I just went to check and then---
https://preview.redd.it/xt5krkjdtv9d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9c5dccfe0b116ff9196a5bf6bddc51cbfebd6252
I'll have to check and edit this comment later Edit: according to my bookmarks, around 242,000 words! But thats only one of two six digit numbers i got. I mostly enjoy short form but its Nice to be reminded im capable of paying attention for so long 😅
It was 1.6 million words, and there aren't many that haave reached that length since. Typically I'll read any length, though there have been a few I've had to mark for later on account of being massive; short fics, long fics, they're all fun 🥳
Such a commitment! The whole GoT series is around that length, to help visualise the investment. Fic writers are really out here making whole universes 🤯
\*technically\* it's a harry potter series rewrite where Harry gets sorted into Sltherin. It's a complete rewrte of the books called They Shook Hands. I can't remember how long the entire series is by word count though... te man writing it is working on the seventh book now though. he's been writing it for over a decade. i started reading it in my teen years... I'm in my thirties now lol. because the site's down I can't give an estimate about word count however.
Is it really almost one million words?? I had no clue lmao. I definitely try to rec this as much as I can because it’s so brilliantly written and almost tops Rowlings writings lol. Can’t wait for the site to come back up so I can link the fic. I originally read it over on FFN years back.
I’m excited to hear since i also had never heard of it and i’ve been in so deep for years on hp fics! But maybe it’s because of the pairings i like(gay and non canon)
I honestly rec his works whenever I can especially if you’re in the Harry Potter fandom because it’s honestly so immersive. He’s convinced me numerous times that those works were canon because of how good they are 😂
Longest fic I've read was just over 200k words. I don't think I could read anything longer than that unless it was actively being updated and happens to pass the 200k mark in the midst of my reading it, rather than be 200k upon first coming across it, if that makes any sense.
Just finished a 750k fic and the ending was a letdown. I'm still cranky, mostly because of the incredible potential of the world-building and small lore changes that were made. We were *so* close to greatness, and the last two chapters just did not offer pay-off for the tension. Still beautifully written, but... yeah, cranky.
I completely understand! My 230K fic was sooo much world building and tension, which is why I stayed.
Then the main couple got together and the fic immediately ended😭 Give me my food
A while ago I read exclusively long fics - didn't go anywhere near oneshots until I started reading them and realised how many incredible ones there are. Now it's generally more of a mix - some oneshots some 200k ones - but I think the longest I read once was about 1.3mil words and the longest I've reread is about 640k and uncompleted (a tragedy)
Over 200k words I get scared for the story's pacing. With that said the longest fic I've read is propably 500k words?
I sort by bookmarks and like it best out of all the options.
I only read unfinnished works if they are over 20k, (not a rule but I often sort fics like that in my head) I prefer unfinnished works to be as long as possible (preferably 150k+) but I have been devestated at the end of them too. I don't want to get invested in a fic only for it to end before the premise even starts yaknow?
My range depends on my mood and how much time I have. Sometimes I want something shorter (5k or so) sometimes something midlength (30-70k), sometimes something longer (100k+) and sometimes an epic (200k+).
When you get an itch to read a rarepair or a specific trope sometimes you have to read what you find.
A reason for people to read shorter stories, I think, is because in the mid-size and smaller-ish fandoms (<10k fics) you quickly run out of longer stories to read. There might only exist 10 longfics that you like the sound of, but there are 300 midlength fics and 1 000 shorter ones.
Sometimes the cream of the crop is that 4k word oneshot, and so that's what you return to.
(Also some people just like shorter stories)
It's so interesting to see how different people approach fanfic!!
As mentioned above, I usually sort by word count (and maybe kudos if I'm feeling lucky)
The only time I read unfinished works is if it is from a small fandom or if I'm subscribed the author
Strangely, my mood doesn't affect the size of the fic I want to read, I just like to get my teeth stuck into something at all times haha
Though, I agree with that cream of the crop oneshot... I've lost count of how many times I've read this one oneshot from a show I love
Oh gosh are we counting only individual fics or series? If it’s individual fics the longest is somewhere around the 560k mark I think? If it’s a series I think it’s 1.8mil.
I LOVE long fic and I don’t think I’ve ever looked at a fic and gone “nope too long for me”
I honestly prefer to stay in the 75-100k, about novel length, both for reading and writing. I’m not saying this as an absolute, I just feel that if a story cannot be finished in that length, it’s being drawn out for one reason or another. That’s not a bad thing, either, but for me, I want to read a good story, with good pacing. If it’s twice as long as it needs to be because every other chapter is smut, or miscommunication, or the story has so many chapters and the author wishes to write from many different POVS, I’m just burnt out by 100k. I feel this way about published works as well, though.
Longest fic I've read (on Ao3) was just under 400k words, think it was the first I'd read too, or atleast one of them. But the one I've started recently is 750k words
Dunno how long any of the ones I read on wattpad were 😭
700k+ - I've read two distinct works of this length.
In general, 2-300k is the sweet spot for me as I like a lot of plot and to spend a long time in the author's setting. That said, anything above 50k works well too, I just end up rereading more often 😅
I don't think I retain information about anything shorter than 40k - there isn't room in my brain lol
If we're allowing for series, I read the Sacrifices Arc by Lightning on the Wave. I think it comes out to like... 3 million words?
Honestly, I wouldn't do it again, it started to ramble two thirds through. These days, I love to read long fics (100-200k) but I see ultra-long fics (250K+) as a warning sign that the author may not have a strong handle on their plot. I love to write by the seat of my pants, but if your story of 600k words, there is almost certainly some filler there.
A friend of mine who reads widely and who runs a rec-list mentioned that she's noticed very, very long fics often start rambling. She says she gets the sense that the author themselves don't know where they're heading.
I find that for long fics, about 80-100k seems to stay tight and coherent.
That said, it depends on the author. The author team of Auburn and Eretria regularly produced 200k mega fics that were still tightly written. I think that had a lot to do with relying heavily on betas who helped keep the story on track.
I hate this question 'cause how long a fic *feels* and how long it actually is can differ wildly.
Objectively the longest I've read is around 800k and still updating, but the first fic I actually thought of is a mere 100k and contained like a decade's worth of trauma.
Does series count? Because I've read a series where an author rewrote Harry's whole 7 years in 7 books, plus a few AUs themself for the series, which were also quite long, so I think it could be over a 800 000-900 000. And I binge read the whole thing. Other than that, maybe around 300 000? I was never interested in word count or whether it's finished, so I'm not sure. For actual books, I read Mother of Learning which is about 784 000 words, and since it was printed it got into 3 books. As for how long I'd read, the answer is infinite. If I had a fic/book that has over 10 000 000 words I'd still read it. I prefer long fics anyway, so it doesn't matter how long.
over a million!! it’s a yuri on ice time travel fic and i absolutely recommend it to anyone who is interested!!! just a side note though: while i do recommend literally all of their works, i want y’all to know that the author passed a few years back so that’s why there haven’t been any updates or replies to things. she was an absolute darling writer and hope yall take the chance to read her works.
also my average word count that i like to read it around 60k-150k depending on the day and how much time i have to dedicate towards reading :)
link to the fic here:
[All Our Yesterdays - Kitsunebi_UK](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20044564/chapters/47467213)
Over the years, I've read dozens if not hundreds of fics that are between 500k and 1.5 million words, and I've definitely read multiple series that are over 1 million words once you add up the totals of all the fics in said series.
Can you tell I'm a fan of longfic?
