where you want to publish it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Writing-Shorter-Stories\">Writing Shorter Stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important as a writer to understand the different lengths and styles of these different types of writing.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be very difficult to distinguish between short stories, novellas and novelettes. As you can see from the examples, length is not everything. The essence of the narrative is what defines the form in many of these examples. <em>The Lady in the Van<\/em> by Alan Bennett clearly defines what the story is about. At 96 pages long it falls somewhere between a novelette and a novella and yet a film was made based on the story. In a similar fashion, Daphne Du Maurier\u2019s short story <em>Don\u2019t Look Now<\/em> was also translated into film.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are times when word count and length are of importance. The length may depend on the purpose of your work. If you\u2019re writing for your own entertainment or building a short story collection you may have flexibility in the number of words. If your aim is publication, there could be restrictions or guidelines. For <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/best-flash-fiction-competitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">competitions<\/a>, it is always best to adhere to the rules.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With any story, you need three ingredients: people, place, and purpose\/plot. These parts make up the whole and examining them will help you to decide if your story is the right length, and whether it is a short story, or if it needs more scope by becoming a novella or novelette.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It all goes back to the basic question of \u2018what sort of writer are you\u2019? Some writers can\u2019t conceive of writing anything under 2,000 words. Others write a perfect story in less than 200. Margaret Atwood and Roald Dahl excel in both forms. The latter is famous for his children\u2019s books, but he was a master of the short story and wrote some very dark material.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way to decide is to read anthologies or collections of short stories which often contain novellas and novelettes. Contemporary writers such as Alice Munro, Neil Gamain, Helen Oyeyemi, Etgar Keret and&nbsp;Colin Barrett give a flavour of what is popular now. Some of the classics such as Guy du Maupassant and Ray Bradbury should also be included in your reading list.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, how long is a short story, novella or novelette?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As long as it needs to be.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you prefer writing and finishing something quickly or taking a bit longer? Some writers prefer the scope of a novel and dislike the constraints of the short story, while others feel the opposite way. In between the two forms are the novelette and novella. It can be difficult to define an acceptable length for<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17576,"featured_media":493668,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28664],"tags":[27498],"class_list":["post-493651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flash-fiction-short-stories","tag-idea-generator"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Jericho Writers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out the difference between a story, novella and novelette - from content to page count, and explore examples of each.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-long-is-a-short-story-novella-or-novelette\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Long Is A Short Story, Novella, Or Novelette? &#8211; Jericho Writers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Find out the difference between a story, novella and novelette - 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