How long should a short story be?

Target range: 1,000–7,500 words.

Quick answer

A short story typically runs 1,000–7,500 words.

Start writing with this target

How long will that take?

Reading

18 min

at 238 WPM · midpoint

Speaking

30 min

at 140 WPM · midpoint

Drafting

~9 hr

at ~500 words/hour · midpoint

Structure template

Short story — roughly 4,500 words

Opening image / hook500 words
Inciting incident1,000 words
Escalation1,500 words
Climax1,000 words
Resolution500 words

Where this range comes from

SFWA Nebula Award prose category definitions (short story = under 7,500 words) · Last verified 2026-04-20

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