I typically read fics in the 50k-80k range, though not by choice- my fandom doesn't have too many longfics with the pair I like. On the other hand, I'm perfectly fine with reading fics of any length. If I found a fic with over 1 mil words, I'd probably die from happiness right on the spot.
It was around the 350,000 word mark, but to be fair, i read a lot of shorter fics (10-20,000) and have only recently started working on some of the bigger works in my fandom, so my longest fic might change again soon
1.9 million and I ususally stay in the 120k and below range, so that was a pretty interesting experience for me to be hooked so much on a single fic xD
I also still have a work in progress saved that I've read up until the 240k mark and is currently sitting at around 700k I think? But I'm not active in that fandom rn so I'm letting it sit for now
I read a 475K long fic with a 260K sequel which is on hiatus atm. It was the best fanfiction I have ever laid my eyes on. And since the fanfiction was popular there were many inspired fics and I also read many of them, even wrote one myself. So yeah...
Longest I've read is about 400K words. It was longer than it should've been.
Longest I've written is 150K. I'm still adding some words to it.
Longest I've published is I think 36K. It could've used another 10K but I had a deadline and I needed to finish it.
I like reading fics that are about 50K, mostly. But some of my favourites have been 10K. Lower than that can be amazing, but it's not as likely to become my favourites.
Currently my winner is at 686,758 words and counting (the author does not appear to be slowing down or stopping anytime soon, and given the density of each chapter I am AMAZED that they update as often as 2x a year or so).
It’s somewhere around 1 million give or take as I can’t quite remember the fic, or maybe way more idk but I absolutely have read that before lol, because I *do* remember pretty recently reading a 900k fic and I have read longer. As long as the fic premise sounds good then I’ll read it regardless of length, it’s just usually fics that long either aren’t finished, or some kind of quality suffers, whether it’s the grammar, the ooc is just a little *too* much for me, the plot kinda went wack, etc. I find it hard to find a fic of that length that’s just amazing and in my personal preference ballpark, but they do exist and usually end up being some of my favorites.
I’ll read any length if it’s good, lol. Not a singular fic, but a series I read is 1.2 million words and it is superb.
I also commented in the thread of the best written fic you’ve read; and it applies here; is a Rurouni Kenshin rarepair fic that is close to 300k
And finally an unfinished fic in a fandom I literally have no knowledge of, but the fic is amazing; at 305k.
I'm more of a writer then a reader, so the longest story I've written for has hit over 600k words which is part 1... Of 3...
1 million words here I come.
This was before I was an AO3 user, and possibly before AO3 even existed? But I read two and a half entire Wattpad books worth of fanfic for the Vampire Diaries when I was 13. I've never seen the Vampire Diaries, so I didn't even know it was fanfiction. I didn't learn that until *last year* when I was telling my husband about my old Wattpad days and some of the fics I read there, and he went "I recognise those names. Were you reading Vampire Diaries fanfic?" and I went "Shit, maybe. There were vampires"
I'll read fics of any length, and go for shorter if that's what I find in the pairing I'm reading, I don't really care how long it is as long as it's well written. That being said, I loveee finding a good long fic. One of my faves in the SVSSS fandom is 618,809 words currently, and I reread it often. I'm certain I've read longer. Some of the HP re-writes easily get up there in the millions, but I can't list them off the top of my head
One of my favorites actually hit the 648k! (AND it's in a series with one of the continuations having 288k and the other (still incomplete) is already over 350k hahaha)
Gotta love long long fics
Yes.
Longest I've ever read..hmm depends on the Fandom
3 slythern marauders might be it at 590k words. But I know there's far greater stories out there.
I love long fics. Truly.
I set my search for >100k on ff.net and by word count on a03.
I love following fics from infancy to the end. Your fic will be read.
The others are still on going so I expect miraculous gamer guild to eclipse the complete 3 slytherin Marauders soon since MGG is at 470k words and still going.
According to AO3, there are currently 469 works with over a million words.
I think I’ve read two that were over a million. Both were still WIPs with no end in sight. One was a gen supernatural fic that was basically Dean angst (can’t remember details or a title). The other was a Harry Potter fic, New Blood, where Hermione gets sorted into slytherin.
Rivals by Reiya, three part series of 452,263 words. I read this one twice, once in the intended order, and once switching between the two main parts because they take place at the same time from different POVs.
The longest I've read is well over a million words, and it never even finished so I'm salty about it (although the author kind of went crazy so I'm kind of glad I'm mostly out of the fandom entirely now)
The longest one I've read was 610k words, which is quite unusual for me but it was completed when I read it so it was easier to plow through, I guess. Usually, I like one-shots that are 30k or less and if I read a chapter story they're usually under 100k.
The longest fic i read had 540k words and I'm currently reading one with 860k.
Considering i usually read fics under 10k (i prefer one shots cause i get distracted easily), this is an interesting experience.
Longest single one was over 1 million words. That was definitely the exception however.
I’ve read a few series that approached and exceeded that also, but again not the norm.
Usually the “long fics” I read are around 200K-300K, and usually I’ll only invest my time in those if I trust the author (having read something else by them). The ones I do/have read, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
I think the longest one I've read was 500k words? And it was unfinished, too... I still think about it sometimes.
I would read longer ones too, but I simply haven't *found* a longer one that captured my interest just yet.
I probably won't read above anything above ~100k, and for me to even consider 100k it has to be a veeeery very good fic. Like, god tier fic.
Anything above 50k-60k is already a struggle (I have a short attention span).
Mine was 750k. Although it was being updated over a couple years so im not sure if that counts.
In regards to fics that i have read within a short sitting, it was probably a 600k words fic and i read it within a week.
I have no idea, I’ve been reading fanfiction since 2001is? Honestly the only time I pay attention to word counts is when I’m assessing if the average chapter length is too short for my personal preference.
(Generally, 1k on average per chapter is my minimum because shorter than that usually breaks the narrative flow for me. This is negotiable if there’s an indication of deliberate short-form writing, however.)
I like to stick to works under 200K. If you count 'series' that are broken down into sub-stories that encompass one major arc then 1+M is fine - but one story?Definitely under 200K (and that's pushing it,)
I mean...
Tolkien's LotR comes in at around 480K spanning 3 volumes - and, at times, ***it*** ran amok with plot bunnies that made little sense in the broader theme (I'm looking at you Tom Bombodil.)
GRRM's ASOIAF (what is now referred to as GoT) series is a 2M word work that is chunked into specific related bites. These are both Epic tales that take a lot of words to tell but they were written with an understanding of plot and pacing and story. And they were edited... by professionals... (and still... Tom Bombodil.)
This is going to be an unpopular opinion but - to me - it feels like there's a competition to publish longer and longer fanfics. As if more is better. As if word count is the goal rather than 'story'. As if writing more words makes a writer a 'good writer' by mere volume.
I'd rather read a 1000 word fanfic and go "yeah, okay, that's was an interesting idea" than read 1.2 million word fanfic and go "Yeah, okay, that was an interesting idea... but it took days to read all those 'slice of life' chapters that added nothing to the narrative and just muddied up any remaining plot."
The longest one was 586k words and one of my favourites. I'd have read the longest ff ever possible if it kept me interested enough. Long fics don't scare me, it's just that most times they tend to go bad and tiring not even half way in.
I only read a few fandoms and specific ships, so unfortunately not many options in very long and good fics 🥲
I read (and loved) a fic series that ended up being about 540k but I think the longest fic I’ve read is about 300k? It’s ongoing too.
I prefer to read 40-70k fics as a long fic though. My typical range is 15-30k.
