I’m a writer blog

Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

Am I starting my story too late in its timeline?

Asked by: Emily Wood

When should you start your story?

You can start it at any point in the process. You don’t have to stick with the first line you think of. Or the second, or the third. The only thing that matters is that the beginning of your story hooks its reader and makes them want to read on.

How long should my first story be?

How Long Should a Novel Be? If you’re writing your first novel, the general rule of thumb for novel writing is a word count in the 80,000 to 100,000 range. While anything over 40,000 words can fall into the novel category, 50,000 is considered the minimum novel length.

How do I decide where to start my story?

Consider your First Plot Point, which will be the first major turning point for your characters and, as a result, often the Inciting or Key Event (which we’ll also discuss in Chapter 6). The setup that occurs prior to these scenes should take no more than a quarter of the book.

How do you know if your story is too long?

5 Signs of Cardboard Characters

  1. The Characters’ Personalities Don’t Inform the Plot. …
  2. The Story Isn’t About These Characters. …
  3. The Characters Lack Concrete and Specific Motivations. …
  4. The First Half of the Story Spends More Time Setting Up the Plot Than It Does the Characters.

How do you know if a story is interesting?

If you’re just getting started writing and telling stories, here are some storytelling tips that can help you strengthen your narratives and engage your audience:

  1. Choose a clear central message. …
  2. Embrace conflict. …
  3. Have a clear structure. …
  4. Mine your personal experiences. …
  5. Engage your audience. …
  6. Observe good storytellers.

What is the first part of a story called?

the EXPOSITION

This is called the EXPOSITION. It is the background information on the characters and setting explained at the beginning of the story. The EXPOSITION will often have information about events that happened before the story began. The EXPOSITION is often the very first part of the PLOT.

How many pages is 100000 word?

200 pages

A 100,000 word count will create about 200 pages with single spacing or 400 pages double-spaced when using normal 1-inch margins, 12 pt. Arial font, and a standard A4 (letter size) page size.

Is 30000 words enough for a book?

30,000 words is 60 pages single-spaced or 120 pages double-spaced. Typical documents that are 30,000 words include include novels, novellas, and other published books. It will take approximately 100 minutes to read 30,000 words.

How many pages is 90000 words?

360 pages



90,000 words is 180 pages single-spaced or 360 pages double-spaced.

How many characters are too many in a book?

A good rule of thumb might be: Include as many characters as needed to tell the story and evoke the proper style and scope—and no more. For intimate novels, this number might be as small as 2-5 secondary characters, and for broader stories, this number might be 20-30.

Does a story need a plot?

To achieve a successful narrative – to tell your story in the best way – you need to create both a story and a plot: a sequence of events that takes the reader on a journey from beginning to end, and a plot that allows you tell the story in the most effective way.

Is 130000 words too long for a novel?

Publishers typically won’t consider a writer’s first novel if it’s too long. The maximum standard word count for an adult novel is about 110,000 words (some would say 130,000 words). Anything from 80,000 to 110,000 is common, with many novels falling in the 90,000 to 100,000 count range.

Do publishers edit your book?

Publishers are not meant to edit your book. Their job is to choose a work that is worthy of being represented by their reputable company.



How many words are in Harry Potter?

1,084,170 words

The entire Harry Potter series – 1,084,170 words.

How many words is the first Harry Potter book?

76,944 words

Below you’ll find the total word count numbers for each book in the Harry Potter series: How many words are in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stones? There are 76,944 words.

Which Harry Potter movie was the least successful?

The least successful Harry Potter movie at box offices was the third, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), which earned just under $796 million worldwide. Interestingly enough, this was the most critically acclaimed movie of the series.



Is 2000 words enough for a chapter?

Though the average word count of a chapter is around 2,000 – 5,000 words, it all depends on your story. (We can’t emphasize this enough.) There are plenty of books that purposefully play with the word counts of their chapters.

Which Harry Potter book is longest?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The fifth novel, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is the longest book in the series, yet it is the second shortest film at 2 hours 18 minutes.

Which is the shortest Harry Potter book?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone



The first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, has 76,944 words. It has fewer words than the other six books, making it the shortest book in the series.

Is Goblet of Fire the longest book?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix beats out every other book with a total of 766 pages. Now that might not seem like a lot but actually, it is. The next closest is Goblet of Fire with only 636 pages.

What is the longest book in the world?

elephantine Remembrance of Things Past

The Guinness Book of World Records gives the honor to Marcel Proust’s elephantine Remembrance of Things Past, weighing in at 9,609,000 characters (including spaces).

What is the most evil book ever written?

Mein Kampf has been described by many writers as the “most evil book in history,” and its publication has been illegal or restricted in many countries since the defeat of Nazism in 1945.



What is the shortest book written?

Jesus Wept: “The Shortest, Short Story Ever Written and Published,” Guinness World Records book…

Is there a book with a million words?

In Search of Lost Time (A la recherche du temps perdu) by Marcel Proust (1.5 million words) French author Marcel Proust began writing In Search of Lost Time in 1909, completing the entire volume set in 1922. The novel recounts the experiences of the unnamed narrator while he is growing up.

What is the longest piece of literature 2021?

Subspace Emissary’s Worlds Conquest is the longest piece of literature that you can read according in terms of word count.

What is the thickest book in the world?

The thickest book published is 496 mm (19.5 in) and was achieved by Gyanjivandasji Swami (India) in Gujarat, India, on . The book is entitled ‘Shree Haricharitramrut Sagar‘ and is a biography of Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan.