The classification of novels usually depended on the length of the novel and the rhythm of the narrative. Generally speaking, the length of a novel could be divided according to the following methods: - Long novel: Usually refers to a novel with a length of between 5 million to 20 million words. The plot is more complicated and involves many characters with a certain historical and cultural background. - Novella: Usually refers to a novel with a length of between 2 million to 5 million words. The plot is relatively simple, and the story mainly tells the story of one or several characters. There is a certain plot ups and downs and narrative rhythm. - Short story: Usually refers to a novel with a length of less than 1 million words. The story is simple and mainly tells the story of one or several characters. Usually, it does not exceed 200,000 words. In addition, the narrative rhythm of the novel could also be divided into the following ways: - Fast pace: refers to the novel's narrative rhythm is relatively compact, the story plot and character relationships quickly expand and contract, the plot climax is repeated, the reader's reading experience is more intense and exciting. - Slow pace: refers to the slow pace of the story and the slow relationship between the characters. The plot gradually deepens and the reader's reading experience is relatively peaceful and comfortable. - Intermediate rhythm: refers to the narrative rhythm of the novel between fast and slow. The plot and the relationship between the characters are more balanced. There are certain ups and downs and twists and turns. The reader's reading experience is more continuous and coherent.
The length of a novel was usually divided by the number of words rather than the length. In Chinese online literature, novels were generally divided into short, medium and long. The specific boundary was usually between 1 million to 10 million words, but there were also some novels that crossed this boundary. Between one million and ten million words was the length of a novella, which was usually considered to be the length of a popular and successful novel. Those with more than 10 million words were considered novels, which often required a lot of time, energy, and financial support. Only a few works could break through this limit. The length of a novel wasn't the only deciding factor. The plot, character creation, theme expression, literary style, and other factors would all affect the quality and length of the novel.
Short, medium, and long novels were categorized in the history of literature. The main difference was the length of the novel. Generally speaking, long novels usually required centuries or cultural and historical backgrounds of several countries to present a complete story line. The difficulty of writing a novel was relatively high. A novella was usually between one million to five million words long, and it was a type of short story or long novel. Novellas were usually based on the city, youth, love, history, biography, etc. The plot was relatively simple but had a certain literary value. Short stories are usually shorter, usually between 100,000 to 1,000,000 words. The plot is relatively simple and the theme is relatively simple, but it can attract the attention of readers in a short time and have a better reading experience. The difficulty of writing a short story was relatively low.
The distinction between short stories, novellas, and novels usually depended on the length and complexity of the story. Short stories usually referred to novels with a story length of less than 1 million. They were usually short stories, science fiction, suspense novels, etc. The plot was compact and fast-paced, and there was usually only one main character and a few secondary characters. This type of novel usually sought to show complex plots and emotions in a short period of time to attract the reader's attention. A novella was usually a novel with a story length between 1 million to 5 million. It was a genre between short stories and novels. A novella usually had a more complicated plot and character relationships, with more details and background descriptions. It also required a certain amount of time to construct a worldview and character. The novella was often seen as a kind of "middle ground" in literature that could showcase the author's talent and style. A long novel was a novel with a story length of more than five million. It usually required a longer time and more details to describe the plot and characters. A novel usually required the author to have a deep literary foundation and creative experience to construct a story world with depth and complexity. The long novel was usually one of the highest forms of literature. It could display the author's imagination and creativity.
The word limit of a novel varies according to genre and subject matter, but the limit for long, medium, short, and short novels is usually between 500,000 to 2 million words. A long novel usually referred to a long novel with a complex plot, many characters, and a complete structure that had a certain literary value. The difficulty of writing a long novel was high, and the author needed to have more literary experience and skills. Generally speaking, the word count of a long novel was between 500,000 to 1 million words. Medium-length novels usually refer to medium-length novels. The plot is relatively simple, and the number and structure of characters are not as complicated as long novels, but they still have literary value. The word count of a Chinese novel was generally between two million to 3.5 million words. A short story usually refers to a short novel with a simple plot and relatively few characters. The structure is compact and suitable for the reader's reading habits. The word count of a short story was generally between one million to two million words. It should be noted that these numbers are only a rough breakdown. In fact, the word count of each author may be different, and different topics and types of novels will have different word count requirements.
