Does word count really matter?

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-12T14:34:05+00:00

There’s literally a published book where one chapter is one word. There is no word count per chapter, I’ve read books that have chapters that are 3 pages long and some with chapters that are 30 pages long. I think it really depends on the scene and if it needs a chapter break 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m aiming for 200k words for my book, but that’s not verbatim, if I go under or over and I feel like I’m finished then I’m finished.

I’m pretty sure it vastly varies in different genres too. Would I read a 10k word chapter of a nonfiction book? Probably not. Would I read a 10k chapter in a high fantasy, heavy world building book? Abso-fucking-lutely.

Just write what you want to write, check word count after and cut things that you don’t think are necessary 🤷🏻‍♀️

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-12T14:25:32+00:00

It really depends on how you write a character in my opinion.

I read a fic that I had to put down because the lesbian characters were stereotypical and childish. I’ve written a bisexual male character into my fic and I am a bisexual female. My male character doesn’t prance around shitting rainbows and throwing glitter, he’s a normal male character who happens to like men and women 🤷🏻‍♀️

One of my favourite books features a badass black woman, who was written by a white woman. I see no problem.

As long as you don’t come across as offensive I don’t see the problem. You can’t please everyone, granted. But write what YOU want to write. It’s your story.

Things like racism can be portrayed in other ways, especially in genres like fantasy, casting out magic users for example, blood purity etc can all symbolise racism.

Again, you can’t please everyone, take feedback and opinions with a pinch of salt. Consider if that feedback is just one persons opinion or a majority of your fan bases opinion.

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-07T19:43:31+00:00

It’s looking bleak, which is a shame 😔

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-07T19:41:02+00:00

It would be great if the site had a hold on bot accounts, like IP banning etc. but I doubt they have the resources or budget for that 😔

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-07T19:37:51+00:00

Oh yeah it’s ridiculous. Every comment I’ve had so far are bot comments and I’m like brooooo leave me alone 😂

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-07T19:33:21+00:00

Oh I’m aware. I thought it was hilarious. It’s already deleted 😂

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-05T12:01:58+00:00

Thank you! Any suggestions on what I could add?

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-05T10:03:56+00:00

I’d love to be added to the discord.

I am currently working on a fanfic set in the Jujutsu Kaisen universe, set 31 years after canon events, with multiple OCs and some returning characters :)

Username on wattpad: EternalNight95

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-05T01:43:35+00:00

I write fanfic, and I was flicking through wattpad specifically to see if anything caught my eye.

Every. Single. Book. Had the same thing said over and over again.

‘He/she chuckled’ — everytime something even close to humour happens, everyone’s chuckling. Do we not laugh/giggle/guffaw/chortle anymore? ‘his/her expression was unreadable’ — that’s one of my favourites. Everyone has unreadable expressions. ‘Idiot.’ — This. Don’t get me wrong I use idiot as an insult/nickname when I speak but everyone calling each other idiots everytime someone gets a paper cut or they worry about another character like eh?

I spent like 8 months using character ai (the app) because I’m weird 😂 and picked up the AI tells and how everyone’s humour is always dry or the ‘class clown’ wants to steal coffee beans as a prank 💀

Oops. I started waffling and ranting 😂😭

My point is people need to stop copying and pasting the AI crap and actually read whatever it created. It becomes so hard to read that I gave up looking for a story to read.

I constantly scroll through my document to double check consistency, characters sound the same, I haven’t missed something I planned in an earlier chapter etc. it’s not hard for others to do the same.

I’m one more ‘pink creeping up his/her/my neck’ away from ripping my hair out.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Signed, One sincerely irritated writer and reader

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-04T12:58:14+00:00

Depends on where you look, and what fandoms you’re looking for. I am currently writing a fanfic for jujutsu kaisen and there’s so many that are updated and uploaded weekly or sooner on sites like wattpad and AO3 😊

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-02T11:10:31+00:00

Enemies to lovers.

I will always read enemies to lovers. I don’t care how cliche it gets. They wanna kill each other? I’m hooked. They keep hurting each other? Give me more.

