Questions...Chapters? Word count? Pages? ETC.

[jacks girl]

I'm sure that some of this has been covered but we have new people every day and most of us love these kinds of threads. The thread about laptop and M Word got me to thinking about these questions.

Jump in and give us your quirks and preferences. :)


What do you write? Romance, Historical romance, poems, songs

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? I prefer M word laptop or desktop, sometimes I'm in the mood to just sit down and write

Do you title each chapter? Yes, sometimes the title may come later or i may change it but i love titles

How many Chapters do you usually have? I've only finished one book and it needs to be edited, but I've usually get up to around 23 to 30 unfinished chapters

How many is too many characters for one story? Main characters I think the most I've had is six but there is usually others, brothers, sisters, friends that are in the story too.

When do you Title your Book? Sometimes the Title comes early sometimes I fight to figure it out


What is your Word count
Per chapter ?M Word Count 10,000 to 14,000
Per book? I guess the highest has been TeaBag and it was close to 42000. It's the only book I finished and I had to have a book two to finish the story.

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? I'm a facts writer, I'll make up names for my characters but the towns, rivers, places are as real as I can get them.


Do you hate/love Research. I love research and use Encarta and Google all the time and mapping softwares too


Well thanks for dropping by this thread I appreciate your answers. Feel free to add a new question if you think of something.

[kerrig]

What do you write? Thrillers, biblical fiction, songs.

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? I prefer taking notes in longhand but typing as I go.

Do you title each chapter? I don't know, I haven't gotten that far yet.

How many chapters do you usually have? I don't know, I haven't finished one yet.

How many is too many characters for one story? I think between 5 and 6 is a good number and above that I'm not ready for yet.

When do you Title your book? I think I will title it when it is finished.

What is your word count? I don't have one, I am still working on research.

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? A mixture.

Do you hate/love research? Love it.

[pajarita_deDios]

What do you write? I used to think romance, but now I just write whatever I want really.

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? Both. Longhand when I'm really churning out ideas and computor when I'm ready to get things down.

Do you title each chapter? No, I don't want the reader to have any pre-concieved notions about the chapter.

How many Chapters do you usually have? Hmmm. Well I'm young and it's been hard for me to finish what I start, but what I'm working on right now I'll just have to go with it and whatever feels right will stick.

How many is too many characters for one story? (I misunderstood at first thinking it meant central characters that affect the plot) I think between 3-6 can work. Anything beyond 6 could be confusing, but I'm sure there's someone out there doing it.

When do you Title your Book? At the very beginning. Sometimes it changes though.

What is your Word count
Per chapter ? Can be anywhere from 1200 on.

Per book? We'll see.

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? Mixture. The reader has to believe it, but once I get them into my territory I can throw out some fictional places and people.

Do you hate/love Research. Both, I love it when it helps me get the story started, I don't like it when it gets in the way of the story going how I want it to.

[cpbookworm]

What do you write? Bible Studies, a little poetry/songs

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? Usually use the computer, but sometimes make notes longhand first

Do you title each chapter? Yes. It is easier to keep a topic with titles, and makes it easier for readers to find what they're looking for.

How many Chapters do you usually have? I have one book that has about 12 (Not finished, so not sure how many in the final.) Second book I am just starting, will probably have 6-8

How many is too many characters for one story? n/a

When do you Title your Book? Start with a working title, but will consider revising.

What is your Word count
Per chapter ? varies widely, from about 1,000 to 15,000

Per book? Don't know yet - no completed books

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? Facts, I hope. :)

Do you hate/love Research. Love it.

[Tarin]

What do you write? Hmm... as I've mentioned recently in another thread I write a little bit of everything... but I like to call them "blood and thunder" stories.:cool: My true passion is historical fiction, although at the moment I'm working on a fantasy novel entitled Dreamers Come.

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? In my "pre-production" phase (i.e. sketching ideas, outline, and sketching characters) I write longhand in a notebook. When it comes time to write the actual story, I use Word.

Do you title each chapter? No. I dislike chapter titles both when I read and when I write: I'm with pajarita - I don't like to give anything away.;)

How many Chapters do you usually have? *goes and checks* It ranges from seventeen to forty-nine.

