by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Hope everyone has had a good last couple
of weeks…I did. I even managed to have
an adventure…more on that on Friday.
From time to time I get emails or
comments asking about manuscript basics.
The emails are frequently apologetic in nature as if the writer were
asking something that everyone knew but her.
That’s just not the case because I see shifts in areas even relating to
manuscript formatting—it’s always worth asking.
comments asking about manuscript basics.
The emails are frequently apologetic in nature as if the writer were
asking something that everyone knew but her.
That’s just not the case because I see shifts in areas even relating to
manuscript formatting—it’s always worth asking.
I used to write longer chapters than I do
now. There are several reasons why I
think I did…although I didn’t put much thought into it at the time. One reason is that I built in a good number
of section breaks into each chapter. My
chapters frequently encompassed several scenes (so, there’d be a big change of
some kind at several points in the chapter: a change of setting, a change of
characters my sleuth was talking to, etc.)
Another reason is that I put my chapter breaks in as I wrote—and I don’t
think I paid very much attention when the last chapter had occurred or how many
pages I was into the new chapter. There
would simply seem to be a great spot for a chapter break and I’d stick it in
and go merrily on my way. My editors didn’t mind this…I was never asked to
change the location of a break or to make my chapters a different length.
now. There are several reasons why I
think I did…although I didn’t put much thought into it at the time. One reason is that I built in a good number
of section breaks into each chapter. My
chapters frequently encompassed several scenes (so, there’d be a big change of
some kind at several points in the chapter: a change of setting, a change of
characters my sleuth was talking to, etc.)
Another reason is that I put my chapter breaks in as I wrote—and I don’t
think I paid very much attention when the last chapter had occurred or how many
pages I was into the new chapter. There
would simply seem to be a great spot for a chapter break and I’d stick it in
and go merrily on my way. My editors didn’t mind this…I was never asked to
change the location of a break or to make my chapters a different length.
What made me switch to short chapters
were the readers. Obviously, we’re
talking about genre fiction/commercial fiction here—if you’re writing literary
fiction, this probably won’t apply. But the readers actually complained about my
chapter length—both directly to me in email and in customer reviews on online
retailers like Amazon.
were the readers. Obviously, we’re
talking about genre fiction/commercial fiction here—if you’re writing literary
fiction, this probably won’t apply. But the readers actually complained about my
chapter length—both directly to me in email and in customer reviews on online
retailers like Amazon.
That made me immediately change
course. Readers said that their busy
lives meant that they needed more frequent chapter breaks so that they could
find their place easier (these are obviously readers who are reading the mass
market paperbacks and not the ebooks.)
They also felt that longer chapters set a slower pace…they felt they
weren’t making progress.
course. Readers said that their busy
lives meant that they needed more frequent chapter breaks so that they could
find their place easier (these are obviously readers who are reading the mass
market paperbacks and not the ebooks.)
They also felt that longer chapters set a slower pace…they felt they
weren’t making progress.
At this point, I’ve usually got one scene
per chapter. My chapters are ordinarily
10 pages (double-spaced Word docs…each page at 250 words…although sometimes my
pages have fewer than 250 words since I use a lot of dialogue.) I haven’t heard a bit of criticism on my
chapter length since then. And no
comment from Penguin on my change….they don’t seem to mind one way or the
other.
per chapter. My chapters are ordinarily
10 pages (double-spaced Word docs…each page at 250 words…although sometimes my
pages have fewer than 250 words since I use a lot of dialogue.) I haven’t heard a bit of criticism on my
chapter length since then. And no
comment from Penguin on my change….they don’t seem to mind one way or the
other.
My other change in the way I approached
chapters was that I inserted chapter breaks at the end of the first draft. This helps me to keep the breaks fairly
regular and helps me adhere to my 10 page-break goal. Sometimes, obviously, I’m not exactly 10
pages between breaks. There will be some
areas in a book where a chapter break is perfect…cliffhanger moments. So, if I’ve got a body discovered, I’m not
sticking that right in the middle of chapter ten. I’ll either make chapter ten super-short or change the length of bordering chapters.
chapters was that I inserted chapter breaks at the end of the first draft. This helps me to keep the breaks fairly
regular and helps me adhere to my 10 page-break goal. Sometimes, obviously, I’m not exactly 10
pages between breaks. There will be some
areas in a book where a chapter break is perfect…cliffhanger moments. So, if I’ve got a body discovered, I’m not
sticking that right in the middle of chapter ten. I’ll either make chapter ten super-short or change the length of bordering chapters.
