Word count is a fickle thing. Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer weighs in at a hefty 460,000 words. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is barely 30,000. There are stories across all genres that span from a few hundred to several hundred-thousand words.

"If it’s critical to the character, it’s critical to the reader, and then it’s not backstory.” - Jeff Kleinman