How many is too many characters for one story? It entirely depends on the story. I have made a commitment, after my last novel, to try to work with fewer characters. It just gets too crazy trying to tie up loose ends come the final chapter! As far POV characters, I don't like to have more than four, including the antagonist.

When do you title your Book? I can't work without a title. Even when the story is still just the kernel of an idea, I need to have a title. The title gives it direction, in my mind, and I really need that when I'm shaping the story. However, I often end up changing my title two or three times before I'm done writing the story.

What is your Word count per chapter? *goes and checks again...* The first chapter in my Crusade novel is 5,400 words; that's probably a pretty fair average. I generally divide my chapters by scenes more than by the word count, so it does vary a little.

Per book? A Man Called Outlaw is 120,000, my Crusade novel is about 100,000, and the others are all a bit shorter than that. The way the fantasy novel is shaping up, I'm expecting it to be my longest work yet.

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? I'm a mixture. I love creating people, places, events, etc., but I love writing about the real things too. A Man Called Outlaw was based on the real-life land wars in 19th-century Wyoming, but it didn't feature any actual historical events. Behold the Dawn was set during the 3rd Crusade and it did have a few historical cameos, but for the most part it was straight out of my imagination.

Do you hate/love research? Love it! I'm already champing at the bit to start researching the next story!

[Lookin^Up]

Ooo, great thread. Okay, here I go ...

What do you write? Mostly science fiction, although in the midst of it I have also have action/adventure, romance, mystery (even one whodunit), and other genres, just to keep it interesting.

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? These days I write almost excusively by computer. In years B.C. (Before Computer) I used to write in longhand, and when that became tiresome, I also invented a form of shorthand to last long enough to reach my typewriter. But except for the occasional outline or extemp writing to work out plot points, anymore I use the computer.

Do you title each chapter? Yes, definitely. I agree that it's easier to keep track of the story with chapter titles. If I need to go back and see what I had written earlier to make the current passage agree with it, I use chapter titles to clock the story's progress and determine where that earlier portion might be.

How many Chapters do you usually have? Originally I was averaging 24 chapters per book, but when I started my project to make all of my space stories novels (80k words or more), I decided to expand the chapter lengths and make it 30.

How many is too many characters for one story? Since I deal with a spacegoing crew of families, mine is an ensemble cast of characters of less than 30. But for the sake of cohesive storytelling, the focus in any one scene is never on more than 6 or 7. Also, from one story to another, the cast differs on which ones take front and center. Even the captain is not always the central figure; sometimes his only function is to stay on board and give orders.

When do you Title your Book? That depends on the book. Sometimes I think of a cool title and build the story around it, but more often I start the story with a working title, and change it either a few chapters in or after a few complete drafts. Some even keep their working titles.

What is your Word count:
Per chapter? Under this new project, I'm not allowing a chapter to do with less than 2,000 words, and push toward 2,600 words or more.

Per book? Working on making them all 80,000 or more, though one has fallen short. I'll have to get back to it.

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? I prefer fiction, since it allows more freedom to invent things. But with sci-fi, I also have to make sure known science is not violated in the process.

Do you hate/love Research. Research is a must if my "known science" is to lead into the fantastic. And yes, I do enjoy the research, as it also enhances my overall knowledge.

[jacks girl]

Tarin, with your man called outlaw did you ever post any of it in the workshop i'd like to read a bit of it, you can let me know. may be you can email me some of it if you don't mind.

thanks for posting to the thread

Lookinup i love threads like this too thanks to you too for posting. I love finding out what people like and don't like.

[HisSweetie]

What do you write? romantic thrillers, poetry, short stories

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? I jott things down in a notebook, sometimes entire scenes, but for the most part I write my novel on the computer. Sometimes when inspiration strikes, even if an idea wakes me up at 3 a.m, I'll write stuff down. If I don't tap into that creativity when it comes, I loose the punch.

Do you title each chapter? Yes. I have one of my books on a review site and when I get a review, it helps me to know what content was reviewed instead of me having to think about what exactly is in chapter 16. At first I wasn't a big fan of titles, but now I think they add flavor to my book and pique curiosity. I hope whatever editor I get keeps them.