Again, as I like to reiterate on these
kinds of posts—there is no wrong or right method. I’ve never had an editor talk with me about
chapter length.
kinds of posts—there is no wrong or right method. I’ve never had an editor talk with me about
chapter length.
How long are your chapters, as a
writer? As a reader, do you have a
preference?
writer? As a reader, do you have a
preference?
Thanks for posting about this. It’s one question I had to ask my editor. I try to keep chapters to about 3,000 words which is pretty standard with romantic fiction I think. But readers do like to feel they’re moving fast and shorter chapter breaks help.
As a reader I like shorter chapters now than I did before. I think the e-reader has shaped my rethinking on this issue. Recently, I read two e-books that had nearly two-dozen chapters. Shorter chapters enable me to read a couple of chapters quickly, bookmark the page, and pick up the other two books I’m reading. I don’t see this trend in physical books.
Yes it is true that as a reader we like shorter chapters. Me too approached chapters was, inserted chapter breaks at the end of the first draft.
Regards,
Content Writing Services
Elizabeth – Really interesting question about chapter length! I generally have my chapters around 4000 to 4700 words, although that varies a little. I find that chapters that are shorter than that don’t give enough plot, and chapters that are longer than that get boring. In general though, I think chapters should be relatively short and focused.
I, too, find it odd that a reader would take the time to write an email complaining to an author about chapter length. However, if that’s the only complaint, I’d take that! My chapters are fairly short, but then again, I’m a fairly sparse writer. I don’t like reading long, descriptive paragraphs, so I don’t write them.
Great points! Life is more hectic and having those shorter chapters is handier as a reader – although I’ve never really had a problem stopping mid-chapter either! :)
My chapters are short, usually between 5-10 typed pages. Ten pages is a very long chapter for me, and I don’t have many of those in a book.
I like reading shorter chapters, too. I think they pick up the pacing.
Many readers will look ahead and see that there are only 3 pages left in a chapter and keep reading–and then when they get to the end, they look to see that the next chapter is short, so they keep reading. As writers, we want to keep them reading, so I’m also among the ones breaking my chapters at what used to be scene breaks in my newer books. Frankly, long before I became a writer, I learned that chapters usually ended with “page turners” so, because I read in bed at night, I’d stop mid-page, mid scene rather than be lured into staying up too late.
My current WIP looks like it’s going to be a single person POV, so I might have a little more trouble deciding where to break things, since I won’t have the built-in POV changes I did in my other books.
Terry
Terry’s Place
For those of us who are attention span challenged, I appreciate shorter chapters.
Can’t wait until Friday to hear about your adventure.
Mine are fairly even, maybe around five thousand words or so. And dividing up the story into chapters is the last thing I do, which helps make them more uniform. Although I’m sure it blew my publisher’s mind when my first manuscript came in with no chapter breaks…
I try to have shorter chapters but I am surprised that people complained about it.
I have a lot of natural breaks in my fiction and I try for ten pages each chapter. (Mine are single spaced, size 11 font.) I’m just picky about everything being uniform.
Oh my! My chapter lengths vary to the same degree my sentences do. I think a chapter is a story on its own which also has to serve the larger story. I like to have some longer ones and then some very short ones too. I think it totally depends on the rhythm of your whole book. In the one I’m working on now the chapter lengths vary from 700 words to 5 thousand.
Denise–It does seem to be a trend, doesn’t it?
Prashant–Interesting observation! I can see how that would make it easier for a reader who is reading several books at once or on several different devices at once.
Prasant–After the first draft is easy…I can easily add chapter breaks very uniformly in about 20 minutes time.
Alex–Ha! I did that to my agent once. I think I scared her.
Margot–Good point and you’re right–sometimes there’s not a lot of plot advancement in 10 pages. I think what we’re going for is a reader who feels as if the story is making progress just because they themselves are advancing rapidly through chapters–although the plot may not really be moving much in 10 pages.
Clarissa–I was too, for sure. But readers now feel really, really connected to writers–we’re all over the net, so I guess that has an impact. I’ve gotten emails on many surprising things. :) Lately on storylines and even hooks.
Karen–I think you and I have similar writing styles. :)
Jemi–I’m like you–I frequently stop reading books in the middle of a chapter.
Diane–I can understand that!
Carol–It does make for a quicker pace. I think this is one reason for James Patterson’s success.
Jan –That organic approach can work really well if you’re really in tune with the rhythm of your story. Which makes me realize that maybe I wasn’t so much in tune when I was randomly assigning chapter breaks!
