MG chapter lengths

RoseColoredSkies · Apr 24, 2009

Ok so I'm working on a middle grade novel and I'm a little concerned my chapters might be a bit too short. The first chapter is about 2 1/2 pages. The second is shaping up to be about 1 1/2 (roughly 760 and 500 words respectively).

Is this alright for a MG novel? It's my first foray into the genre so I don't want to treat the reader like they can't handle long chapters. it just feels like the story has natural breaks in these shorter incriments.

Angela_785 · Apr 24, 2009

It seems a little on the short side, but I guess it depends if all the chapters end up that way or not and if it's low mid grade or not.

What's the total word count?

RoseColoredSkies · Apr 24, 2009

At the moment, the total word count is 1,374. The MC is 10 (and I don't know if it means anything but the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level is currently 4.9 (was 5.0 before).)

I figure some chapters will be longer as the story moves along. As the wc indicates, its still very early on in the story.

I'm aiming for about 30k total.

MsJudy · Apr 24, 2009

It depends a lot on the style you're using and the age you're targeting. Chapter books certainly can be that short. But in general--what you might have is a confusion between scene and chapter. As you work on it, you may find that several scenes actually flow together to make a single chapter. That would be a lot more typical of what you see in middle grade. Two-three pages doesn't give you much room to set the stage, reveal the conflict, develop the action--but it can be done, of course. More typical of breezy humor than other types of novels. If you're writing fantasy, or historical, or action/adventure, then no, I'd say you need to develop your sections more.

Well, okay, all I seem to be saying is, "It depends." Post one in SYW and see what people think.

RoseColoredSkies · Apr 24, 2009

I see what you mean. I think I do need to combine chapters 1 and 2. They do fit together.

Stijn Hommes · Apr 25, 2009

What really matters is whether the chapter tells its own little story and ends at the right moment. I'm usually aiming for a cliffhanger, but if you don't, it still has to be a natural stopping point. Worry about the content of the chapter rather than its length.

RoseColoredSkies · Apr 25, 2009

I tend to do cliffhangers as well. So, thanks for the comments. I'll probably be posting the first chapter (its about 1400 words) in SYW to see what people think.

MsJudy · Apr 25, 2009

Sometimes you don't really know where the chapters divide until the second draft anyway. I wouldn't worry about the length too much, just think of it all as pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. When you have them all on the table and start moving things around, it will be easier to see which ones fit together.

Cliffhanger chapters are good for certain genres, but a lot of MG, especially quieter, more literary or realistic books and younger chapter books, treat each chapter more as a short story. Think of a third grader, who probably can only manage to read one chapter a day. Cliffhangers require a lot more commitment of time and memory. So again, it depends on the kind of story you're trying to tell and the age you're trying to reach.

Bukarella · Apr 25, 2009

I'm working on MG project, and aiming for about 30K as well. My first chapter is about 2.5K words long. I did wonder if it's too long, but I think it works...

I know Tale of Despereaux has VERY small chapters, yet it makes perfect sense. So I think it really depends on a story.

tainabell · Apr 25, 2009

I've been wondering about chapter length too. I know that the posts here so far have said that it alternates from book to book, but is there any sort of accepted (or at least suggested) standard? A word count or something that is recommended by an online resource that I haven't found yet.

Also, what does three pages mean? Three pages in Courier New 10 on a Word Document or three pages in the actual printed book? Is there an accepted ratio for that, also?

RoseColoredSkies · Apr 25, 2009

When I mentioned pages earlier, 3 pages is is MS Word Times New Roman 12 point font.

bkwriter · Apr 25, 2009

Thanks for the thesaurus of emotions and settings. That's what I needed.

Angela_785 · Apr 26, 2009

You're welcome! Glad it helps.

Laura Lond · Apr 26, 2009

My recently finished MG project has chapters of 6-10 pages; each one tells a story and ends with a "natural break," so to speak. The culmination chapter is the longest. I did not plan it this way, but that's how it took from the start.

MG chapter lengths

RoseColoredSkies

It's a long and winding road

Angela_785

RoseColoredSkies

It's a long and winding road

MsJudy

RoseColoredSkies

It's a long and winding road

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...

RoseColoredSkies

It's a long and winding road

MsJudy

Bukarella

tainabell

RoseColoredSkies

It's a long and winding road

bkwriter

Angela_785

Laura Lond