How many Chapters do you usually have? My first novel, Rotten Apples, has 26. My second, Kings & Queens, has 35, inc. prologue and epilogue.

How many is too many characters for one story? As long as a writer presents them at a good pace, I don't think you can have too many. Look at Lord of the Rings. Tons of characters, races and plot threads. I started to review a novel on another site, which follows the various paths of four female characters. The first chapter introduced them ALL with family members, past lovers and friends from fifth grade. Not really....but nearly. Yikes. Way too much. I couldn't even finish it. Very daunting to absorb all that at once. I couldn't keep track of who was who.

When do you Title your Book? Before I start writing

What is your Word count
Per chapter? 1500-4100 words
Per book? Rotten Apples runs about 85,000. Kings and Queens has 98,000

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? Mostly fiction, little bit of facts, but the true facts I research to make sure they're right. For instance my character has a bike accident because someone sabotages her brakes. Knowing nothing about bikes, I had to inquire with a bike man to see how this could be done.

Do you hate/love Research. It depends. I don't like to have to dig too deep, which is probably why I'd never write something like historical fiction.

[righter1]

What do you write? Mysteries, either straightforward or with a touch of sci-fi. Thinking about doing a political thriller. All have some touch of romance (and from some in my writers group, maybe too much.)

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? Usually computer, but I'm starting to keep a notebook handy for those times when it's not good to either be obviously working on my laptop, or it's inconvenient... like when I'm at work...

Do you title each chapter? Do numbers count? I'm thinking of titling them simply by the name of the characters POV in the chapter right now, haven't really given it a lot of thought, though.

How many Chapters do you usually have? anywhere from 30 - 50, depending on length. More if it'll be a political thriller, I'm sure.

How many is too many characters for one story? How many characters does it take to make the story? If I'm unclear on who's who, it's too many. For mysteries, you have to interview a lot of people to figure out who killed who. I would guess up to 6 main characters, plus the suspects and murderer(s). Then, you'll have witnesses, etc. I probably have a cast of 3 dozen right now.

When do you Title your Book? Whenever it occurs to me. Usually in the first 3rd of the book, but sometimes earlier, sometimes after my 2nd draft has started.

What is your Word count
Per chapter ? Try not to go more than about 10 pages, so no more than 3000 words. I try to keep it shorter, but sometimes, my chapters get a little lengthier.
Per book? 90K - 100K is my current goal.

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? I keep a mix going. I set my main stuff up as fact... easier to do. But, I'm thinking of creating a town on a lake for a future book...

Do you hate/love Research. Not really into research, but it's gotta be done for mysteries. If the topic is interesting, it's okay. But, I don't enjoy the boring stuff. I don't think I could write historicals... I can barely read a few books on history, even though I don't mind learning it. :)

[Nessa-Ciryatan]

What do you write? Fantasy and science-fiction. Sometimes poems.


Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? The computer, definitely. Otherwise my hand can't keep up with my brain and I get annoyed that things are getting put down so slowly.


Do you title each chapter? Usually. It helps me make clear in my mind what the chapter will be about, or if a lot's happening, what will be the focus of the chapter. Sometimes I go back and change the chapter name if my writing takes an unexpected turn or I think of something better.


How many chapters do you usually have? I haven't finished anything, so I couldn't tell you. Usually it depends on how long I'm planning the novel to be, then I take that number of words and divide it by how many chapters I think I'll want. E.g.: If my novel is meant to be about 120,000 words in length, and I think I'll want about 50 chapters, each of those chapters will be about 2,400 words long (give or take, because I like room to breathe). This is also helpful for plot outlining since I know how many chapters I'll have or might need.


How many is too many characters for one story? Hmm. That can be a tricky question. For myself, usually I don't have more than three main characters, but a couple more secondaries.


When do you title your Book? Usually right at the beginning. Sometimes I write a story simply based on something I liked as a title. Other times I give the work a temporary title and change it later if necessary. I believe it's important to title your work, even if it will be changed later. It helps bring focus to the work. !thumbsup!


