how long is a 'short narrative'
Below is a guide to story lengths and how they might be named (thereâs a fair bit of overlap as research shows that opinions differ greatly): 1  Flash fiction: under 1,000 words. 2  Short story: 500 to 17,000 words. 3  Novelette: 7,500 to 25,000 words. 4  Novella: 10,000 to 70,000 words. 5  Novel: 50,000 words or more.