Generally speaking, a novel of about 10,000 words could be considered a short story. Short stories are usually short in words, compact in plot, and strong in storytelling. They are designed to attract the reader's attention and leave a deep impression through their short length. In contrast, novels usually had more plots and characters that needed more space to unfold. Of course, this was just a general classification standard. The specific length of the novel depended on the author's writing style and the reader's reading habits.