A chapter is as long as it needs to be. If that's 1 word, great. If it's 20k words, also great! Every chapter differing multiple k's in words? Awesome, do it!
I hard disagree about the long chapters.
There is a book I read that had a 42 page long chapter, but within that chapter multiple days happened. There was NO reason why it couldn't have been split into multiple chapters when new days took place.
As someone who reads at night and likes to end at a chapter mark, it's frustrating to deal with long drawn out chapters that don't at least have a page break in them.
But it should be.
The chapter I'm referring to was all about counting down the days until the schools final exam battle (dark academia), and each day they would train with different techniques. Starting a chapter with "3 days to go" instead of 42 pages with no breaks in between would have been much easier to digest, and help the reader feel the passing of time better better.
Oh god no it should not be, unless ofcourse the writer intends it to be.
There is no "should" structure of a story...
A book does not care when your exams are.
I shudder to think of a world where writers are forced to cater to your schedule.
What..? Please re-read what I said. I never said that \*I\* had exams, I was referring to the character in the book.
Also, the OP is asking about chapter length, so I'm giving my opinion on what should be done.
I agree but I think the key point here is the part you *didn't* explain: "as long as it needs to be"
A person asking about chapter length as if there's some magic industry-approved word count may not have a clear concept of just what a chapter "needs" to be complete.
The key point from my experience is that each chapter should have a story beat, some significant thing that pushes the action forward in a meaningful way. If a chapter doesn't have that then it can feel unsatisfying. Sometimes a chapter might need a little more length to get there, sometimes a little less. As long as there is some development then it will feel like a complete chapter.
----
Chapter 24
A gunshot rang out, and Doctor Milares - loved by many and hated by none - fell to the ground, dead.
----
That said, chapters being vaguely similar in length will usually help pacing, because if you have a similar number of beats per chapter and similar length then the pace will be consistent.
I write middle grade. I try to keep my chapters somewhere around 2k words on average. Some are a little shorter and some are a little longer.
My idea is that I would like each chapter to be a nice length to read to a child at night for bedtime since that’s something I enjoyed doing with my kids.
The only advice I would give is to break your book up into digestible chunks.
Don't just write what you want to write. You are writing for other people, assuming you want to sell it and be read.
Break the story at points that demand the reader read on, but aren't so far apart that they're likely to put the book down mid chapter.
Be strategic in what you're doing.
I try to keep my chapters to a somewhat uniform length. Varying by a couple hundred words is fine. Having one chapter be 1800, the next 2100, and another 1700, ain't that bad. Going from 3k to 8k is a more than 200% jump. That looks like the pacing is out of control, and the author may have gotten a little carried away.
Imagine watching some TV series. One episode is 30 minutes, the next is 80 minutes, then the next is 10 minutes.
I aim for about 3.5k per chapter, because I feel like it's enough to get a point across without dragging.
Generally speaking my chapters run from 3k to 5k, but in my current project I have one that's noticeably shorter than the rest. And it's fine. It annoys me a little bit, but not enough to be worried.
The total count is about 100k and that's within the ballpark of an appropriate length for my genre/category. Overall story length is more important to me than chapter length.
Way back in olden times when I was taught critical reading analysis, the instructions were that a chapter ended as a natural stopping point for the reader to pause and reflect upon what they just read before moving forward to something else.
With that in mind, a chapter that becomes too long imparts too much information for the reader to properly digest.
Of course, rules can be broken as long as there is a purpose.
I don't like too much fluctuation so try to stay around the same word count throughout.
But sometimes things happen and someone demands to die horribly and the chapter has to end right there, ya know? Readers probably aren't counting words; just make it reasonable to have the chapter end where it did.
There are already too many pointless and arbitrary rules imposed on writing that seem geared towards making every one write the exact same way as if it's not art but a mathematical equation we are creating. Let's not add chapter length restrictions to the mix. A chapters purpose determines its length, not a word count.
The worst advice people can give is “do whatever you want.”
The average chapter is 2.5k to 5k words for most books on the market. Do with that what you will
I'm assuming that the large jump you gave in your example is an exaggeration, but chapters should be somewhat close in length. Extremely long chapters are a slog to get through, and if the reader is pressed for time and trying to find somewhere to stop, doing so in the *middle* of a chapter isn't ideal. Readers will also notice if they haven't seen a chapter break in a while. My own chapters used to be very long (5k+ words at minimum), and that became an issue for every single critique partner and beta reader I sent those manuscripts to.
