Are chapters really required?

iwannabepublished · Aug 1, 2009

I've always thought that major scene changes require new chapters. Chapter breaks also provide the reader a logical place to stop reading, if they really need or want to. Minor scene changes are identified by a few blank lines or maybe some symbols, like asterisks, centered on a line.

I've just finished reading a Science Fiction story in which each new chapter picked up exactly where the last one ended, making the chapter break seem kind of strange and completely unnecessary.

So, my question is - are chapters really necessary or can one merely indicate scene changes as I mentioned above?

DeleyanLee · Aug 1, 2009

Chapter breaks are a structure the author includes to break the story into less mind-boggling chunks than an entire novel. The purpose of them is NOT to give the reader a chance to stop reading. (The author's purpose is NEVER to give the author a reason to stop reading, afterall--once they stop, they might never finish.)

What happens within a chapter, what ends and starts them, is completely up to the author and what story they're telling. Whether chapters are large story arcs in the book, broken into sections (Dean Koontz does this often--3-5 chapters, but 3-10 numbered sections a chapter) or a scene a chapter, or several scenes a chapter, it is the standard structure used in fiction. Whether or not they're required, I don't know. It might just be tradition, until someone breaks that structure so well that there's other options.

Interesting question.

Aggy B. · Aug 1, 2009

Well, sometimes an author will choose to break for a new chapter at a cliffhanger moment. Or when a chapter becomes really long since some authors prefer having an average chapter length.

I just finished Sunshine (Robin McKinley) and she didn't have chapters. Just sections of the book and scenes broken out with blank lines inbetween. It was not until I reached "Part Two" (about 80ish pages in) that I realized there weren't any chapters.

I have a couple chapter in my WIP that are under 1k as far as word count. But I like breaking things up by scene. When a new scene starts I start a new chapter. (Which also means that some chapters are considerably longer than others.) However, I also switch POV a few times in the middle of what could have been one longer chapter/scene. It felt better that way because the character with the most to lose/gain shifted in the middle. I have also started a new chapter in the midst of what might seem to be one long scene because the mood and focus of the plot shifted considerably. Frex: in Chapter X my MC goes out to a dangerous spot, gets in trouble, is rescued, collapses from hypothermia and is taken to a house to be helped. In Chapter Y my MC is put in a bath, given fresh clothes, has a conversation, acts like a bitch and then is given emotional reassurance. They are seperated by a single sentence. But the focus was really so different I wanted to break them apart.

That was my choice. Someone else might/would break up a similiar kind of sequence differently.

So, my answer/advice is do what you feel works best.

Bufty · Aug 1, 2009

Some books have chapters -some don't.

By 'logical place' I guess you mean by letting them draw a quick breath to slip in a bookmark or corner the page.

Perhaps Chapters do allow the reader to draw a quick breath and put the book on the bedstand but you will find chapters usually end at a dramatic moment and in such a way the reader is sorely tempted to start the next chapter to see what happens next.

This is deliberate. It ensures if they do put it aside and go to sleep the excitement still courses through the blood as they drift off - and they do pick it up again.

ETA - Nothing better than drifting off and slipping into the hero's shoes....

Kenteicher said:
I've always thought that major scene changes require new chapters. Chapter breaks also provide the reader a logical place to stop reading, if they really need or want to. Minor scene changes are identified by a few blank lines or maybe some symbols, like asterisks, centered on a line.

I've just finished reading a Science Fiction story in which each new chapter picked up exactly where the last one ended, making the chapter break seem kind of strange and completely unnecessary.

So, my question is - are chapters really necessary or can one merely indicate scene changes as I mentioned above?

jjacobs · Aug 1, 2009

I would have a difficult time reading a book without chapter breaks. Chapters motivate me to keep reading. Often times I will read to the end of the chapter and put it down for the night. Other times I plan to put it down, but I'm dying to find out what happens in the next chapter so I keep reading. Without the chapter break, it might take me twice as long to finish a book.

Persephone · Aug 1, 2009

Yes, I agree with jjacobs. Chapter breaks are a motivating factor for me as a reader. Conversely, I sometimes think that if the book is still rubbish by Chapter 2, I'm giving up!

As a writer, I think it's about the arc of the story, as already mentioned and also the structure of the whole. I've only written one mss, but I think it would have been incredibly tedious if it ran and ran without a break. OMHO of course!

Bufty · Aug 1, 2009

I'm sure you don't mean that. :Hug2:

It doesn't bode well at all for any book, if it's only readable with chapter breaks - and tedious without them.

Persephone said:
Yes, I agree with jjacobs. Chapter breaks are a motivating factor for me as a reader. Conversely, I sometimes think that if the book is still rubbish by Chapter 2, I'm giving up!

As a writer, I think it's about the arc of the story, as already mentioned and also the structure of the whole. I've only written one mss, but I think it would have been incredibly tedious if it ran and ran without a break. OMHO of course!

Persephone · Aug 1, 2009

It was tedious with them, LOL. That's why I flick a duster over it on long dark winter evenings!

Bufty · Aug 1, 2009

sunandshadow · Aug 1, 2009

My housemate often complains to me if a book has no chapters or chapters that are too long because he prefers to only stop reading at a chapter break. Me, I prefer to read a novel in one sitting so I barely notice chapters unless they have witty titles or some type of different writing such as bits of poetry, dictionary entries, diary entries, or faux encyclopedia articles between chapters.

dannypatterson · Aug 1, 2009

For me personally, chapters let me pause a minute and reflect about what just happened but I've never been the best reader.

