Why were famous works only a few hundred thousand words, while web novels often had millions of words?
The difference in the number of words between a famous novel and an online novel was mainly due to the difference in writing style and the needs of the readers. Famous works were usually written by experienced people who had rich writing experience and literary attainments. They could express complex emotions and thoughts with fine, accurate, and beautiful words. Because the content of a famous work needed to be expressed was profound and rich, it took a long time to conceive, write, and revise. Therefore, the number of words in a famous work was usually less than a few hundred thousand words. Online novels were based on the needs of the readers. Young online writers usually did not have professional literary training. They wrote faster and had more relaxed and entertaining content. In order to meet the needs of readers, web novelists usually control the number of words to provide enough content within enough words. At the same time, they can also adjust the rhythm and plot by constantly deleting and modifying. Therefore, web novels often had millions of words or more. The difference in word count between a classic and a web novel was mainly due to the writing style and the reader's needs. Famous novels usually took a long time to read, while online novels focused more on the quantity of content and the needs of readers.