chapter length

[Kenai]

How long do you prefer your chapters to be?  I'm at a point where the breaks I have so far it makes sense to have three chapters, but the word count is lower for the second chapter than I'd like.
 

[Timberwolf]

In my opinion, it depends on how you want the whole story to be.  For example, in GoT, they do chapter breaks when they change characters.  In other books they do chapter breaks when they changes scenes.  

I personally feel that the chapter break should feel natural to the writer.  If it feels natural to the writer, it will usually feel right to the reader.  Word count, paragraph count doesn't usually matter because sometimes a section sometimes need more words or paragraphs to get out what needs to be said, sometimes you need fewer.

This is just my opinion.  I'd love to know what others think.

[hirondelle]

Agree with @Timberwolf I like those books that have irregular chapter lengths.  Sometimes long, sometimes short.  Varies the momentum.

[Kethlia]

I am use to breaks appearing between both scene changes and character pov’s for example The Count of Monte Cristo.  Though you know the focus is in the count.  There are breaks in the story that happen according to a character change or when a scene explains his past in more detail before coming back to the present.

 

Then there are the Sherlock Holmes stories where each case is a separate chapter unless one case leads right into the next. It very rarely shifts from Holmes or to other sub characters.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Kethlia

[Lightningfall]

I dislike long chapters.  Give me a short one any day.  As a writer, I use short chapters as a tool.  As long as what you are writing interests the reader even just a little bit, short chapters will keep them reading your book.  They'll look ahead and see that there are only two pages left to go and they'll keep reading.  Then, as long as you can end the chapter with reader wanting more, they'll look ahead again and say, "Only four pages in the next chapter? Done," and they'll keep reading.  If you chain hooks and short chapters you can make people think that an okay book is great simply because they won't put it down.  It's kind of a cheap trick, but boy if it doesn't work.

[hirondelle]

On 7/21/2018 at 5:49 AM, Lightningfall said:

I dislike long chapters.  Give me a short one any day.  As a writer, I use short chapters as a tool.  As long as what you are writing interests the reader even just a little bit, short chapters will keep them reading your book.  They'll look ahead and see that there are only two pages left to go and they'll keep reading.  Then, as long as you can end the chapter with reader wanting more, they'll look ahead again and say, "Only four pages in the next chapter? Done," and they'll keep reading.  If you chain hooks and short chapters you can make people think that an okay book is great simply because they won't put it down.  It's kind of a cheap trick, but boy if it doesn't work.

Nice to see you back @Lightningfall, personally I would prefer a long one any day.  But like you I do enjoy short punchy chapters.

[Lightningfall]

Nice to be back, more or less anyway.

I don't hate long chapters, per se, but I usually don't get a lot uninterrupted time with witch to read and I like to be able to stop at a chapter if possible.  If they're short, it's usually easy, if not, well...