Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, I tackle one of the most daunting aspects of writing fantasy: word count. Whether you're an aspiring writer working on a middle grade fantasy, a sprawling apocalypse novel, or an epic high fantasy series, word count is often a major obstacle. So let's break it all down!

We start by reacting to an advice post from a writer struggling to balance creativity and marketability with a 250,000+ word debut epic fantasy. I dive into practical advice on navigating traditional publishing constraints, the hidden benefits of self-publishing, and why constraints (like word count caps) can actually make your storytelling stronger. Plus, I share some of my own experiences with cutting down manuscripts, managing expectations, and finding the "magic" balance between creativity and what sells in today’s evolving publishing landscape.

Email your show feedback and/or advice prompts to fantasywritingforbarbarians@gmail.com or join our Discord. You can find the first discussion prompt we referenced on the show right here.

Fantasy Writing for Barbarians‘ host is Jon Negroni, author of The Pixar Theory, Killerjoy, and more. Our producers are Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock. You can find all our episodes and various podcast app options here.

Intro music: "Adventures in Adventureland" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/