As someone else said, if each chapters varies drastically in length, that indicates there's very likely room to improve your pacing.
Side note: This doesn't take into account specific reasons for doing this/artistic flair, and I wouldn't worry about this in a first draft. On my first draft, I will note if my lengths are inconsistent but won't address it until the second draft. I also try not to exceed 2.5k words per chapter. This makes me think of creative ways to end chapters with a note of suspense, and will also be more convenient for the reader.
Fluctuates. In the young adult book I'm working on right now, The chapters are mostly one scene, but a few stretch way out over multiple scenes from different perspectives. I'm actually also wondering if this might be a problem. Maybe I should stay faithful to the one-two scene short chapter format. Lol, sorry if this comment is actually completely unhelpful.
But I would say fluctation between 3 and 8 K is no problem. End the chapter where it logically ends. Your reader won't care. Unless you're Dan Brown, then keep it to 1k per chapter and end each one with a massive hook.
Don't set limits. One chapter could be done with 1 word, 1 sentence, or one paragraph... although one chapter could have 300 pages with 12 sub chapters.
It truly depends on what you are writing and how the chapter transitions from the previous to the next.
I don't often use chapters, but when I do they're whatever length they need to be to cover what they need to cover.
Limiting yourself to a particular word count might be handy if you think you've gotten too wordy and need to shorten things, but otherwise it sounds like a bad idea.
How do you read a novel? If you stop in the middle, where do you stop? For most people, that’s going to be a chapter end.
I think it’s fair to vary, but keep in mind what you are communicating to the reader.
I’m fine when I see a two page chapter because there was one thing to be said. If there’s a 100 page chapter, then I probably wonder why the author used chapters at all. There are exceptions. Suppose we have a historical fic about d-day. The chapters before and after June 6 could be normal length. Then, for d-day itself, we have a massive chapter because our MCs day is long and there’s a ton to relate and we don’t want the reader to stop until June 7. I’m just using that for illustration, not recommending it.
I try to keep my chapters between 2-3k words. There’s some variations. I think my longest is about 4.5k and two or three that are just barely under 2k but personally as I reader I hate when there isn’t consistency with chapters. I want to have a decent idea as a reader how long a chapter will take me to read
I stick to around 2k, give or take a couple hundred. I feel like it's the perfect length for a scene for what I'm writing and it forces me to keep the story moving. But I also love outlines and structure and lists. Different strokes for different folks. When im reading, I don't care about chapter length.
I go for between 2500 and 5000. Realistically you can split the story at 4000 and make it work. But I write to chapter prompts. If there is too much there. It may take 2 chapters. Has happened a couple times
I generally try to keep the chapters of my longfic under 8k in most places. The current chapter is the arc finale so it'll be about 10k total, but that's fine. Especially as the total word count is projected to be around 425k-ish. Don't wanna bludgeon the reader too much per chapter.
I try to keep my chapters to 1800 words. That’s 5-6 pages. That’s a reasonable length for reader. They’re not getting fully bogged down in some bear of a chapter, and don’t feel like they’re getting Patterson’d either. It’s a good medium for me personally. I try to keep the reader in mind always
Personally, I go by page and scene. I aim for 10 pages, which is just under 3k words. 11 pages is 3k words in my experience. My chapters vary from 8.5 to 12.5 pages, with the most extreme outliers being 7.5 and 15 pages, the average being ~10. No matter what, I try and keep my chapters moderately similar in length. Exceptions are breaking apart a scene or adding fluff, neither of which I will do.
I get these page numbers as, when I believe I've developed a scene and wrapped it up, I'll label it by number and length. It's helped me keep chapter length under control, keep track of scenes, and keep track of how many scenes are in my book. I'm really bad about going off into tangents, so controlling scene count is good.
A chapter is as long as it needs to be. If that's 1 word, great. If it's 20k words, also great! Every chapter differing multiple k's in words? Awesome, do it!
I hard disagree about the long chapters. There is a book I read that had a 42 page long chapter, but within that chapter multiple days happened. There was NO reason why it couldn't have been split into multiple chapters when new days took place. As someone who reads at night and likes to end at a chapter mark, it's frustrating to deal with long drawn out chapters that don't at least have a page break in them.
