Length of Chapters?

[alfreda89]

How long are your chapters? Do you have any firm views about chapter length?

W has been listening to a lot of podcasts about writing. Mike Stackpole has been doing a "Book in 21 days" series, and mentions that he crafts his chapters to be 2500 words long. I see that as ten pages or so. He is convinced that this is a comfortable amount for someone reading one chapter a night, fast enough that the reader is committed to the book, and shorter chapters give the reader a sense of accomplishment.

I've always aimed for 25 pages, with three scenes in them. They can vary as far as 20-30 pages. Sixteen chapters, ~ 400 pages, and anywhere from 110-120,000 words in length. 110,000 words seems to be my natural length for a novel.

How long are your chapters? Do you have a reason for that length?

As a reader, do you prefer shorter chapters? Or do you not really notice chapter length?

I hope to stop by later today to see what y'all think. In the meantime, errands that must be handled.

Comments

[incandragon.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I notice chapters only so much as that I read a lot of books out loud. I like a chapter that can be read out loud in an hour ... but then, I don't mind putting a book down in a climactic moment, because I enjoy the sensation of "tenterhooks" until I get back. It was years before I noticed that Pratchett didn't have chapters at all.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

It was years before I noticed that Pratchett didn't have chapters at all.

I didn't notice until I read MOVING PICTURES and could not get into it -- I don't even have the book anymore. I kept looking ahead for characters I wanted to follow, and suddenly realized there were no chapters.

This is amusing because FIRE SANCTUARY was written with scene changes, and no chapters. It drove Lillian Stewart Carl nuts, and she insisted that I break it into chapters.

But I also kept the date/place/time scene headers... ;^)

[incandragon.livejournal.com]

That might not necessarily be the fault of the chapters. I found Moving Pictures to be one of his least-engaging books, although I know some (movie buff) people who are particularly fond of it.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Actually, I don't blame the lack of chapters for disliking it. It just happened to be the book where I made the discovery! I always forget Pratchett does that, and then I think "I'll read until the end of the chapter" and, ho-ho-ho, no chapter endings!