The distinction between long, medium, and short stories could usually be made from the following aspects: 1. Duration: Novellas are usually longer than short novels. Generally, novels with a length of less than 5 million are novellas. 2. Plot: Novellas usually contain more complicated plots that require a certain amount of narrative skills to present, while short stories focus more on the compact and concise plot. 3. Character Creation: The novella is more full in character creation and the character image is more three-dimensional, while the short story pays more attention to the emotional and psychological description of the character. 4. The theme of a novella is usually more complex and profound, including social reality, human nature, history, culture, and so on. On the other hand, short stories focused more on the presentation of emotions and plots. 5. Style: The style of a novella is more diverse and may involve different subjects such as reasoning, science fiction, love, history, fantasy, etc., while a short story focuses more on the plot and the emotions of the characters. It should be noted that different types of novels have different characteristics and requirements. The readers can choose the works that suit them according to their own preferences and reading needs.
Under 50000 words: Usually refers to a novel with less than 50000 words. The plot is relatively simple and mainly tells the story of a character and the climax of the story. Short stories (50000-100000 words): Usually refers to a novel with a word count between 50000 and 100000 words. The plot is relatively complicated, and the story of multiple characters is intertwined. It requires a certain level of narrative skills and organizational structure. Mid-length novel (100000-250000 words): Usually refers to the number of words in the novel between 100000 to 250000 words. The plot is more complicated, and the interactions and relationships between multiple characters, as well as the climax and ending of the plot, require more detailed narration. Long novel (250000+ words): Usually refers to a novel with more than 250000 words. The plot is more grand, involving history, society, culture and many other aspects. It requires a deeper literary foundation and narrative skills.
The word range of long, medium, and short stories varied according to the type of work, the author, and the time of publication. Generally speaking, a long novel was a literary work of more than a million words. A novella was usually between 500,000 to 2 million words, while a short novel was usually between 200,000 to 500,000 words. However, this was only the general situation. Some excellent long novels might only have a few million words, while some short novels might only have a few thousand words. Some of them had different control and planning for the length and word count of their works. Therefore, the specific word count would depend on the specific work.
The length of a novel is usually measured in terms of chapters, and the length of a chapter varies from person to person. Generally speaking, the length of chapters of long, medium and short stories did not differ much, usually between 100 to 500 words. But there are also short story writers who can write up to three million words, and some long story writers who can write short stories of only a few thousand words. Therefore, there was no fixed standard for the length of a novel. It mainly depended on the author and his personal style.
Short stories, medium-length novels, and full-length novels usually have different definition and standards of word count, depending on the plot, theme, style, and the needs of the readers. Generally speaking, a short story usually doesn't exceed 2,000 words. A medium-length novel usually has between 2,000 and 8,000 words, while a long novel has between 8,000 and 150,000 words. However, this was only the general standard. Some excellent short stories could be written in less than 2,000 words, while a shocking novel could contain millions of words. Most importantly, the length of the novel was not the only standard. The quality and feelings of the readers were the most important.
Children's literature was usually divided into short and long stories based on the length of the story. The length of the plot can be divided according to different standards. According to the time of the story, short stories usually have a plot length of 100-300 words, while long stories usually have a plot length of more than 300 words. 2. According to the narrative style of the story, short stories usually have simple plots and direct narration, while long stories usually have complicated plots and indirect narration. According to the content of the story, short stories usually involve smaller topics and plots, while long stories usually involve larger topics and more complicated plots. It is important to note that different children's literature works may have different plot length standards, depending on the needs and preferences of the author, the bookstore, and the readers.