How long is too long?

[chacotaco91]

Hi y'all, I'm eventually going to post a piece of my work in the review room, but I'm afraid it would be too long for most people's busy schedules, and they'd simply be turned away. It would be a single chapter in my novel, (only about 13 chapters in) and would roughly be about 3200 words.

I'd like to give smaller bits, but I feel I need to give my whole chapters work for people to comment on its structure, flow, and generally how well it fits as a form of storytelling. I'd like to know if there is enough description in it, or if the dialogue fits well for the amount of info in the chapter.

Would it turn people off if it was too long? I don't think it would have too many errors as I spend a lot of time re-editing, and thus write very slow. However I may not pick up on some things and it could ultimately be a drag to critique.

Does the length of a work turn you off to reviewing or cause you to write a more passive review?

[Halcyon]

Hi

I have to admit that I am personally guilty of turning my back on a piece if it is overly long, but I'm sure that there are people around here with more admirable indefatigability in that regard, so go ahead and post what you feel is appropriate.

[Elgaisma]

3000 is about max I will look at - if you want an indepth review on all of it consider posting it in three 1000 length sections.

[VM80]

Yeah, I tend to look at shorter pieces as well I'm afraid. Time...

[chacotaco91]

Thanks y'all. Seems like for best results, keep things short.

[w176]

Keep if short, but if someone show a personal interest in your work you might ask them to take a look at the whole chapter, and tell them that you will return the favor if they ever feel like it.

[Cogito]

Have you read How to Use the Review Room?

[Manav]

Usually 1000 to 1500 words excerpt is enough to get the feedback you are looking for and also that is a comfortable length for the reviewers.

[Eunoia]

Like others have said, 3200 words seems a bit long. I don't like reading more than 1000ish words of a piece online really as I can't keep focused and sometimes it hurts my eyes. If you posted it in parts then it'd be better.

[chacotaco91]

Well I posted an excerpt from my writings, less than 700 words, and so far not a single comment.....

[Cogito]

It happens. You have to be patient. Also, it doesn't hurt to go out of your way to GIVE well thought out critiques. What goes around comes around.

[someguyontheinternet]

If your going to post a 3000 word chapter, take a good long look, read it, see how much time it takes, and if you think that you'd be comfortable reading that, post it. If not, split it into parts.

[Thanshin]

I must be the only one who doesn't care at all about the total size. I'll review from the beginning and until I feel tired and stop. I've done several reviews in several parts.

I'd even say I prefer long fragments so I can take as much as I want and then go back to the text if I liked it and review some more.

[Jay With The Missing Hat]

In our course workshops we usually review work that's about 1000 words. If the story is interesting, I don't mind reading all of it, but the shorter it is the easier it is to thoroughly critique.

[xisnotx]

"Too long is only long if long isn't long enough."

Anything that takes me more than five minutes to read would have to be exceptionally interesting for me to keep at it.

[TheWritingWriter]

I am weird when it comes to reading. If there's a lot of text, I won't lie, I turn my back away. I know that's a bad habit, so I try to read it. If the story starts off with a hook, and can immediately get my interest, I'll stick it through and read the story, and it won't seem like work as much. :/ But that's just me.

[Cacian]

I prefer short stories myself.
You would know if it is too long because it drags.
short and brief are those I remember best.

[Luna13]

I generally read something however long it is... given that it is interesting. If I don't like it, I just stop, but if it's really good writing than I would be happy to read it. Sometimes, I like it longer because if it's really good, I don't want it to end.

[Cogito]

There ARE guidelines in How to Use the Writing Workshop, in the Important Information section of the site home page.

[Jowettc]

@Chaco - there are no set rules for choice of style. The length of your work should be just long enough to convey whatever it is you want to convey without extraneous or unecessary wordage. There are asmany guidelines around as their are opinions - and thats quite a lot.

If you are writing specifically for publication with a literary journal they may have strict rules - they may not.
If you are writing for a competition entry - there will be strict rules.
If you are writing for yourself at this stage - you have your own rules.

Just note that you should view sentences, paragraphs and chapters as units which tell a story.
In m yunderstanding, generally, a sentence conveys a stand alone statement.
A paragraph conveys a series of statements connected by a common purpose.
A Chapter contains a series of paragraphs representing a piece of the plot in it's entirety.

Other than those general guides - go wild. I have read books with chapters that were immensely long and other books with chapters that were little more than two pages....