Hi, Should I be worried about word count for a short children's chapter book? The work started as a simple 1,500 word short story. I then realised that for the age I was aiming for (9-10ish) that was very short. This was good as it let me really build things up with nice detail, more rounded characters, better motivations, a bit more magic here and there and better arcs for the story and the character. It's now sitting at 6,600 ish words and apart from more editing and refining it feels like a complete story. I guess my question is, is that a useful sized story? Or have I now gone too "long" for younger kids and yet still not "long enough" for older kids? Or, more likely, should I just finish it off, tidy it up, stick a fork in it, and pat myself on the back for finishing a story - then move on to the next one? I was aiming for something that could be read in a single sitting / two nights by an older reader. ps. I'm more than aware that the word count is probably the least of my worries, but humour me.
I wouldn't worry about the word count. For the age group you're aiming at I think the vocabulary you use is much more important. If they're reaching for a dictionary every other paragraph, or asking someone "What does this word mean", they'll soon lose interest. As long as the story grabs them, they can follow the plot and identify with the MC they'll be reading it under the bedclothes with a torch.