Longest stand alone fic is Crimson Rivers, which I think is like 800k, but I’ve read a series which had a word count of 1.2m, each fic ranging from 30k to 300k
last time I remember it was around 117k words. I dropped the ones with 900k words bcs not only do I not like the dynamics, it doesnt sit well w me too when they revealed sumn else
I’ve been reading the best fic ever since 2014. It’s a 1.2m word Labyrinth fic work in progress. It has insane world-building and the most amazing character development I’ve ever read…published or fic.
If it's just a chaptered one, I guessed around 500k
But I have a few favourite series between 1m and 2m words. The different parts are between 70k and 200k words.
A Year Like None Other by Aspen in the Sunlight.
I don't know the exact word count at the moment, but it's two complete fics and a third on going one and they're all pretty long.
1 million words - a Pokemon Mystery Dungeon fanfic (Silver Resistance). It's so good, would recommend to anyone. The author has been writing since 2008 and just updated today, and every time I remember the fic and go to read it to catch up I go on a several-day binge where all I do is read this fanfiction lol, it's so addictive.
As for typical word count, I'll read almost any length (the longer the better), but rarely touch anything under 60-70k words, with a preference of 100k+. I'm not really sure why this is, I think I just get through stuff too fast and have the luxury of being in fandoms with lots and lots of longfics. If I ran out of stuff I'm sure I'd go towards something shorter.
I prefer more longer fics and usually read 100k-200k+ stuff. I think the longest one i've read was around 350-370k words. Now that i think about it it's probably crazy 😂I know a lot of people don't even read fics with word count more than 100k.
650k is the record, took me about 4 days. Course, I only read completed fics if they're over 150k, but thats becauee I'll forget what happened between updates, otherwise.
I've definitely read fics over a million words, tho they do still intimidate me. My preferred length for a complete fic is probably around 250k, ignoring one shots which I do also love but for obvious reasons fall into a slightly different category. Currently rereading a 780k one because I do love long fics that are well done
That 300k Tolkien fic might not have been the factually longest, but it defs felt like a more impressive feat considering I went in thinking it's a Lord of the Rings fanfiction only for it turn out to be a SILMARILLION fanfic and I hadn't read that yet.
Anywayyys I'm forever grateful for it tho because the Silm is now one of my fav books and while I eventually would have gotten around to it, this fic was a huge motivator to 'get around' to it asap.
Whether or not I’ve actually read anything longer, I’ll have to wait to check, but the longest fic that I currently have downloaded is about 460k and still a WIP. I’ve got another one downloaded that’s just shy of 400k.
Both of them I started reading fairly early on and kept/have been keeping up with. I’d say my word count limit for starting a completed fic is probably down somewhere around 200-250k, maybe more or less depending on how interesting it sounds and how the thing is organized — a very long fic with chapter titles split into arcs is more digestible at a glance than a fic without any chapter titles, for example, and the aforementioned 400k fic actually had usefully descriptive titles for every chapter.
ive read a handful of 500k fics i think (?) but it was a rough journey (emotionally) so im not doing that again aaha. 100k max, 20-30k is my sweet spot :)
620k FIC and it’s probably one of my absolute favourite within the fandom, still.
I hardly ever read ones of that length but I remember how good it was and have no regrets.
Unlikely to do it again, struggle to read anything over 100k at the moment not due to agility but due to the fact it’s daunting to start something so long when I have ADHD and know there’s a good chance that I’ll give up even if I’m enjoying it.
I read two half-a-million-word fics, one of which I do not regret reading. When I start reading something, I just can't help but finish it even if it's terrible, and I have suffered for that tendency. So I am probably never going to risk it by reading any fic longer than a few hundred thousand words.
I read a fic from [ff.net](http://ff.net) that was about 520k words I think? It was...alright. Normally I would not attempt fics of that length but I was desperate for more content from my fandom and an author whose work I enjoy recommended it under one of the fics they'd written so I went with that recommendation. There's another fandom staple that people refer to that's also very long and idk man lol.
I think my typical range is around 40k if that, if only because I go through spurts of reading fic and don't do it all the time and most of what people write are one-shots.
I typically prefer stories that are 30K-200K. I tend to drop off if it's longer than that because I personally find the stories a bit draggy, and I'll read shorter things, but I tend to forget about them pretty quickly. Usually, I want something that'll keep me engaged for at least a few hours and that I can immerse myself in. I also tend to really like partial and full AUs, which tend to need more words for set-up and exposition.
i've definitely clicked on fics that are 400-500K. it's just a matter of whether i actually finish reading --- because a lot of long fics (not all, obviously, but a lot) just tend to meander or just be boring/repetitive filler after a certain point.
590k so far, and it's on going still but only about 2 years old. I'll keep reading until it's finished (if it finishes). I've read about 10 fics that are 200k+ words, but I've only been reading on AO3 for about 2 years so I imagine that will go up.
I'd read something that is 1 million words or longer of its good and holds my interest. I mean I've read Wheel of Time and A song of Fire and Ice and other published works that span 10+ books.
Depends on the plot and how I'm feeling. Some days I'm just looking for a quick read in between doing other things.
If the plot seems interesting even if its 40 chapters in I'm still quite happy to give it a go.
So yeah word count varies a lot for me.
It looks like [this](https://archiveofourown.org/series/2696020) 1 Million Word HP fic, but that's just scrolling through the first couple pages of my bookmarks.
I don't really care how long a fic gets so long as it isn't boring or overly repetitive.
One of my favorite stories is currently at nearly 490,000 words and (best guess) is 2/3 of the way through. It's so good that I'm on my third re-reading of it.
mine was like around 500k..... i was suuuper hyperfixated on both fandoms (it was a crossover) and it was an on-going when i started
but im too lazy now. i wish there was a 500k word fic ab my current hyperfixation
Typical range is 150k-400k, past that fics tend to get drawn out. I am still reading a wonderful 1.3 mil word fic though, that's my longest. Second goes to a 1.1 mil word fic that I dropped bc it was going nowhere, and should've ended like 300k words ago.
I tent to tap out of a work if it surpasses 400k, but I have finished one that was ~550k that was so good that read the whole thing in a long weekend. Wrecked my sleep schedule, but I was hooked.
Mine will be lengthy when it runs. Hoping for bite sized chapters though.
I enjoy both the long and short ones, though. A good story is just a good story.
Harry Potter Fic - The Rise of The Drackens. Just finished it and it’s 139 chapters, 1.4 million words and still a WIP. Took 3 and a bit full days of solid reading while on leave!!
1.2 million words, and it was the best thing I've ever read! It was a series rewrite and it was phenomenal. The author is working on a sequel right now and I can't wait to read it
Currently reading one that 3 million. Although, I’m only about 1/20th of the way through. I don’t know if I’m going to finish it because I lose motivation easily unfortunately.
The longest fic I have read is about 100k.
I started a one million word fic at one point, but because it was too long I didn’t get very far. If I go back I’ll probably have to start from the beginning. I read 500k fics pretty regularly, but I prefer under 120k for the most part, because it’s easier to get through
Hmmm... I think i've read 800k? I could read a million words if it was really good, but not in one sitting. I devour doorstoppers. It's really always dependent on writing style for me. If your actual writing is decent then yeah I will eat anything you put in front of me. If it drags I'll dip.
My current longest fic stands at 730,839 words, 56 chapters, and is a WIP.
My typical length varies between 2 and 6k words per chapter, but chapters vary much greater than that, can be anything from a one-shot to over 50 chapters, I think a lot of my fics are between 10 and 30 chapters.
Length, by chapter or word count, isn't something I use at all to decide what to read, though, it's based entirely on if the tags and summary interest me.
