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writercisesOriginal Posting May 7, 2015
Over here
http://madgeniusclub.com/2015/05/06/take-one-book-finely-chopped/
Sarah Hoyt tackles the question of how long should a chapter be! First she quickly disposes of the "as long as it needs to be" response.
Then she points to the emotional response of the reader, and how you stir those ingredients into your potion. You are weaving a spell, trying to affect the reader's emotions. Which means you need characters that are interesting to the reader. You need to hook the reader enough to get them to the end. Part of that is chapter length.
You could try using the formula that a scene is a chapter, and scenes end when a character leaves or comes in, borrowed from theater (remember? A play's the thing wherein we'll catch the conscience... yeah, those things that came before straight-to-DVD shows). But... it's a bit hectic.
Some great writers have also tossed the notion of chapters altogether. But that's a bit rough for the readers, since they don't know when to take a break, either.
So... Sarah suggests unity of action with a dramatic break. Beware the temptation to make each chapter a short story, with everything resolved, as that makes it too easy for the reader to stop and walk away. Keep them turning pages...
The other influence on this is the "feel" of the book. Introspection, romance, setting... maybe longer chapters. Action! Explosions! Thrills and chills! Short chapters!
Another suggestion is to tighten up the chapters as you get near the climax. After all, the action is warming up, you want to keep the reader breathless, so... shorten up those chapters!
Do beware of identical length chapters. Yes, standardization works fine for some things, but not for writing. Remember, you're writing for effect.
"How long should your chapters be? As long as they need to be to emphasize and enhance the feeling you want the reader to have."
I.e., chapters are a pacing tool. So use them to guide the reader, short choppy chapters for emphasis, long, lyrical chapters for relaxation, and all the gradations in between when you need them.
Write? Right!
tink
Over here
http://madgeniusclub.com/2015/05/06/take-one-book-finely-chopped/
Sarah Hoyt tackles the question of how long should a chapter be! First she quickly disposes of the "as long as it needs to be" response.
Then she points to the emotional response of the reader, and how you stir those ingredients into your potion. You are weaving a spell, trying to affect the reader's emotions. Which means you need characters that are interesting to the reader. You need to hook the reader enough to get them to the end. Part of that is chapter length.
You could try using the formula that a scene is a chapter, and scenes end when a character leaves or comes in, borrowed from theater (remember? A play's the thing wherein we'll catch the conscience... yeah, those things that came before straight-to-DVD shows). But... it's a bit hectic.
Some great writers have also tossed the notion of chapters altogether. But that's a bit rough for the readers, since they don't know when to take a break, either.
So... Sarah suggests unity of action with a dramatic break. Beware the temptation to make each chapter a short story, with everything resolved, as that makes it too easy for the reader to stop and walk away. Keep them turning pages...
The other influence on this is the "feel" of the book. Introspection, romance, setting... maybe longer chapters. Action! Explosions! Thrills and chills! Short chapters!
Another suggestion is to tighten up the chapters as you get near the climax. After all, the action is warming up, you want to keep the reader breathless, so... shorten up those chapters!
Do beware of identical length chapters. Yes, standardization works fine for some things, but not for writing. Remember, you're writing for effect.
"How long should your chapters be? As long as they need to be to emphasize and enhance the feeling you want the reader to have."
I.e., chapters are a pacing tool. So use them to guide the reader, short choppy chapters for emphasis, long, lyrical chapters for relaxation, and all the gradations in between when you need them.
Write? Right!
tink
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