"It's not the size of the wand, it's the magic inside."
"It's not the length, it's not the size, it's how many times you can make it rise."
Silly quotes from my youth. Origins unknown (nor to I even care.)
I not even surprised this is happening... but I'm glad the word limit has been raised. It allows the writers to set the scene better and with the historical element... that will be a necessary piece. I'm sure there will be some great entries as always.
I actually read all of these posts before I chose to respond. Hopefully, I'll be able to articulate my thoughts clearly.
I have a few multi-part stories. Some are the continuation from a previous story that could be stand-alone pieces. These are the ones that were written AFTER the initial piece was written and submitted.
Others, were written first, but due to the 10K word limit (and not, this isn't a criticism toward this) they were too long and had to be broken up into two or more parts. When this has occurred that I submitted a story that was too long (mind you, this was way before I realized such a limit existed) the Mod who sent it back was very polite about bringing this to my attention. Thus, I find a logical break and submit the first half, wait 24 hours (Lush has a 1 story/poem posting per 24 hour rule) then submit the 2nd part and so on.
I have stories that range in size from under 1,000 words (my only Flash Erotica piece) to nearly 10k. I don't worry about the length. I know not everyone likes the longer stories, but sometimes, that's just how the story goes. If someone doesn't want to read a longer piece, that is their choice. I won't fault them for that. Yes, I have had some readers contact me about my long pieces and asking me why they are so long and why I don't write shorter pieces. The answer is easy... it really depends on the story.
Now, I have actually made a conscious effort to write a story within a certain word limit. Those were for certain Comp entries that had a specific word limit (hence why I have a Flash Erotica piece.)
I don't think we as writers should be "forced" to limit ourselves. If an author has a story that when they are done with writing, editing, adjusting, proofreading, and feel they are ready to publish is under 1,000 words or over 10K, then so be it. I would never tell an author their story is too long. I might (in a PM) bring to their attention where the story drags a bit... but only as constructive criticism. I don't expect them to do much more than read it and decide if they agree or not as it is only my opinion. I myself have asked a trusted friend or two to look over a piece of my writing to give me feedback and criticism so I can adjust my writing and make it better.
If writers are forced to "focus on the number of words" instead of drafting a quality story... the readers of Lush will suffer. If someone reads a part 1 of a story, but not part 2, it means they didn't care for the premise. I assume that part 1 of any piece will always have higher views because some will re-read it before reading part 2. They they choose to bless me with a vote & a comment... even better. A good multi-part story will do fine. Just check out anything that's earned a Series Award.
Mind you, I did not include my only poem in this because the word count on poems is much different than the minimum word count on prose.
Just depends. I personally enjoy it as it's a special way of pleasing my man.
That I'm actually pretty talented as a writer.
Hey Clum! Have I told you lately how much I love you? At least I'm back in the game! 
May we enjoy some awesome stories! 