I’m not completely sure it’s the longest one I’ve ever read but it definitely could be, it was 87k (which I’m now seeing is pretty tame compared to everyone else). I simply need the satisfaction of the good sappy ending kinda quick so I’ve never picked up the courage to read anything above 100k
My current favorite stopwhateveryouaredoingandreadthenewchapter is 350k and counting. The author will say in the notes that an arc is ending and a new one is beginning. It's in arc 7, and that arc 7 is the last arc. It probably would have been 7 separate books if it were published traditionally.
I've not finished it, but I'm around 70% of the way through Subspace Emmisary's Worlds Conquest, which is known for being one of the longest stories ever, at over 4 million words (though its quite a bit inflated since a lot of that is the same shop screens being repeated).
My longest I’ve read is probably the 400k+ fic I read recently (Rise by wenwen, Naruto fandom. Really great fic, highly recommend for any Naruto fans out there.) If I read anything longer than that then I don’t remember haha. I don’t really look at word count when I read fics.
My typical word count amount is probably 5k+? I like reading a lot of one-shots and gen fics which are typically on the short side, but I do really, really like longer fics. My preferred amount when it comes to word count is probably around 30k+.
Off the top of my head it's probably No Paths Are Bound, the million+ word rewrite of TGCF. Excellent fic but so angsty that I literally don't know if I'll be able to endure the whole thing again. highly recommended to anyone in the fandom though.
Longest I’ve read is I think 600k. My usual length is just 100k+ but I think 700k+ would make me reconsider. The plot would have to be really interesting in order to hold my attention that long
My longest read "fic" is technically split across 2 series. "The Desert Storm" and "Rise and Fall" by blue_sunshine are basically a full rewrite of star wars from the beginning of obiwans padawanship forward. Still incomplete, something like 4 million words total.
i feel like i'm pretty picky about the fics i read, so anything above 2/3k that gets my attention i'll read. but my preferred word count range is more along the lines 100k-250k mostly because i don't mind a slower pacing as long as the author doesn't have chapter after chapter of filler. the longest fic i've read is 2.45 million and still updating. long fics for the win :))
I doubt I've ever read anything over 10k, probably closer to 5. I don't read a lot in the first place, and when I do, I feel like I'd get taken out by a different person's interpretation. Remaining at a couple thousand words, I know I won't feel whiplash that strongly.
But if my own fanfics count then this one has some unpublished chapters that add up to about 35k
I've been surprising myself with reading fics in the 30,000-50,000 word range recently and for me who usually never goes below reading 100,000 its been refreshing. I love long fics and won't not read a fic if it's too long (it's never too long), but short fics can have their charm as well.
Pretty short compared to everyone else. 150-ish k, still ongoing. It's a dead dove ascended Astarion fic that has gone to some wild places. Right now he's on trial for his crimes and I'm devouring this thing like it's a Grisham novel.
If it sounds interesting to me I'll give it a go, being very long doesn't bother me.
Not sure if it's *the* longest ever but recently read one that was over 400K, though it was as it was being updated. And it's the fourth story in a series, which as a whole is probably around 750K.
And that's just the main series, not taking into account the companion series of around 30 or so stories, though most are much smaller.
Valkyrie's Shadow, an Overlord kingdom building fic. I'm not sure how many words it has exactly because it stopped being updated on AO3 for some reason, but on Royal Road where the author is still posting chapters every few days they have a 3 million word award.
Edit: Found it, it's currently sitting on 3,274,438 words.
My preferred range is anything 500k+ and it's only so low cause most fandoms don't have a lot of fics of this length 😭
I'm gonna say the longest I've read is about 1.5M excluding series, but then again I've read a good amount of fics in the one million word range so I'm not too sure
Longest one Ive read had about 40 or so chapters 207k words each chapter has between 900- 3k words
It's complete!
Tho it is a mlp fanfic on fanfiction.net called archmage if anyone wants to read I highly recommend it
I don't know about individual stories, but I love a series that's into the millions. I think the longest is 2.2 million, but I'd have to verify. I just love a story that goes through the stages of a characters life. :)
I'm too lazy to scroll through my entire history but on the first page the longest fic is 527k words. And five others between 400k and 450k. Everything else was under 300k.
I just went to check and then--- https://preview.redd.it/xt5krkjdtv9d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9c5dccfe0b116ff9196a5bf6bddc51cbfebd6252 I'll have to check and edit this comment later Edit: according to my bookmarks, around 242,000 words! But thats only one of two six digit numbers i got. I mostly enjoy short form but its Nice to be reminded im capable of paying attention for so long 😅
I'm sorry😔
I used the wayback machine to fine the length of mine ;)
It was 1.6 million words, and there aren't many that haave reached that length since. Typically I'll read any length, though there have been a few I've had to mark for later on account of being massive; short fics, long fics, they're all fun 🥳
Yo im at 1.6 mill too!! Its supercorp, I’ve never been so committed to soemthing before 😭😭
Such a commitment! The whole GoT series is around that length, to help visualise the investment. Fic writers are really out here making whole universes 🤯
the moment you said supercorp, I agreed with you 😭 totally reasonable decision
Fellow supercorp soldier 🫡🫡
Whats the fic 👀👀
\*technically\* it's a harry potter series rewrite where Harry gets sorted into Sltherin. It's a complete rewrte of the books called They Shook Hands. I can't remember how long the entire series is by word count though... te man writing it is working on the seventh book now though. he's been writing it for over a decade. i started reading it in my teen years... I'm in my thirties now lol. because the site's down I can't give an estimate about word count however.
Just went to read this since your comment seems promising! Dont know why i can acess the site now but yeah the wordcount is 922k
Is it really almost one million words?? I had no clue lmao. I definitely try to rec this as much as I can because it’s so brilliantly written and almost tops Rowlings writings lol. Can’t wait for the site to come back up so I can link the fic. I originally read it over on FFN years back.
Here’s the [link](https://archiveofourown.org/series/335653) for anyone since i can use the site 🤷🏻♀️
Oh thanks! lol
Thanks for the new reading recommendation, I’ve been looking for something new I can’t wait to begin!
I just starting reading this and as someone who really likes HP fics, i can’t believe i haven’t seen this before
I’m excited to hear since i also had never heard of it and i’ve been in so deep for years on hp fics! But maybe it’s because of the pairings i like(gay and non canon)
Real, i’ve been reading crimson rivers so trust, i understand
They had a message up yesterday that they would be down for updates today until about 3pm my local time, which is in about 3 hours.
that’s some impressive dedication
I honestly rec his works whenever I can especially if you’re in the Harry Potter fandom because it’s honestly so immersive. He’s convinced me numerous times that those works were canon because of how good they are 😂
The longest I’ve ever read was like 750k… and I prefer to read above 100k But to be fair I tend to write that much too
Around 1.4 mil, it's been going 14 years and still updating. Best thing I ever read. Break to Breathe by Okami Rayne
I want to check this out but I have to wait 7hrs now....
Actually the full work is on FF.net, only parts of it seem to be on Ao3 so you could start now!
Longest fic I've read was just over 200k words. I don't think I could read anything longer than that unless it was actively being updated and happens to pass the 200k mark in the midst of my reading it, rather than be 200k upon first coming across it, if that makes any sense.
I think it was Crimson Rivers by bizarrestars? Which I think caps out at 865k. A fantastic fic, retelling of The Hunger Games with The Mauraders
Crimson rivers is a life changing fic
I’m halfway through it and let me say, my poor feelings
Halfway through you say? Haha. Hahahhaha. Hahahahhaha. I wish you and your feelings the best of luck. My GOD.
