How Long Should My Story Be?

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  How many active characters are in the story?

  • A.
    1
  • B.
    2
  • C.
    3+
• 2.
  Who/What will the conflict resolution change?

  • A.
    The Protagonist
  • B.
    The Main Characters
  • C.
    The Course of the World
• 3.
  What kind of setting do you have to develop?

  • A.
    Real/Relatable Locations/Worlds
  • B.
    Fictional Adaptions of Real/Relatable Locations/Worlds
  • C.
    New Fictional Worlds
• 4.
  How many conflicts/obstacles will the main characters face/resolve?

  • A.
    1-2
  • B.
    2-3
  • C.
    3+
• 5.
  How much backstory/research is required to understand the story?

  • A.
    Very little to non
  • B.
    More than a few flashbacks/conversations
  • C.
    Extensive details/histories
• 6.
  At where will the story start?

  • A.
    In the middle of the action
  • B.
    From the beginning/the end (cyclical)
  • C.
    Interrupting a routine/normal life
• 7.
  How many critical decisions (major conflicts) will your main characters have to make?

  • A.
    1-2
  • B.
    2-3
  • C.
    3+
• 8.
  What is the MAIN purpose of your story?

  • A.
    To Inform
  • B.
    To Entertain
  • C.
    To Persuade
• 9.
  What is the best publishing format for your story, if submitted ALONE?

  • A.
    Digital Website
  • B.
    Print/Digital Anthology
  • C.
    Print/eBook
• 10.
  If presented in a video format, which would be sufficient to present only the details written in the story (no add-on/interpretations)?

  • A.
    Movie Short (10- mins) / Episode (10-30 minutes)
  • B.
    Full-Length Feature (90-180 minutes)
  • C.
    Franchise (sequels and prequels)

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  Flash Fiction

  Image Source

  1,500 WORDS MAX You can get through a flash fiction in, well, a flash! Short and sweet, you get right to the point with this. No need to get all complicated. Think of it like one scene of a bigger story.
• 2.
  Short Story

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  1,500 - 7,500 WORDS MAX Short stories are mini-novels. They do tell a full story, but not a very complicated one. Usually with one conflict that goes through the whole sequence of events, this can be similar to a chapter.
• 3.
  Novella

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  20,000 - 50,000 WORDS MAX Novellas are one of my favorites! I love reading and writing them because you can get a full novel in half the time. Simple versions of a novel, think of it as just the meat and bones.
• 4.
  Novel

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  40,000 WORDS MINIMUM Everyone knows about novels. The most popular form, you have much more freedom to get creative with one of these. But, don't get carried away. Because there is so much room, you can mess up your story easily!
• 5.
  Series

  Image Source

  Maybe your ideas just can't stop. You have your novel figured out, but it doesn't feel done; there's so much more to the story that you can't fit in right now. You probably need a series. Write a novel for each one, make sure they reference one another and are cohesive, and put them all together!