What is your Word count per chapter? I hate long chapters. It's asking a lot of a reader to throw great long chapters in there. As a general rule of thumb, I make my chapters about 2,000 words long. That varies, of course. It's not a hard and fast rule, but it keeps my scenes concise and quick-moving, which is important.


Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? I believe one has to use facts to make fiction. To that extent, I usually use the real names of stars or real theories for space travel in my sci-fi works, and the magic in my fantasy worlds must confirm to their own 'natural laws'.


Do you hate/love Research? Love it! I've learned so much about all kinds of things from my research. :cool: :D

[Tarin]

@jacks girl: A Man Called Outlaw was published last fall, before I joined CW, so I never posted any of it here. However, the first chapter is available on my web-site, here (http://www.amancalledoutlaw.com/chapterone.htm), if you'd like to take a look.

[wgjones3]

What do you write? I write drafts. Lots and lots and lots of drafts.


Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? Computer. I can't read my own handwriting.


Do you title each chapter? No.

How many chapters do you usually have? I average around 37.


How many is too many characters for one story? The moment you write a character who doesn't add to the story, you've written one too many.


When do you title your Book? I usually have a title within two or three chapters.


What is your Word count per chapter? I've stopped going by word count, right now the chapters in my WIP range from 500 words to 3600.


Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture?As far as settings and locale I tend to write what I know or warp what I know to fit the scene. As for characters, I have to take parts of my own psyche in order to create a well rounded character, so I guess I'm a all facts there too. The plots are all fiction though.


Do you hate/love Research? Depends. Easy info on Google is fun to look up. Hard research, the kind that requires days or weeks to turn up an answer--I'd rather be writing.

[VWeathers]

What do you write? Well, I am just beginning but I've written a little poetry, one article, some plays, and a short story, and the first three chapters of a fiction novel.

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? No contest...computer

Do you title each chapter? No.

How many Chapters do you usually have? Haven't gone that far yet.

How many is too many characters for one story? Not sure.

When do you title your Book? The one I have been working on I titled to start with...but as the book progresses it may change.

What is your Word count per chapter? Hmmm
Per book? Remains to be seen. Wow. All the sudden I really feel like a rookie.

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? A mixture...I want to be believable but I don't want to get too bogged down.

Do you hate/love research? I enjoy it!

[Tarin]

The moment you write a character who doesn't add to the story, you've written one too many.

Very pithy way of putting this. In fact, I should probably file it!!thumbsup!

[Lookin^Up]

Very astute, very concise. Thank you, WG. I have sometimes wondered if I have too many characters, even though I only write about a handful at a time. That makes me feel better.

I started to review a novel on another site, which follows the various paths of four female characters. The first chapter introduced them ALL with family members, past lovers and friends from fifth grade. Not really....but nearly. Yikes. Way too much. I couldn't even finish it. Very daunting to absorb all that at once. I couldn't keep track of who was who.
Yes, I agree. It's much better to let out information little by little, like giving the fish a little more line. Once the first characters are established, you can introduce new characters, perhaps as just names or basic function at first, and develop them later as you go. Sensory overload is definitely not a good way to keep readers interested.

[buggles]

What do you write?
Fantasy.

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer?
Using the computer.

Do you title each chapter?
No.

How many chapters do you usually have?
Last book had 43, I think.

How many is too many characters for one story?
I don't think you can have too many characters, it depends on the story and the situations your character faces. As long as you don't tell us too much about a guy who simply marches your protag off to jail. If what you mean is characters your reader needs to know a bit about, I think it depends on the skill of the writer. Up to ten, I suppose, but your focus needs to be on one main protagonist only.

When do you Title your book?
I tend to almost start with a title, and find the story from there.

What is your word count?
Least was 65 000, most was 100 000

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture?
I think even in the writing of pure fiction, you need to get your facts straight. I just wrote a scene last night in which my hero was assaulted and suffered some strangulation. I googled strangulation injuries, made sure my hero's experience and symptoms were consistent with what happens in such cases in reality as far as I was able to ascertain. Made-up worlds, maps and climates need to be logical, they need to conform to geological and other rules. So to me, even fiction needs to be factual.

Do you hate/love research?
Research fascinates me. I absolutely love it.
!thumbsup!

[Lookin^Up]

HI, Buggles! Long time no see. Welcome back!