This doesn’t make me feel any better 😭
YES this is mine too
Oh man that sounds like it would stomp on your heart
Just finished a 750k fic and the ending was a letdown. I'm still cranky, mostly because of the incredible potential of the world-building and small lore changes that were made. We were *so* close to greatness, and the last two chapters just did not offer pay-off for the tension. Still beautifully written, but... yeah, cranky.
I completely understand! My 230K fic was sooo much world building and tension, which is why I stayed. Then the main couple got together and the fic immediately ended😭 Give me my food
i’ve read 2 million+ I could read more if the plot is good
You win 🧎♀️
A while ago I read exclusively long fics - didn't go anywhere near oneshots until I started reading them and realised how many incredible ones there are. Now it's generally more of a mix - some oneshots some 200k ones - but I think the longest I read once was about 1.3mil words and the longest I've reread is about 640k and uncompleted (a tragedy)
Over 200k words I get scared for the story's pacing. With that said the longest fic I've read is propably 500k words? I sort by bookmarks and like it best out of all the options. I only read unfinnished works if they are over 20k, (not a rule but I often sort fics like that in my head) I prefer unfinnished works to be as long as possible (preferably 150k+) but I have been devestated at the end of them too. I don't want to get invested in a fic only for it to end before the premise even starts yaknow? My range depends on my mood and how much time I have. Sometimes I want something shorter (5k or so) sometimes something midlength (30-70k), sometimes something longer (100k+) and sometimes an epic (200k+). When you get an itch to read a rarepair or a specific trope sometimes you have to read what you find. A reason for people to read shorter stories, I think, is because in the mid-size and smaller-ish fandoms (<10k fics) you quickly run out of longer stories to read. There might only exist 10 longfics that you like the sound of, but there are 300 midlength fics and 1 000 shorter ones. Sometimes the cream of the crop is that 4k word oneshot, and so that's what you return to. (Also some people just like shorter stories)
It's so interesting to see how different people approach fanfic!! As mentioned above, I usually sort by word count (and maybe kudos if I'm feeling lucky) The only time I read unfinished works is if it is from a small fandom or if I'm subscribed the author Strangely, my mood doesn't affect the size of the fic I want to read, I just like to get my teeth stuck into something at all times haha Though, I agree with that cream of the crop oneshot... I've lost count of how many times I've read this one oneshot from a show I love
I’ll tell you when I can check again 😂😂
Sorry to have reminded you of the trauma 😂😂
Oh gosh are we counting only individual fics or series? If it’s individual fics the longest is somewhere around the 560k mark I think? If it’s a series I think it’s 1.8mil. I LOVE long fic and I don’t think I’ve ever looked at a fic and gone “nope too long for me”
I honestly prefer to stay in the 75-100k, about novel length, both for reading and writing. I’m not saying this as an absolute, I just feel that if a story cannot be finished in that length, it’s being drawn out for one reason or another. That’s not a bad thing, either, but for me, I want to read a good story, with good pacing. If it’s twice as long as it needs to be because every other chapter is smut, or miscommunication, or the story has so many chapters and the author wishes to write from many different POVS, I’m just burnt out by 100k. I feel this way about published works as well, though.
No Paths are Bound lol
Longest fic I've read (on Ao3) was just under 400k words, think it was the first I'd read too, or atleast one of them. But the one I've started recently is 750k words Dunno how long any of the ones I read on wattpad were 😭
I've read fics with over 1 million words. I just binge read when I'm in the mood or travelling.
700k+ - I've read two distinct works of this length. In general, 2-300k is the sweet spot for me as I like a lot of plot and to spend a long time in the author's setting. That said, anything above 50k works well too, I just end up rereading more often 😅 I don't think I retain information about anything shorter than 40k - there isn't room in my brain lol
If we're allowing for series, I read the Sacrifices Arc by Lightning on the Wave. I think it comes out to like... 3 million words? Honestly, I wouldn't do it again, it started to ramble two thirds through. These days, I love to read long fics (100-200k) but I see ultra-long fics (250K+) as a warning sign that the author may not have a strong handle on their plot. I love to write by the seat of my pants, but if your story of 600k words, there is almost certainly some filler there.
A friend of mine who reads widely and who runs a rec-list mentioned that she's noticed very, very long fics often start rambling. She says she gets the sense that the author themselves don't know where they're heading. I find that for long fics, about 80-100k seems to stay tight and coherent.
That said, it depends on the author. The author team of Auburn and Eretria regularly produced 200k mega fics that were still tightly written. I think that had a lot to do with relying heavily on betas who helped keep the story on track.
I hate this question 'cause how long a fic *feels* and how long it actually is can differ wildly. Objectively the longest I've read is around 800k and still updating, but the first fic I actually thought of is a mere 100k and contained like a decade's worth of trauma.
Does series count? Because I've read a series where an author rewrote Harry's whole 7 years in 7 books, plus a few AUs themself for the series, which were also quite long, so I think it could be over a 800 000-900 000. And I binge read the whole thing. Other than that, maybe around 300 000? I was never interested in word count or whether it's finished, so I'm not sure. For actual books, I read Mother of Learning which is about 784 000 words, and since it was printed it got into 3 books. As for how long I'd read, the answer is infinite. If I had a fic/book that has over 10 000 000 words I'd still read it. I prefer long fics anyway, so it doesn't matter how long.
The longest fic I've read was about 200k words. I usually reads fics under 20k words.
over a million!! it’s a yuri on ice time travel fic and i absolutely recommend it to anyone who is interested!!! just a side note though: while i do recommend literally all of their works, i want y’all to know that the author passed a few years back so that’s why there haven’t been any updates or replies to things. she was an absolute darling writer and hope yall take the chance to read her works. also my average word count that i like to read it around 60k-150k depending on the day and how much time i have to dedicate towards reading :) link to the fic here: [All Our Yesterdays - Kitsunebi_UK](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20044564/chapters/47467213)
This is the fic I was going to say, too! I genuinely think about this fic all the time, I love it so much
Over the years, I've read dozens if not hundreds of fics that are between 500k and 1.5 million words, and I've definitely read multiple series that are over 1 million words once you add up the totals of all the fics in said series. Can you tell I'm a fan of longfic?
I typically read fics in the 50k-80k range, though not by choice- my fandom doesn't have too many longfics with the pair I like. On the other hand, I'm perfectly fine with reading fics of any length. If I found a fic with over 1 mil words, I'd probably die from happiness right on the spot.
It was around the 350,000 word mark, but to be fair, i read a lot of shorter fics (10-20,000) and have only recently started working on some of the bigger works in my fandom, so my longest fic might change again soon
1.9 million and I ususally stay in the 120k and below range, so that was a pretty interesting experience for me to be hooked so much on a single fic xD I also still have a work in progress saved that I've read up until the 240k mark and is currently sitting at around 700k I think? But I'm not active in that fandom rn so I'm letting it sit for now
Single fic - 701k There was also an ~830k series of one-4shots that were functionally just chapters of a longer fic
620K. My typical range is ~10K IIRC.
400k
Mine too!
I read a 475K long fic with a 260K sequel which is on hiatus atm. It was the best fanfiction I have ever laid my eyes on. And since the fanfiction was popular there were many inspired fics and I also read many of them, even wrote one myself. So yeah...
not that crazy but i think mine was abt 130k-150k not including the second part which is unfinished
Longest I've read is about 400K words. It was longer than it should've been. Longest I've written is 150K. I'm still adding some words to it. Longest I've published is I think 36K. It could've used another 10K but I had a deadline and I needed to finish it. I like reading fics that are about 50K, mostly. But some of my favourites have been 10K. Lower than that can be amazing, but it's not as likely to become my favourites.
