Chapter length

[jesuslover]

:confused: I'm currently working on a novel (still in the plotting stage) and I haven't written fiction in years and then not seriously. Could someone please tell me if a novel's chapter length has to be uniform? Thanks a lot, all of you.

[Angyl]

the short answer: No.

When I first started writing many, many moons ago I once told a friend that I was worried that my chapters weren't long enough. Her reply has stuck with me today and makes all the sense in the world:

When you've said what you have to say, you've said what you have to say.

There's no LAW determining chapter length. Just say what you gotta say and that's IT...chapter over. Move on. There are plenty of books out there by big authors like Stephen King that will have a two paragraph chapter sitting between two FIFTEEN PAGE chapters.

Just say what you gotta say and move on. ;)

[james_pence]

I agree. The chapters should be as long or short as they need to be. In fact, chapter length is one way you can control the pacing of your novel. Short chapters/scenes tend to make for a faster paced story, as opposed to long, drawn out chapters.

The only exception to the above might be if you are writing early readers through young adult novels. In these genres, the chapter length tends to be more uniform.

Hope this helps,

Jim

[E. H. Brown]

I would have to agree with James and Angyl.

When I read other well-known writers, I find varying lengths. Pacing, I believe, is key.

I strive to have a good feel for my stories in the beginning stages, and let the chapters play themselves out naturally as I write. I may have a chapter with only four pages followed by a seventeen page chapter.

As long as it does not break the 'vivid, continuous dream' (John Gardner), then I'm happy- whatever the length of the chapter.

Best of luck on your book!

E Brown

[Unregistered]

The answer is "NO".

Just end each chapter with a cliff hanger.

Rita Gerlach
http://users.starpower.net/rpkg/index.htm

[cawheat]

I vote "no" also. If it' s well written, then the reader becomes absorbed into your world and they won't be counting the pages anyway!

Have fun with it, too!

[wgjones3]

Here's my 3 cents worth:

I write my first draft in single space with 1 inch margins. I aim for all my chapters to come in at 10 pages. I also aim for 33 chapters. That's a goal of 330 pages, single spaced. Then I go back and edit out everything that doesn't move the story along. Sometimes, it's a simple matter of cutting out unnecissary adverbs and redundancies. Other times, it's a matter of getting rid of whole plot points and whole chapter sections. By the time I'm done, I can usually whittle away 70 to 100 pages. That leaves a manuscript that comes in at close to 500 pages, double spaced, with chapters of various lengths.

As said before, I try to end each chapter with either a clifhanger or an unanswered question. I also try to have a theme for every chapter.

Of course, take all this with a grain of salt, because I haven't had a single book published yet. :(