Terry–Good point! Yes, we want them to keep turning pages/pressing buttons/however they keep reading.
Yes, single POV makes breaking it more of a challenge. Is it still crime fic? I usually break after talking to one suspect, after a big discovery or red herring, etc.
Teresa–Me too. :) Thanks!
I like it if I can pause my reading at a chapter break, and I mostly read on the train, so 10-page chapters would suit me fine.
I typically aim to space my chapters based on wordcount. For my first book it was often 2,000 to 2,500 words per chapter. I did find that, as I got closer to the end, I would naturally write shorter chapters. I write each chapter as a separate document – I find it makes it easier to manage my drafting and go back to re-check my continuity or clarify details – so I work my way towards a suitable point where I can finish a chapter and still leave the reader eager for more.
With my third book, my chapters have become very short. At 60 chapters in the first draft, only a handful go much above 2,000 words, and most of those are very early on.
Ten pages feels about right to me, too–8-12, depending on the action, but I’m open to the 5-15 range if there’s a reason. I’m currently writing something with PoV changes by chapter and so the page length needs more flexibility.
As a reader, I prefer shorter chapters. It makes me feel the story is advancing. However, I just published my first mystery and paid no attention to chapter length while I was doing it. I have a lot of scene breaks, started a new chapter by instinct. My betareaders raised a few issues, but nothing about pacing or chapter length. Nevertheless, I wish I had paid more attention. One chapter is very short, another is very long and I think the pacing would be better if I had increased the number of chapters. As it is, there are 40. I’ll pay more attention when I write my second novel, and thanks for writing about it. This is very helpful as are the comments.
I wrestled with this same issue in my first book. Like many who have posted before, I ended up moving chapters as the book changed through different drafts. I ended with an average of 3,000 words per chapter, which I think works really well in the romance genre. My scenes are shorter, and there may be two scenes per chapter, but I do like to make sure there is something readers want to keep going to see. If a scene doesn’t end with mini-climax or question then I try to group it with one that does and make that be the chapter ending. A good many readers have commented on the fast pace of my book, so that seems to be a length that works for me.
Paul–Commuters! Good point. Yes, I think many readers are reading on the go.
I remember that you had great chapter closings…nice spots for readers to want to read more. Mine? Not really so much, with the 10 page thing. I do have some chapters that end with a question or a moment of action. Most just end when a scene is over. But I’ve also gotten to a point where I’ll end a chapter right in the middle of some dialogue…that seems to be enough to keep readers going on, even if the dialogue isn’t particularly thrilling. (“Do you think Roger could possibly have wanted to murder Darla?”)
I think your approach is one that readers appreciate. They feel as if they’re flying through the book.
Hart–Oh, definitely, I think a POV change would rate a chapter break, for sure.
Lois–That sounds exactly like my first couple of books. I’d have a chapter that would be 12 pages and then a 22 page chapter. But like you, I had no negative feedback from my agent, publisher, or any betas….but boy, the readers sure let me know–ha! Sounds like you haven’t had a problem with reader feedback, though.
Thank you, Elizabeth! That means a lot coming from you.
Depends on what I’m writing. My epic fantasy series is divided into parts, based on calendar changes and therefore cover a wide spread of ranges.
But my urban fantasy series has chapters ranging from 2.5k to 5k words, most often around 3.5k. In book one, each chapter is 2–3 scenes. The sequel (which I’m prepping for release now) has 1–2 scenes per chapter.
As a reader, I usually prefer relatively short chapters. However, one of my favorite books, “Wittgenstein’s Nephew” by the Austrian author Thomas Bernhard, goes to the other extreme. The entire book, 120 pages, is in one single paragraph. Great book, but not so easy to find suitable places to break and bookmark >:)
Cold As Heaven
We just had a pretty good discussion about this over in the forum. If there was a consensus, it wasn’t about length, but about when to decide on chapter breaks. We pretty much agreed that breaking chapters was a job for the revision process.
One of my great old writing books is by Phyllis Whitney, who outlined in chapters. I wonder how. But it worked for her!
I use Scrivener, which is great for working out a plot in scenes. You could do chapters, I guess, but as you and others have said, breaking chapters comes after the first draft is done. (And, speaking as a reader, chapters should get shorter towards The End.)
Hi Elizabeth .. interesting read – always informative … and I can see everyone’s approach.
Cheers Hilary
I enjoy your post. Love to read here. Thanks.