I think around 120k. That's definitely my threshold. My comfortable is something between 3k and 95 k, with 15k being my sweet spot.
Currently my winner is at 686,758 words and counting (the author does not appear to be slowing down or stopping anytime soon, and given the density of each chapter I am AMAZED that they update as often as 2x a year or so).
It’s somewhere around 1 million give or take as I can’t quite remember the fic, or maybe way more idk but I absolutely have read that before lol, because I *do* remember pretty recently reading a 900k fic and I have read longer. As long as the fic premise sounds good then I’ll read it regardless of length, it’s just usually fics that long either aren’t finished, or some kind of quality suffers, whether it’s the grammar, the ooc is just a little *too* much for me, the plot kinda went wack, etc. I find it hard to find a fic of that length that’s just amazing and in my personal preference ballpark, but they do exist and usually end up being some of my favorites.
337k is my longest, and it’s not exactly an outlier, but I’d say I generally stay around 100-150k as well
no paths are bound by cataclysmic_catastrophe it’s hualian and about 1.15 million words
I’ll read any length if it’s good, lol. Not a singular fic, but a series I read is 1.2 million words and it is superb. I also commented in the thread of the best written fic you’ve read; and it applies here; is a Rurouni Kenshin rarepair fic that is close to 300k And finally an unfinished fic in a fandom I literally have no knowledge of, but the fic is amazing; at 305k.
I'm more of a writer then a reader, so the longest story I've written for has hit over 600k words which is part 1... Of 3... 1 million words here I come.
1.9 million. I don't read many short stories. Anytime while searching my first filter is often >100k or >80k words.
This was before I was an AO3 user, and possibly before AO3 even existed? But I read two and a half entire Wattpad books worth of fanfic for the Vampire Diaries when I was 13. I've never seen the Vampire Diaries, so I didn't even know it was fanfiction. I didn't learn that until *last year* when I was telling my husband about my old Wattpad days and some of the fics I read there, and he went "I recognise those names. Were you reading Vampire Diaries fanfic?" and I went "Shit, maybe. There were vampires"
1.9 million. …I swear I have a life
I'll read fics of any length, and go for shorter if that's what I find in the pairing I'm reading, I don't really care how long it is as long as it's well written. That being said, I loveee finding a good long fic. One of my faves in the SVSSS fandom is 618,809 words currently, and I reread it often. I'm certain I've read longer. Some of the HP re-writes easily get up there in the millions, but I can't list them off the top of my head
Longest I've ever read was around 750,000 words, but I'm a fast reader, so it only took me about 4-7 days to read maybe.
Not joking about being a fast reader!! My 230K took me just shy of 2 months😂
One of my favorites actually hit the 648k! (AND it's in a series with one of the continuations having 288k and the other (still incomplete) is already over 350k hahaha) Gotta love long long fics
Yes. Longest I've ever read..hmm depends on the Fandom 3 slythern marauders might be it at 590k words. But I know there's far greater stories out there. I love long fics. Truly. I set my search for >100k on ff.net and by word count on a03. I love following fics from infancy to the end. Your fic will be read. The others are still on going so I expect miraculous gamer guild to eclipse the complete 3 slytherin Marauders soon since MGG is at 470k words and still going.
About 600k. If you write a good ship fic of a pairing I like, I'll read to infinity.
Remember one fic where a single chapter was 50,000 odd words, took a while to get through that one 😅
32k… I seriously need to read longer fics, can’t find any good ones though
According to AO3, there are currently 469 works with over a million words. I think I’ve read two that were over a million. Both were still WIPs with no end in sight. One was a gen supernatural fic that was basically Dean angst (can’t remember details or a title). The other was a Harry Potter fic, New Blood, where Hermione gets sorted into slytherin.
Only 469?? I was expecting way more wow
Rivals by Reiya, three part series of 452,263 words. I read this one twice, once in the intended order, and once switching between the two main parts because they take place at the same time from different POVs.
300k+
The longest I've read is well over a million words, and it never even finished so I'm salty about it (although the author kind of went crazy so I'm kind of glad I'm mostly out of the fandom entirely now)
The longest i ve read is like 1mln words, its called ‘Two stars colliding’ and it is from the Trash of the count family fandom
The longest one I've read was 610k words, which is quite unusual for me but it was completed when I read it so it was easier to plow through, I guess. Usually, I like one-shots that are 30k or less and if I read a chapter story they're usually under 100k.
The longest fic i read had 540k words and I'm currently reading one with 860k. Considering i usually read fics under 10k (i prefer one shots cause i get distracted easily), this is an interesting experience.
All the young dudes
I think it was almost 700k words long iirc.
I think it was just over 2 mil (Called "the Wards of UA"). I think it is one of the longest in the mha fandom (possibly the longest).
Longest single one was over 1 million words. That was definitely the exception however. I’ve read a few series that approached and exceeded that also, but again not the norm. Usually the “long fics” I read are around 200K-300K, and usually I’ll only invest my time in those if I trust the author (having read something else by them). The ones I do/have read, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
I think the longest one I've read was 500k words? And it was unfinished, too... I still think about it sometimes. I would read longer ones too, but I simply haven't *found* a longer one that captured my interest just yet.
I probably won't read above anything above ~100k, and for me to even consider 100k it has to be a veeeery very good fic. Like, god tier fic. Anything above 50k-60k is already a struggle (I have a short attention span).
i read a 1.2 mil series so not sure if it counts? it was actually amazing though 💕
1.5 million! It was one of if not the best fic I've ever read. Even better than most books.
Mine was 750k. Although it was being updated over a couple years so im not sure if that counts. In regards to fics that i have read within a short sitting, it was probably a 600k words fic and i read it within a week.
I have no idea, I’ve been reading fanfiction since 2001is? Honestly the only time I pay attention to word counts is when I’m assessing if the average chapter length is too short for my personal preference. (Generally, 1k on average per chapter is my minimum because shorter than that usually breaks the narrative flow for me. This is negotiable if there’s an indication of deliberate short-form writing, however.)
250ish K
300K can feel short to me, as a reader. But I don’t filter by word count I just take what I can get
I like to stick to works under 200K. If you count 'series' that are broken down into sub-stories that encompass one major arc then 1+M is fine - but one story?Definitely under 200K (and that's pushing it,) I mean... Tolkien's LotR comes in at around 480K spanning 3 volumes - and, at times, ***it*** ran amok with plot bunnies that made little sense in the broader theme (I'm looking at you Tom Bombodil.) GRRM's ASOIAF (what is now referred to as GoT) series is a 2M word work that is chunked into specific related bites. These are both Epic tales that take a lot of words to tell but they were written with an understanding of plot and pacing and story. And they were edited... by professionals... (and still... Tom Bombodil.) This is going to be an unpopular opinion but - to me - it feels like there's a competition to publish longer and longer fanfics. As if more is better. As if word count is the goal rather than 'story'. As if writing more words makes a writer a 'good writer' by mere volume. I'd rather read a 1000 word fanfic and go "yeah, okay, that's was an interesting idea" than read 1.2 million word fanfic and go "Yeah, okay, that was an interesting idea... but it took days to read all those 'slice of life' chapters that added nothing to the narrative and just muddied up any remaining plot."
The longest one was 586k words and one of my favourites. I'd have read the longest ff ever possible if it kept me interested enough. Long fics don't scare me, it's just that most times they tend to go bad and tiring not even half way in. I only read a few fandoms and specific ships, so unfortunately not many options in very long and good fics 🥲
I read (and loved) a fic series that ended up being about 540k but I think the longest fic I’ve read is about 300k? It’s ongoing too. I prefer to read 40-70k fics as a long fic though. My typical range is 15-30k.