[buggles]

Ah, I've been around. Just hven't really had anything to say for a while :)

[melw]

What do you write? Romance with a touch of mystery

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? It is always easier to write on computer, but as i don't have much time at home, i write longhand then type it later

Do you title each chapter? no

How many Chapters do you usually have? I've only put chapter breaks in one book and it unfinshed at this sate

How many is too many characters for one story? AS long as the characters are unique and you can tell the differnece it is fine

When do you Title your Book? I usually need to write some before the title comes

.

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? I am fully fiction as the next question will tell you why.


Do you hate/love Research. I hate research but am trying to do more


MEL

[paulchernoch]

What do you write? Fantasy and Sci-fi. I would love to write historical fiction. If I ever get around to it, I would like to write a novel about King Hezekiah.

Do you prefer longhand or using the computer? Computer, but I still write out ideas, early outlines, crude maps, and occasional scnee fragments long hand.

Do you title each chapter? Absolutely! Naming chapters is one of my favorite exercises. Many are double entendres. Some are just the names of places or people the MC is about to discover. A few are downright deceptive: the final chapter in the third volume is "Forsaken Hopes". It is the villain who has to forsake his hope, not the hero.

I also select a literary quote to head each chapter. Sometimes these tie in directly with the chapter title, sometimes they don't. But the quote always is relevant to the material in the chapter, though sometimes as a riddle that is not solved until later. Sometimes I have a quote that says one thing but the chapter says exactly the opposite. In my twisted brain it all makes sense.

I try to make every chapter count. Each one must have a beginning, middle and end, a main point, and advance the story in a crucial way. Going nuts over chapter titles helps me with this. If I can't come up with a name, my conception for the chapter is weak. Occasionally a really long scene must be split into two chapters in mid-action, just for suspense.

Once I had a long chapter that I needed to split. I realized the second half was weak - nothing much besides a tour of the city occurred. Info dump death. One insignificant character - the coachman - struck me. I realized I could substitute a major character for the man and have him masquerade as a mere coachman. By introducing him a hundred pages or more earlier in the story, I created more suspense and intrigue. I also added a mysterious and unexplained explosion to the chapter, and voila! Action, character development, mystery. If I had not split the chapter and further required that each chapter be substantial, that whole section of the book would have been dull.

How many Chapters do you usually have? I aim for the mid twenties. My three books have twenty-six, twenty-one, and twenty-nine chapters. (Only nineteen of the chapters in the third book are written so far. At least one of the remaining ten is bound to split in two before I am done.)

How many is too many characters for one story? I don't know, but whatever the limit is, I am past it. Nowadays, everytime I need a character in a scene, I interview the ones I already have and see if they are free and suitable for the role. This makes for some strange connections. I have the added luxury of being able to kill off my characters and have them reappear elsewhere, since half the story is set in the afterlife.

When do you Title your Book? When I started out, I knew exactly what to title my book: "Fighting Extradition". Then it grew so much, I split it in two, and my original name only worked for the second part. I created a help-me-name-this-book thread here on CW and mulled over people's reactions to several names that I came up with for the first book, before settling on "Flight after Death". When the second book continued to grow, I split off part into a third book. I knew exactly what to name it: "The Forge of Eternity". Amazon.com was helpful: I searched for titles having one or more of the words in my potential titles until I found titles that were not so common. I like the letter "F" for some reason.


What is your Word count
Per chapter ? Average was 5,400 in my first book, 6,100 in my second
Per book? 140,000 for first book, 128,000 for second book, 123,000 for third (only two-thirds complete, so I expect 180,000!)

Are you a facts writer, all fiction or a mixture? Mixture. I add just enough facts to get away with it most of the time, but go crazy when it has to do with a pet interest of mine, or the story demands it.

Do you hate/love Research? I love research, but you can have too much of a good thing. Theological research is my favorite. Researching the law was also interesting. Researching names is fun. When I get to do a little math, I'm in heaven. (I had to figure out how large to make a city of courthouses in the afterlife that could try a half a billion people in ten years: area, number of courts, number of judges, lawyers, legal aides, researchers, etc. City planning is fun.)

- Paul