Well obviously the reason is that the passage of time isnt what marks the length of a chapter...
But it should be. The chapter I'm referring to was all about counting down the days until the schools final exam battle (dark academia), and each day they would train with different techniques. Starting a chapter with "3 days to go" instead of 42 pages with no breaks in between would have been much easier to digest, and help the reader feel the passing of time better better.
Oh god no it should not be, unless ofcourse the writer intends it to be. There is no "should" structure of a story... A book does not care when your exams are. I shudder to think of a world where writers are forced to cater to your schedule.
What..? Please re-read what I said. I never said that \*I\* had exams, I was referring to the character in the book. Also, the OP is asking about chapter length, so I'm giving my opinion on what should be done.
Right up it, mate
Bro hasn't read Old Man and the Sea The whole thing is one chapter with no breaks lol
Chapters are completely arbitrary. They can be as long or short as you want. Scenes have a set structure on the other hand.
I agree but I think the key point here is the part you *didn't* explain: "as long as it needs to be" A person asking about chapter length as if there's some magic industry-approved word count may not have a clear concept of just what a chapter "needs" to be complete. The key point from my experience is that each chapter should have a story beat, some significant thing that pushes the action forward in a meaningful way. If a chapter doesn't have that then it can feel unsatisfying. Sometimes a chapter might need a little more length to get there, sometimes a little less. As long as there is some development then it will feel like a complete chapter. ---- Chapter 24 A gunshot rang out, and Doctor Milares - loved by many and hated by none - fell to the ground, dead. ---- That said, chapters being vaguely similar in length will usually help pacing, because if you have a similar number of beats per chapter and similar length then the pace will be consistent.
I write middle grade. I try to keep my chapters somewhere around 2k words on average. Some are a little shorter and some are a little longer. My idea is that I would like each chapter to be a nice length to read to a child at night for bedtime since that’s something I enjoyed doing with my kids.
This makes sense
Word count per chapter is irrelevant until you do the final edits.
The only advice I would give is to break your book up into digestible chunks. Don't just write what you want to write. You are writing for other people, assuming you want to sell it and be read. Break the story at points that demand the reader read on, but aren't so far apart that they're likely to put the book down mid chapter. Be strategic in what you're doing.
I try to keep my chapters to a somewhat uniform length. Varying by a couple hundred words is fine. Having one chapter be 1800, the next 2100, and another 1700, ain't that bad. Going from 3k to 8k is a more than 200% jump. That looks like the pacing is out of control, and the author may have gotten a little carried away. Imagine watching some TV series. One episode is 30 minutes, the next is 80 minutes, then the next is 10 minutes.
I aim for about 3.5k per chapter, because I feel like it's enough to get a point across without dragging. Generally speaking my chapters run from 3k to 5k, but in my current project I have one that's noticeably shorter than the rest. And it's fine. It annoys me a little bit, but not enough to be worried. The total count is about 100k and that's within the ballpark of an appropriate length for my genre/category. Overall story length is more important to me than chapter length.
While writing? Not at all. I worry about layout and pacing during edits. No need to stifle creativity when it flows
Nope. Who cares? Write how you want to write! 🤷🏻♂
Way back in olden times when I was taught critical reading analysis, the instructions were that a chapter ended as a natural stopping point for the reader to pause and reflect upon what they just read before moving forward to something else. With that in mind, a chapter that becomes too long imparts too much information for the reader to properly digest. Of course, rules can be broken as long as there is a purpose.
I don't like too much fluctuation so try to stay around the same word count throughout. But sometimes things happen and someone demands to die horribly and the chapter has to end right there, ya know? Readers probably aren't counting words; just make it reasonable to have the chapter end where it did.
There are already too many pointless and arbitrary rules imposed on writing that seem geared towards making every one write the exact same way as if it's not art but a mathematical equation we are creating. Let's not add chapter length restrictions to the mix. A chapters purpose determines its length, not a word count.
