How many A4 pages per chapter?

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Momento Mori

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There's no rule on chapter length - they should be as long as they need to be. Some authors don't have chapters at all (e.g. Terry Pratchett).

The longest chapter in my WIP is 25 pages (which is about 6,000 words). The shortest is about 6 pages (just under 2000 words).

Chapter breaks should offer a natural pause between scenes or action.

MM
 

shaldna

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There's no limit. There's no need to have chapters if you don't want to.

So don't stress. :)
 

shaldna

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Glenakin said:
Really? No need to have chapters?
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Absolutely none whatsoever.

A good example is Terry Pratchett who doesn't (usually) write in chapters. In fact, out of the thirty-odd books he has published, only the last three or four have been written in chapters.
 

Danthia

It's too much when the reader starts skimming ahead looking for a good place to stop. :)

And really, you don't need to have chapters. Scene breaks work fine, since readers are accustomed to places they can stop. Stephen King's Insomnia has no chapters at all. Break up the book in the way that feels right to you and serves the story best.
 
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Danthia said:
It's too much when the reader starts skimming ahead looking for a good place to stop. :)

And really, you don't need to have chapters. Scene breaks work fine, since readers are accustomed to places they can stop. Stephen King's Insomnia has no chapters at all. Break up the book in the way that feels right to you and serves the story best.
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Aaaah I see now :) thank you
 

shaldna

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Michael Crichton is another writer who didn't use chapters - instead he tended to title each scene, even if that scene was only a few lines long. You should have a look at his novel 'Airframe' to see what I'm talking about. It was all written in real time.
 
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