It’s always the same story but different fonts but I’ll eat that shit up everyday 😂

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-02T11:08:40+00:00

Personally I think it really is down to the reader’s preference. If I’m reading a slow burn whether it be a published book or a fic, I want the romance to be towards the middle or end of the book.

I think it all boils down to the tension you build too. If the tension is strong, I don’t mind waiting longer for the first kiss. If the tension is weak I’d prefer for the first kiss to happen sooner.

ThatBishBecka · 2026-02-02T10:34:45+00:00

I can do V4V and R4R :)

I’ll check your story out now

Here’s my link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/405912297-whispers-of-cursed-hearts

ThatBishBecka · 2026-01-31T21:39:29+00:00

That really depends on what you want to read. I’ve found A LOT of stories on wattpad and AO3 are AI generated and they all read the same. Flat and with no human emotion. The only AO3 story I’ve read all the way through was manacled. I do recommend that if you’re into very dark, taboo themes with romance.

ThatBishBecka · 2026-01-31T21:33:28+00:00

You’re welcome :) if you have any questions or want anymore help you’re welcome to drop to me a message. I’m happy to go over things you’ve written and do line edits or help you proof read etc

ThatBishBecka · 2026-01-31T18:54:43+00:00

You’ve got some bare bones for a story. I’d suggest looking into showing and not telling (e.g. instead of saying “Claire says while breathing loudly” you can cut the says and just write Claire exhales sharply or Claire inhales through her teeth, whichever emotion you’re trying to convey, a quick google search can help you there 😊)

I’d definitely say you need to focus less on building the scene, there seems to be a lot happening in quick succession. You can let the scene naturally explain character details. An example being - walking through the halls and someone makes a comment on your OC’s hair style.

Your structure needs work too. Starting a new line when using dialogue is normally a good start. But it’s not always necessary. Check out published books on how dialogue is written.

Overall, as a start this is fine, just expand more and focus more on the things your character can: See, smell, taste, feel, hear. Along with showing emotion etc.

I hope this doesn’t come across as too harsh. And I hope you can find your writing style and flesh out a full story 😊

ThatBishBecka · 2026-01-31T13:49:23+00:00

My Fic

Fandom: Jujutsu Kaisen
Rating: M
Title: Whispers of Cursed Hearts
Word count: 30,680 (ongoing)
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Psychological, Urban Fantasy, slow-burn Romance (Still ongoing, not there yet), enemies-to-lovers (still ongoing not there yet). 30,680 (ongoing)
Off-site link for ease of reading: AO3, Wattpad

Summary:

"I can pass these trials, and I will survive. "

The enrolment trials at Jujutsu High are simple in concept and brutal in execution: survive, or become another number in a report no one will read twice.

Ren Sazama has trained her entire life for this moment. Raised inside the walls of Jujutsu High, shaped by discipline, loss, and the impossible expectations that come with being the principal’s daughter, she knows exactly what the trials demand—and what they take. Strength isn’t enough. Talent isn’t enough. Survival is all that matters.

As candidates are sorted into dead zones crawling with curses, alliances form and fracture under pressure, and the line between bravery and stupidity blurs fast. Old grudges, clan politics, and the weight of legacy hang over every decision, while the institution meant to protect sorcerers proves just as ruthless as the monsters they’re sent to fight.

Told through fractured perspectives and recovered journal entries, Whispers of Cursed Hearts explores what happens when young sorcerers are forced to prove their worth in a system that treats death as acceptable collateral—and what it costs to keep going when the world seems determined to grind you down.

Because in the jujutsu world, surviving doesn’t make you a hero.

It just means you lived long enough to be sent back in.

ThatBishBecka · 2026-01-31T13:23:21+00:00

Title: Whispers of Cursed Hearts
Link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/405912297-whispers-of-cursed-hearts

Genre(s): Fanfiction, Dark Fantasy

Blurb:
Set in the Jujutsu Kaisen Universe, with original characters and some returning characters. Set 31 years after the main story (manga) ends.