I would say a book without chapters goes against the grain somewhat as most of us are more accustomed to seeing chapters throughout the book.

C.M.C. · Aug 1, 2009

You don't need chapters, but it does help make the book seem easier to digest. A 300 page, unbroken stream of words isn't inviting.

cameron_chapman · Aug 1, 2009

The Road (Cormac McCarthy) is probably one of the best examples of a book without chapter breaks. He doesn't even really use scene breaks in the traditional sense. Or much punctuation. Or pretty much anything else we're used to seeing in a book. But it works really, really well.

If there's a reason not to use them, then don't.

I just finished two books by Jeffrey Lent and he uses really long chapters with tons of scenes (some of which are only a couple paragraphs, others a few pages). In "A Peculiar Grace" he only has 10 chapters (in about 300 pages). In "Lost Nation" I think there were only 9 chapters (also about 300 pages). Didn't bother me at all. I usually stop reading at a scene break, or sometimes just the end of a paragraph.

Wark · Aug 1, 2009

I could chop my WIP into chapters, but I'm writing it based on locations. Some locations were very little happens make a 800 word chapter for me. The one I'm writing now, Memphis, is nearly 9000. Most people do want a 20-40 minute long chapter to read before they go to bed. But, hey, that's what bookmarks are for.

iwannabepublished · Aug 2, 2009

In my original post I mentioned that I had just finished a book with chapter breaks that had no rhyme or reason. In fact, one chapter break was in the middle of a conversation. I'm trying to digest the comments to my original thread but must admit I am still confused. First of all the idea of being afraid not to have chapter breaks for fear the reader will never pick the book up again is just silly.

DeleyanLee wrote -(The author's purpose is NEVER to give the author(reader) a reason to stop reading, after all--once they stop, they might never finish.)

If I don't like a book after reading a bit, I put it aside no matter how far I've gotten. Conversely, if I do stop at a chapter break it is usually because of the late hour, the strain on my eyes, or my wife calling me to dinner.

Some of you seems to be saying that chapter breaks should be used as tool in the writers tool box. Give the reader a chance to catch his breath while pondering the last scene or a quick second to guess what's coming next - the cliffhanger. Whatever the reason, use chapter breaks to help punctuate the story.

Others seem to agree that chapter breaks are almost required to give the reader a logical place to stop reading. Again, being afraid the reader won't pick the book back up is an unfortunate fear for a writer with no faith in his/her own work.

Others seem to being saying that chapter breaks are completely optional.

Perhaps I should start a thread in the ask the agent area to see what they want to see.

I am in the planning stage of a story and have been toying with the idea of just having scene breaks. That was the reason for my posting. To me, there is something a little negative in reading to the end of a scene and turning the page to find 'Chapter XX'. I don't want a chapter break, I want to find out what happens next. I think chapter breaks can sometimes break the rhythm of a story in an unwanted way. I don't need the author to give me a logical place to stop reading, I can do that myself.

I just wanted to know what everyone else thought about this issue.

C.M.C. · Aug 2, 2009

I look at it as being a conflict between artistic and commercial sensibility. While there are some instances where a book without any sort of chapter or scene breaks would be best, it's not easy to train readers to like that sort of work. The famous example is On The Road, which was one paragraph when originally typed. It was artistic, and it fit the sense of the narrative, but there was never a chance of the book being accepted and then becoming a standard in that format. Breaking up the work into smaller pieces doesn't dilute anything that you've written, it merely gives the reader more incentive to actually make it through to the end.

RJK · Aug 2, 2009

My current WIP is written entirely in first person, but I use 3 POV's. My protagonist, The heroine/lover, and the antagonist. I start a new chapter when the POV changes.

I read somewhere in this forum that chapters are derived from the beginning of novels. When they were first published, they were serialized in magazines, one chapter at a time. This was another source of the cliff-hanger endings for chapters. It would insure the readers would buy the magazine, to find out what happened next in the novel.

sunandshadow · Aug 2, 2009

For editing purposes, it is really handy to have at least numbered scene breaks if you don't want formal chapters.

Ravenlocks · Aug 2, 2009

Kenteicher said:
In my original post I mentioned that I had just finished a book with chapter breaks that had no rhyme or reason. In fact, one chapter break was in the middle of a conversation.

In my WIP I've been breaking chapters in the middle of scenes. I'm also using short chapters. My logic is that readers reading my book late at night will get to the end of the chapter, realize the scene continues into the next chapter, and since the chapters are short they'll allow themselves "just one more chapter" before sleep. Ideally several times.

:hat:

Kenteicher said:
To me, there is something a little negative in reading to the end of a scene and turning the page to find 'Chapter XX'.

Why? I don't get it. If you want to read more, just read more.

jwallace · Aug 2, 2009

Chapter Breaks

I think at the end of the day, the chapters work best when you are in control of them instead of vice versa. Some chapters are only a page long, others could be endless--if it serves the purpose of your book.

Are chapters really required?

iwannabepublished

working hard - hard at work?

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

jjacobs

Persephone

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Persephone

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

sunandshadow

Impractical Fantasy Animal

dannypatterson

C.M.C.

Archetype

cameron_chapman

Makes Things Up

Wark

Mark Brockman

iwannabepublished

working hard - hard at work?

C.M.C.

Archetype

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:

sunandshadow

Impractical Fantasy Animal

Ravenlocks

How novel.

jwallace