Page Counts for Novels, Plays and Screenplays
How much is enough and how much is too much when it comes to writing? So, just how long are different manuscripts suppose to be? Here’s the low down.
Generally speaking a hard-cover novel can range anywhere from 100 to 600 pages long. Paper-backs, on the other hand, are more restrictive in their length: 140 to 320 pages.
One act plays assuming they run 20 to 30 minutes will have between 20 and 30 pages while a three act play lasting 1 to 2 hours will need about 90 to 120 pages. A lot will depend on whether your characters spend all of their time talking or not.
Screenplays, particularly if they are for television, must fall within a specific time limit. The show can not run over just because you have given your characters too much to say. A half hour TV script should be 25 to 40 pages while full hour TV shows are 55 to 70. Once again the difference depends on the ratio of action to talking.
Movies with a run time between 1 to 2 hours will require between 120-250 pages.
Pages are presumed to be double space with approximately 250 words to a page.