Types of Fiction: From Flash to Novel — Which Should You Write?

What is the Ideal Length for a Story?

So, the main question is: How long should your story be?

In a way, that is like asking, “What is the color of water?”

Story length is usually linked to writer intent. The definitions below are not laws written in stone, but they are the general standards used by publishers and editors today.

If you would like to play around with story length and short prompt or more complex prompt is a good way to test writing quickly.

Flash Fiction (40 – 1,000 words)

If you are writing for social media, you use micro-flash fiction. These are teeny-tiny stories where each word is chosen with deliberation , and every syllable counts.

Micro-Fiction: Anywhere from 40 to 250 words.
Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.

You might put a small 250-word story on your blog, submit it to a magazine soliciting micro-stories, or read it out loud at a literary event.

(Pro Tip: If you want to master the art of making every word count, try my photo prompt tool at the top of the page. Generate an image and try to tell the whole story in under 100 words.)

The Short Story (1,000 – 7,500 words)

Short stories are currently experiencing a renaissance. Magazines are looking for them, and anthology sales are booming.

What is a short story? It is defined by limitations—in intent and in space. It involves simpler settings and fewer characters. Within that short word count, the story must be resolved for the reader’s sake. It doesn’t wander into ambiguity.

Why I love them: You can clearly see the writer’s skill level. It is hard to squeeze all the aspects of a good talent into a short space. Everything must be neatly packaged.
Famous Masters: Think of Edgar Allan Poe, Ernest Hemingway, or Flannery O’Connor.

The Middle Ground: Novelette & Novella

The Novelette (7,500 – 17,500 words)

A novelette is the bridge between the short story and the novella. They are perfect for stories that need more components—like a richer setting or more complex dialogue—but aren’t quite epic in scale.

Status: They are the “awkward little brother” of the print world because they are hard to sell individually. However, in the new world of e-books, physical length does not matter anymore.
Example: Kafka’s The Metamorphosis falls into this category.

The Novella (17,500 – 40,000 words)

A novella is right around 40,000 words or less. In times past, this would be a thin paperback. People love them because you get the “meat” of a novel without committing to the massive length.

The Master: Stephen King is arguably the modern master of the novella. Stories like The Body (which became Stand by Me) and Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption prove that this length packs a punch.

The Novel (40,000+ words)

Finally, we come to the novel. This can range from a short 50,000-word book to a massive 150,000-word epic. Moving even past that, you run into writers who write series, which are, in essence, one giant story.

Novel lengths vary heavily by genre:

Fantasy & Sci-Fi: These run much longer because of world-building, usually 90,000 to 120,000+ words.
Romance: Quick-read romances (like Harlequin) are tight and focused, usually around 50,000 to 55,000 words.
Thriller/Mystery: Usually 70,000 to 90,000 words.

Advice for the New Writer: Where to Start?

So, you are a new writer. What should you start with?

My suggestion is to go to social media platforms and find a prompt community to follow. I use #vss365 (Very Short Story 365), which is an active community with a daily prompt.

The Strategy:

Start Small: Try to master flash fiction first. It teaches you how to control your words.
Build a Habit: Try writing every day. Just like I said on the [Writing Inspiration] page, consistency is key.
Do the Math: Writing a novel sounds scary, but if you set a goal of 1,000 words a day, at the end of two months you will have 60,000 words. Trim 10,000 words of fluff, and you have a 50,000-word first draft.

Congratulations, you are a writer. But you have to start; that is the crux of the matter. In the end, the form you choose matters less than the decision to begin. A 100-word flash piece written today teaches you more than a novel planned indefinitely. Start where the bar feels low to reach, then raise it up once you have begun writing that length consistently. The rest will take care of itself.