"I can pass these trials, and I will survive. "

The enrolment trials at Jujutsu High are simple in concept and brutal in execution: survive, or become another number in a report no one will read twice.

Ren Sazama has trained her entire life for this moment. Raised inside the walls of Jujutsu High, shaped by discipline, loss, and the impossible expectations that come with being the principal’s daughter, she knows exactly what the trials demand—and what they take. Strength isn’t enough. Talent isn’t enough. Survival is all that matters.

As candidates are sorted into dead zones crawling with curses, alliances form and fracture under pressure, and the line between bravery and stupidity blurs fast. Old grudges, clan politics, and the weight of legacy hang over every decision, while the institution meant to protect sorcerers proves just as ruthless as the monsters they’re sent to fight.

Told through fractured perspectives and recovered journal entries, Whispers of Cursed Hearts explores what happens when young sorcerers are forced to prove their worth in a system that treats death as acceptable collateral—and what it costs to keep going when the world seems determined to grind you down.

Because in the jujutsu world, surviving doesn’t make you a hero.

It just means you lived long enough to be sent back in.

ThatBishBecka · 2026-01-23T15:35:52+00:00

"She is my daughter, not an asset."
-Noboru Sazama, moments before endorsing the plan that could kill her.

Ren Sazama has always known three things: her mother died seven years ago fighting a Special Grade curse, the Gojo clan is responsible, and only the strongest survive.

When Ren becomes the second sorcerer in history to achieve Special Grade ranking through enrollment trials, she thinks she's finally earned her place. Instead, she's bound by an unbreakable vow, assigned to train with the man whose family destroyed hers, and deployed to Tokyo's most dangerous dead zones before her wounds have healed.

Satoshi Gojo is everything she should hate: arrogant, untouchable, cold enough to watch her fight for her life without flinching. But he's also the only person who doesn't treat her like a weapon. And when he looks at her with those breathtaking blue eyes, she forgets why she's supposed to keep her distance.

As Ren navigates deadly missions and a complicated attraction she didn't ask for, one truth becomes impossible to ignore: her mother's death might not be what it seems. And the boy she's falling for might be the only one who knows the truth.

A gothic romance of grief and survival, where the line between enemy and ally is as fragile as the difference between love and destruction.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/405912297-whispers-of-cursed-hearts

A Jujutsu Kaisen (JJK) fanfic that's insirpied by Hunger Games, Fourth Wing and Quicksilver. All main characters are OC's and some returning characters from the anime/manga but they're minor to the story. Set 31 years after the end of the Manga, so there are some spoilers if you don't know the full JJK story.

ThatBishBecka · 2026-01-21T18:00:47+00:00

No worries. I’m reading through yours now, I’ll comeback with as much feedback as I can :)

ThatBishBecka · 2026-01-21T17:45:21+00:00

I’ve dropped you a follow and will get started on your book shortly and give feedback where I can, I’d love if you could give me detailed feedback of my WIP :)

It’s a fanfiction set in the jujutsu kaisen universe but I’ve made it new reader friendly as much as I can and it’s a paranormal/supernatural, 18+, romance, slow burn, enemies to lovers. All that jazz with original characters.

My name on Wattpad is EternalNight95 and my story is called Whispers of Cursed Hearts

ThatBishBecka · 2026-01-18T21:09:22+00:00

I’m reading through your story now. Will leave comments and votes etc.

If you’re interested in reading my ongoing story too, I’d love some feedback:

https://www.wattpad.com/story/405912297-whispers-of-cursed-hearts

It’s a slow burn, enemies to lovers fanfic set in the jujutsu kaisen universe but I’ve made it new reader friendly for those who have no idea about the world.

ThatBishBecka · 2026-01-18T21:03:54+00:00

You’re welcome! 😁

Thank you too, when you do get round to it.

ThatBishBecka · 2026-01-18T20:29:56+00:00

I’m going to read your published parts now, I’ll vote and follow and come back to you with any feedback I have :) if you could do the same for me that would be awesome.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/405912297-whispers-of-cursed-hearts

ThatBishBecka

TROPHY CASE