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

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

I'm with Stackpole. I like 10 pages MS format both as a writer and a reader. Shorter chapters and I feel like I've artificially inflated the word count. Longer and I get hung up. (I will let a chapter go to 12-14 pages if necessary, otherwise I look for ways to split a scene.)

As a reader, my reading time is very limited, shorter chapters keep me from stopping mid chapter and never going back to it.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

That does make sense. You have me wondering if I should try an experiment, and print it out two ways -- and give it to first readers to see what they think. Even as controlled as, check in with the other person at a certain point -- or with me -- with a quick note to how they're responding to the story....

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

I try to organize my scenes with the Swight Swain/Jack Bickman structure of a character with a GOAL, CONFLICT to that goal, ending with a DISASTER to the goal.

Ending a chapter with a big DISASTER makes it easier for the reader to keep turning pages. Ten pages just fits the way I write with that scenerio. I do have to admit that my mystrery has several 7 page chapters, allowing for me to add to them caus I know I will.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Hummm...I've never been quite that organized about scenes, although I do think there's a goal, a conflict, and some kind of resolution to each scene.

Might be interesting to go over the manuscript before final pass and see if I have that form...

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

The disaster can be a hook or a question, just something to make the reader read one more page to find out...