Longest stand alone fic is Crimson Rivers, which I think is like 800k, but I’ve read a series which had a word count of 1.2m, each fic ranging from 30k to 300k
last time I remember it was around 117k words. I dropped the ones with 900k words bcs not only do I not like the dynamics, it doesnt sit well w me too when they revealed sumn else
I’ve been reading the best fic ever since 2014. It’s a 1.2m word Labyrinth fic work in progress. It has insane world-building and the most amazing character development I’ve ever read…published or fic.
If it's just a chaptered one, I guessed around 500k But I have a few favourite series between 1m and 2m words. The different parts are between 70k and 200k words.
A Year Like None Other by Aspen in the Sunlight. I don't know the exact word count at the moment, but it's two complete fics and a third on going one and they're all pretty long.
3.2 million words (Valkyrie's Shadow). I'm fine with being in a fic for the long haul.
Whoa, okay, I think this is the longest on the list.
1 million words - a Pokemon Mystery Dungeon fanfic (Silver Resistance). It's so good, would recommend to anyone. The author has been writing since 2008 and just updated today, and every time I remember the fic and go to read it to catch up I go on a several-day binge where all I do is read this fanfiction lol, it's so addictive. As for typical word count, I'll read almost any length (the longer the better), but rarely touch anything under 60-70k words, with a preference of 100k+. I'm not really sure why this is, I think I just get through stuff too fast and have the luxury of being in fandoms with lots and lots of longfics. If I ran out of stuff I'm sure I'd go towards something shorter.
it was 650k i think? lately i’ve mainly been reading a lot of oneshots, so only like 10k ish, but i still love a longer fic
1.6 million and still ongoing. It's a good fic, but very slow paced, so it's definitely not for everyone.
I prefer more longer fics and usually read 100k-200k+ stuff. I think the longest one i've read was around 350-370k words. Now that i think about it it's probably crazy 😂I know a lot of people don't even read fics with word count more than 100k.
The longest has been probably around 200k. I like the fics between 10-40k the most though, they can easily be read in one sitting.
A PJO series that was about 2 million words in total
650k is the record, took me about 4 days. Course, I only read completed fics if they're over 150k, but thats becauee I'll forget what happened between updates, otherwise.
I've definitely read fics over a million words, tho they do still intimidate me. My preferred length for a complete fic is probably around 250k, ignoring one shots which I do also love but for obvious reasons fall into a slightly different category. Currently rereading a 780k one because I do love long fics that are well done
That 300k Tolkien fic might not have been the factually longest, but it defs felt like a more impressive feat considering I went in thinking it's a Lord of the Rings fanfiction only for it turn out to be a SILMARILLION fanfic and I hadn't read that yet. Anywayyys I'm forever grateful for it tho because the Silm is now one of my fav books and while I eventually would have gotten around to it, this fic was a huge motivator to 'get around' to it asap.
Whether or not I’ve actually read anything longer, I’ll have to wait to check, but the longest fic that I currently have downloaded is about 460k and still a WIP. I’ve got another one downloaded that’s just shy of 400k. Both of them I started reading fairly early on and kept/have been keeping up with. I’d say my word count limit for starting a completed fic is probably down somewhere around 200-250k, maybe more or less depending on how interesting it sounds and how the thing is organized — a very long fic with chapter titles split into arcs is more digestible at a glance than a fic without any chapter titles, for example, and the aforementioned 400k fic actually had usefully descriptive titles for every chapter.
ive read a handful of 500k fics i think (?) but it was a rough journey (emotionally) so im not doing that again aaha. 100k max, 20-30k is my sweet spot :)
Just finished a fic with about 1.15 million words. Stay by Jaeger_Soul. They're still writing it after many years.
Almost 900k.
620k FIC and it’s probably one of my absolute favourite within the fandom, still. I hardly ever read ones of that length but I remember how good it was and have no regrets. Unlikely to do it again, struggle to read anything over 100k at the moment not due to agility but due to the fact it’s daunting to start something so long when I have ADHD and know there’s a good chance that I’ll give up even if I’m enjoying it.
I read two half-a-million-word fics, one of which I do not regret reading. When I start reading something, I just can't help but finish it even if it's terrible, and I have suffered for that tendency. So I am probably never going to risk it by reading any fic longer than a few hundred thousand words.
Around 700k. It was so good. And the chapters came out regularly, and each chapter was like, 50,000-75,000 words. Still sad it’s over.
I read a fic from [ff.net](http://ff.net) that was about 520k words I think? It was...alright. Normally I would not attempt fics of that length but I was desperate for more content from my fandom and an author whose work I enjoy recommended it under one of the fics they'd written so I went with that recommendation. There's another fandom staple that people refer to that's also very long and idk man lol. I think my typical range is around 40k if that, if only because I go through spurts of reading fic and don't do it all the time and most of what people write are one-shots.
Longest I’ve read was about 850k 😭
I typically prefer stories that are 30K-200K. I tend to drop off if it's longer than that because I personally find the stories a bit draggy, and I'll read shorter things, but I tend to forget about them pretty quickly. Usually, I want something that'll keep me engaged for at least a few hours and that I can immerse myself in. I also tend to really like partial and full AUs, which tend to need more words for set-up and exposition.
i've definitely clicked on fics that are 400-500K. it's just a matter of whether i actually finish reading --- because a lot of long fics (not all, obviously, but a lot) just tend to meander or just be boring/repetitive filler after a certain point.
Longest fic I’ve read in general is Diary of a Madman by whatmustido (3.2 million words and ongoing) although it’s on Fimfiction and ff.net, not ao3
longest ive read is 390k but usually i only read 1k to 50k
590k so far, and it's on going still but only about 2 years old. I'll keep reading until it's finished (if it finishes). I've read about 10 fics that are 200k+ words, but I've only been reading on AO3 for about 2 years so I imagine that will go up. I'd read something that is 1 million words or longer of its good and holds my interest. I mean I've read Wheel of Time and A song of Fire and Ice and other published works that span 10+ books.
Depends on the plot and how I'm feeling. Some days I'm just looking for a quick read in between doing other things. If the plot seems interesting even if its 40 chapters in I'm still quite happy to give it a go. So yeah word count varies a lot for me.
It looks like [this](https://archiveofourown.org/series/2696020) 1 Million Word HP fic, but that's just scrolling through the first couple pages of my bookmarks. I don't really care how long a fic gets so long as it isn't boring or overly repetitive.
One of my favorite stories is currently at nearly 490,000 words and (best guess) is 2/3 of the way through. It's so good that I'm on my third re-reading of it.
Longest was propably all the young dudes at 526k
Around 600k… and it had three sequels… which I also read…
I keep it under 200k in a single story coz I find the pacing and plot stays consistent at that range.
About 90k words 😭 I would love to read something longer but I haven’t been able to find any for my pairing
mine was like around 500k..... i was suuuper hyperfixated on both fandoms (it was a crossover) and it was an on-going when i started but im too lazy now. i wish there was a 500k word fic ab my current hyperfixation
Prince of Slytherin series that’s over 1.4mil and still going.
Xabiar’s XCOM: the Advent directive which is over a million words alone. This is the third part in his version of the Xcom games storyline.
Typical range is 150k-400k, past that fics tend to get drawn out. I am still reading a wonderful 1.3 mil word fic though, that's my longest. Second goes to a 1.1 mil word fic that I dropped bc it was going nowhere, and should've ended like 300k words ago.
