Is there any limit of word per chapter? and how to know you are over-explaining?

[Ao]

Hi, i'm a fairly new writer i just start writing my series but i wonder is it any limit of word for the site or not, i use to post my really early work here but i deleted since then (because it's story i thought on a whim without any preparation ) and i'm worried since i don't know if i will be over-explaining somethings which makes the word counts higher

Thanks.

 

[ShipTeaser]

Well, I've done several chapters over 10,000 words, so.I'd imagine not, or it it is, it's big lol

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

I've seen chapters that are 14k words. There's probably some that are longer, so you're probably safe.

Now the desireable length of a chapter is different. Many make them 1k or 1.5k, others 2k 2.5k. But longer exist. I think you make them as long as you need to. But also, don't just info dump it.

 

[owotrucked]

It's impossible to guess if you underwrite or overwrite. You need to kidnap one of your intended target audience and interrogate them until they spit out everything

 

[Corty]

For curiosity, I went ahead and copied and pasted a good amount of my story into a draft:

It let me save it and would have let me publish it without questions asked. So... go wild!

 

[AliceHiess]

Technically there has to be a limit due to coding limitations it’s probably just so high that you couldn’t reasonably reach it. Personally my ideal chapter length is 1000-2000 any shorter and i feel underwhelmed any longer and my adhd makes my mind wander.

 

[Zirrboy]

Client-side code says 400 000 characters when you try to publish.

 

[Skepto]

Rule of thumb is, if you have to ask "Am I over-explaining?", you're over-explaining. It's fine for readers to not immediately understand something.

 

[Oreo]

Hi, i'm a fairly new writer i just start writing my series but i wonder is it any limit of word for the site or not, i use to post my really early work here but i deleted since then (because it's story i thought on a whim without any preparation ) and i'm worried since i don't know if i will be over-explaining somethings which makes the word counts higher

Thanks.

Someone created a story with over 37k words in one chapter. If there is any limit of word for the site, it's not 37k.

 

[J_Chemist]

Screw the cap. Send it.

 

[foxes]

I asked Chat GPT this question and he answered that the optimal size is 5000-2000 words. But chapters can also consist of parts separated by epigraphs of 5000 words, so the number of words per chapter can be much higher.

 

[K5Rakitan]

If you've got an is/was/were/are or another form of "to be" every other sentence, then you're over-explaining. Minimize your use of passive language and only pop out a "to be" when absolutely necessary.

 

[melchi]

Screw the cap. Send it.

I see what you did there!

 

[TheEldritchGod]

1. 64,000/chapter seems to be a soft limit. I think the limit is per character, not word.
2. It's called, A Pre-Reader. You have someone read it before you publish and they tell you what they think, including, if you are explaining too much.

 

[alex_lightwind]

I think 1.5k - 4k words is the optimal size for a chapter (for a webnovel). But no one is stopping you from posting a 10k+ chapter.

 

[MrFunnySkeletonMan]

Personally, I am in line with AliceHiess. I like 1k-2k chapters to not overwhelm a new reader who may not be ready for the time investment of a long chapter. People are busy and time is a currency. If you ask too much upfront, then it might turn them off. Although, I have no problem with long chapters (~45k words hot damn Corty), just in my experience is that long chapters can be intimating sometimes.

Plus, I am rather busy myself between work and uni so I cannot construct many long chapters regularly.

 

[nowme_cres]

Hi, i'm a fairly new writer i just start writing my series but i wonder is it any limit of word for the site or not, i use to post my really early work here but i deleted since then (because it's story i thought on a whim without any preparation ) and i'm worried since i don't know if i will be over-explaining somethings which makes the word counts higher

Thanks.

Limit: As long as the servers can handle it.
Practical Word Limit: How long readers will read

Over Explaining: This is something that can be sensed with a gut feeling

 

[DarkDuck09]

Hi, i'm a fairly new writer i just start writing my series but i wonder is it any limit of word for the site or not, i use to post my really early work here but i deleted since then (because it's story i thought on a whim without any preparation ) and i'm worried since i don't know if i will be over-explaining somethings which makes the word counts higher

Thanks.

Have you ever finished a paragraph or two and internally said "alright, now back to the story." If so, then you're over explaining things.

As for word count, if you pick up 20 novels from the book store and they're all between 450 - 600 pages, the word count per chapter will end up being in the 2k - 4k range for the vast majority of them. There are exceptions though; I once read a novel where there was a 3 paragraph chapter, who's only purpose in the story overall was to show that some desk jocky sent and entire regiment to die on the wrong the world (it was Warhammer 40k).

Keep in mind people have fairly short attention spans. 2k - 4k words per chapter gives people enough time to read and enjoy while providing regular stopping points so they don't have to re-find where they were.

 

[VincentTheMage]

I've always tried to aim for around the 2000-3000 word mark for my chapters but it will always vary from person to person. However many words it takes to get your story told is the safe bet. As for over explaining, this is something I feel like I struggle with as well. I have to reread my work several times over, trimming parts here and there until I feel like I have just the right amount of detail.