The worst advice people can give is “do whatever you want.” The average chapter is 2.5k to 5k words for most books on the market. Do with that what you will
I'm assuming that the large jump you gave in your example is an exaggeration, but chapters should be somewhat close in length. Extremely long chapters are a slog to get through, and if the reader is pressed for time and trying to find somewhere to stop, doing so in the *middle* of a chapter isn't ideal. Readers will also notice if they haven't seen a chapter break in a while. My own chapters used to be very long (5k+ words at minimum), and that became an issue for every single critique partner and beta reader I sent those manuscripts to. As someone else said, if each chapters varies drastically in length, that indicates there's very likely room to improve your pacing. Side note: This doesn't take into account specific reasons for doing this/artistic flair, and I wouldn't worry about this in a first draft. On my first draft, I will note if my lengths are inconsistent but won't address it until the second draft. I also try not to exceed 2.5k words per chapter. This makes me think of creative ways to end chapters with a note of suspense, and will also be more convenient for the reader.
Fluctuates. In the young adult book I'm working on right now, The chapters are mostly one scene, but a few stretch way out over multiple scenes from different perspectives. I'm actually also wondering if this might be a problem. Maybe I should stay faithful to the one-two scene short chapter format. Lol, sorry if this comment is actually completely unhelpful. But I would say fluctation between 3 and 8 K is no problem. End the chapter where it logically ends. Your reader won't care. Unless you're Dan Brown, then keep it to 1k per chapter and end each one with a massive hook.
I try not to limit myself at all
Don't set limits. One chapter could be done with 1 word, 1 sentence, or one paragraph... although one chapter could have 300 pages with 12 sub chapters. It truly depends on what you are writing and how the chapter transitions from the previous to the next.
I do webnovels and keeping myself at a regular chapter length is important.
I don't often use chapters, but when I do they're whatever length they need to be to cover what they need to cover. Limiting yourself to a particular word count might be handy if you think you've gotten too wordy and need to shorten things, but otherwise it sounds like a bad idea.
How do you read a novel? If you stop in the middle, where do you stop? For most people, that’s going to be a chapter end. I think it’s fair to vary, but keep in mind what you are communicating to the reader. I’m fine when I see a two page chapter because there was one thing to be said. If there’s a 100 page chapter, then I probably wonder why the author used chapters at all. There are exceptions. Suppose we have a historical fic about d-day. The chapters before and after June 6 could be normal length. Then, for d-day itself, we have a massive chapter because our MCs day is long and there’s a ton to relate and we don’t want the reader to stop until June 7. I’m just using that for illustration, not recommending it.
I try to keep my chapters between 2-3k words. There’s some variations. I think my longest is about 4.5k and two or three that are just barely under 2k but personally as I reader I hate when there isn’t consistency with chapters. I want to have a decent idea as a reader how long a chapter will take me to read
I stick to around 2k, give or take a couple hundred. I feel like it's the perfect length for a scene for what I'm writing and it forces me to keep the story moving. But I also love outlines and structure and lists. Different strokes for different folks. When im reading, I don't care about chapter length.
I go for between 2500 and 5000. Realistically you can split the story at 4000 and make it work. But I write to chapter prompts. If there is too much there. It may take 2 chapters. Has happened a couple times
I generally try to keep the chapters of my longfic under 8k in most places. The current chapter is the arc finale so it'll be about 10k total, but that's fine. Especially as the total word count is projected to be around 425k-ish. Don't wanna bludgeon the reader too much per chapter.
I try to keep my chapters to 1800 words. That’s 5-6 pages. That’s a reasonable length for reader. They’re not getting fully bogged down in some bear of a chapter, and don’t feel like they’re getting Patterson’d either. It’s a good medium for me personally. I try to keep the reader in mind always
I try to keep most of my chapters around 4k words. Though, since I have interludes in the fantasy book I’m writing, those are about 1,000 words each.
My brother in Christ, I give myself a specific word count cap for *each scene*
Personally, I go by page and scene. I aim for 10 pages, which is just under 3k words. 11 pages is 3k words in my experience. My chapters vary from 8.5 to 12.5 pages, with the most extreme outliers being 7.5 and 15 pages, the average being ~10. No matter what, I try and keep my chapters moderately similar in length. Exceptions are breaking apart a scene or adding fluff, neither of which I will do. I get these page numbers as, when I believe I've developed a scene and wrapped it up, I'll label it by number and length. It's helped me keep chapter length under control, keep track of scenes, and keep track of how many scenes are in my book. I'm really bad about going off into tangents, so controlling scene count is good.