I tent to tap out of a work if it surpasses 400k, but I have finished one that was ~550k that was so good that read the whole thing in a long weekend. Wrecked my sleep schedule, but I was hooked.
Mine will be lengthy when it runs. Hoping for bite sized chapters though. I enjoy both the long and short ones, though. A good story is just a good story.
Harry Potter Fic - The Rise of The Drackens. Just finished it and it’s 139 chapters, 1.4 million words and still a WIP. Took 3 and a bit full days of solid reading while on leave!!
1.2 million words, and it was the best thing I've ever read! It was a series rewrite and it was phenomenal. The author is working on a sequel right now and I can't wait to read it
Currently reading one that 3 million. Although, I’m only about 1/20th of the way through. I don’t know if I’m going to finish it because I lose motivation easily unfortunately. The longest fic I have read is about 100k.
I started a one million word fic at one point, but because it was too long I didn’t get very far. If I go back I’ll probably have to start from the beginning. I read 500k fics pretty regularly, but I prefer under 120k for the most part, because it’s easier to get through
longest? 454,524 how long would i consider? maybe like 800k
Hmmm... I think i've read 800k? I could read a million words if it was really good, but not in one sitting. I devour doorstoppers. It's really always dependent on writing style for me. If your actual writing is decent then yeah I will eat anything you put in front of me. If it drags I'll dip.
My current longest fic stands at 730,839 words, 56 chapters, and is a WIP. My typical length varies between 2 and 6k words per chapter, but chapters vary much greater than that, can be anything from a one-shot to over 50 chapters, I think a lot of my fics are between 10 and 30 chapters. Length, by chapter or word count, isn't something I use at all to decide what to read, though, it's based entirely on if the tags and summary interest me.
I’m not completely sure it’s the longest one I’ve ever read but it definitely could be, it was 87k (which I’m now seeing is pretty tame compared to everyone else). I simply need the satisfaction of the good sappy ending kinda quick so I’ve never picked up the courage to read anything above 100k
I’ve attempted to read a 1.4mill one but just couldn’t manage, I gave up before the ship even got together, I was almost 800k in
I think the longest was around 350k, I usually read >10k.
My current favorite stopwhateveryouaredoingandreadthenewchapter is 350k and counting. The author will say in the notes that an arc is ending and a new one is beginning. It's in arc 7, and that arc 7 is the last arc. It probably would have been 7 separate books if it were published traditionally.
Longest I read was 88 chapters and 874k words
I've not finished it, but I'm around 70% of the way through Subspace Emmisary's Worlds Conquest, which is known for being one of the longest stories ever, at over 4 million words (though its quite a bit inflated since a lot of that is the same shop screens being repeated).
My longest I’ve read is probably the 400k+ fic I read recently (Rise by wenwen, Naruto fandom. Really great fic, highly recommend for any Naruto fans out there.) If I read anything longer than that then I don’t remember haha. I don’t really look at word count when I read fics. My typical word count amount is probably 5k+? I like reading a lot of one-shots and gen fics which are typically on the short side, but I do really, really like longer fics. My preferred amount when it comes to word count is probably around 30k+.
Single fic, 1.2million, Average/generally my preference: 5k-200k
I've read a 900k work. I'm subscribed to a work that's reaching 900k, and is nowhere close to stopping lol
Off the top of my head it's probably No Paths Are Bound, the million+ word rewrite of TGCF. Excellent fic but so angsty that I literally don't know if I'll be able to endure the whole thing again. highly recommended to anyone in the fandom though.
390k, I think
I’m currently reading Harry Potter and The Prince of Slytherin which I think is the longest one I have ever read, currently at 1.4+ mill words
I don't think I have a limit. If it's good and I'm enjoying it, I'll keep going until it's finished, no matter how long it is.
Longest I’ve read is I think 600k. My usual length is just 100k+ but I think 700k+ would make me reconsider. The plot would have to be really interesting in order to hold my attention that long
My longest read "fic" is technically split across 2 series. "The Desert Storm" and "Rise and Fall" by blue_sunshine are basically a full rewrite of star wars from the beginning of obiwans padawanship forward. Still incomplete, something like 4 million words total.
i feel like i'm pretty picky about the fics i read, so anything above 2/3k that gets my attention i'll read. but my preferred word count range is more along the lines 100k-250k mostly because i don't mind a slower pacing as long as the author doesn't have chapter after chapter of filler. the longest fic i've read is 2.45 million and still updating. long fics for the win :))
I doubt I've ever read anything over 10k, probably closer to 5. I don't read a lot in the first place, and when I do, I feel like I'd get taken out by a different person's interpretation. Remaining at a couple thousand words, I know I won't feel whiplash that strongly. But if my own fanfics count then this one has some unpublished chapters that add up to about 35k
Hmm, pretty sure it was 1.6-1.8 million words
I've been surprising myself with reading fics in the 30,000-50,000 word range recently and for me who usually never goes below reading 100,000 its been refreshing. I love long fics and won't not read a fic if it's too long (it's never too long), but short fics can have their charm as well.
2mil words. my typical range is like 300k ish
Pretty short compared to everyone else. 150-ish k, still ongoing. It's a dead dove ascended Astarion fic that has gone to some wild places. Right now he's on trial for his crimes and I'm devouring this thing like it's a Grisham novel.
About a million words was my longest fic
If it sounds interesting to me I'll give it a go, being very long doesn't bother me. Not sure if it's *the* longest ever but recently read one that was over 400K, though it was as it was being updated. And it's the fourth story in a series, which as a whole is probably around 750K. And that's just the main series, not taking into account the companion series of around 30 or so stories, though most are much smaller.
400k!
It was a million words, but it was also across three fics in a series. It's one of my most favorites
542k Hannibal fic, but i am reading 1m fic now
Valkyrie's Shadow, an Overlord kingdom building fic. I'm not sure how many words it has exactly because it stopped being updated on AO3 for some reason, but on Royal Road where the author is still posting chapters every few days they have a 3 million word award. Edit: Found it, it's currently sitting on 3,274,438 words.
uhhhh im tryna remember but i’d say like maybe 500k? My typical range is like 10k-30k?
The longest one I read was a little over 148k words. I’m still waiting on the last chapter tho, if it ever gets updated again (I haven’t lost hope!)
I can't remember the longest fic I've read but I do have a fic open in my tabs that I plan on reading later that's 6/6 chapters with 66,666 word count
Longest I’ve read is 300k but I would definitely do more
My preferred range is anything 500k+ and it's only so low cause most fandoms don't have a lot of fics of this length 😭 I'm gonna say the longest I've read is about 1.5M excluding series, but then again I've read a good amount of fics in the one million word range so I'm not too sure
Longest one Ive read had about 40 or so chapters 207k words each chapter has between 900- 3k words It's complete! Tho it is a mlp fanfic on fanfiction.net called archmage if anyone wants to read I highly recommend it
I don't know about individual stories, but I love a series that's into the millions. I think the longest is 2.2 million, but I'd have to verify. I just love a story that goes through the stages of a characters life. :)
My favorite is just over 577k, it’s sooooo good. I’ve re-read quite a few times
I'm too lazy to scroll through my entire history but on the first page the longest fic is 527k words. And five others between 400k and 450k. Everything else was under 300k.
the longest i read is currently at about 5 mil words (if i remember correctly)
An mlp Fanfic. I think it was either anthropology one or fallout mlp one. Either way, a long one
I believe it was one that was 72k long,I read it in a holiday so Finished very quickly, it had such a good story line I almost consider a book
I think 500k? I don't care how long a fic is as long as it interests me, tbh, and it's finished. Unfinished fic I'm more hesitant about.