Friday, November 11, 2011

CHAPTER LENGTHS

Recently I was asked;  How long is a chapter? For me, a chapter is as long as it needs to be. I work out what I am trying to say without any word limit in mind. I think it's important that the chapter is not a means to increasing your word count - a dead spot, it has to move the story along in an entertaining way where perhaps the reader is learning more about the characters - who they are and the conflicts that need to be resolved, something is revealed, or information supplied which links in with an incident that happens later on in the story. I believe it is important too to end your chapter with the reader keen to turn that page in eagerness to read your next chapter. 

What do you think?

6 comments:

  1. I agree with you about ending each chapter at a point the reader will want to keep reading.

    As for chapter lengths, I've read some books where a chapter might only be a page long. But I think category romances seem to have chapters of more or less equal length.

    XX

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  2. Thanks again Suzanne for taking the time to leave a comment - appreciate that. I do agree with you, there are those novels where the publishers do have certain specifications (hope that's the correct word) they require.

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  3. I'm just thinking about chapters at the moment while trying to keep the word count up on my next novel. I do prefer them not to be too long or else readers might lose interest!

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  4. Hi Rosemary - I have to admit as a reader I do prefer short chapters. The word length of the chapters I am writing at the moment vary quite a bit, but nothing too long. As always, good to hear from you. :-) May I ask what word length for your whole book are you aiming for?

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  5. 'As long as it needs to be' sounds the perfect length!

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  6. That does take the stress out of it don't you think Patsy? lol .. thanks for leaving a comment.

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