How Long Are Your Chapters on Average

Storyteller5 · Jan 12, 2006

When you are writing, how long are your chapters on average?
Do you add them as you are writing or do you finish and add the breaks in after?

ETA: Think of a page as 250 to 300 words. (I write in Times 12 myself.) :snoopy:

Carmy · Jan 12, 2006

Wow! LOL I think the poll gives you a good idea of what the writers here think.

BlackCrowesChick · Jan 12, 2006

It just depends, but most of mine are pretty long. I just went through my WIP and counted how many pages a few of the chapters were. One of them was eight. The last completed one was twenty-one pages. It varies, but it seems that in my work, the farther into it I am, the longer the chapters are. In the beginning of a work, they are shorter, but as it goes on, they get longer.

I voted for the no average option.

SeanDSchaffer · Jan 12, 2006

For me it's however long the chapter needs to be. If it's ten pages, good. If it's ten sentences, good. It just depends on the story.

zeprosnepsid · Jan 12, 2006

I was actually wondering about chapter length after reading about it in the prologues thread. My chapters are all different lengths. Even though I voted for less than 5 pages since they're more under that than over. But do most people have chapters that are vaguely the same length? Are there pluses and minuses to this?

Rambling · Jan 12, 2006

I'm reminded of Holly Lisle's comments about this - in the past, her chapters used to be exactly three scenes, and each scene used to be exactly ten pages. Now, however, she does whatever she wants. (http://hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/faqs1.html for the interested)

I can tell you as a reader I don't even notice where the chapter breaks are as long as there are some, and I'd guess many people feel similarly.

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 13, 2006

Mine varies, but my current WIP has about 30 pages per chapter, broken up into 4 parts. Don't ask me why I chose to do it that way, the story just started fitting into that pattern when I started and to be consistant I've kept it up.

loquax · Jan 13, 2006

My WIP isn't divided into chapters.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 13, 2006

Chapters

I don't know. Roughly 3,000 words. Chapter structure is more important than chapter length, but chapter breaks are good places to put down a book for the night.

blacbird · Jan 13, 2006

I'm about the same as JAR, mine run generally about 2000-4000 words. I think the poll asking for page count is misleading, because I don't know what font the responders use, or whether they are citing double-spaced manuscript submission style or something else they might use during the writing process. I work on the computer in single-spaced Garamond 14, because it's easy on the eyes.

caw.

Sharon Mock · Jan 13, 2006

In the WIP I'm currently editing, chapters probably average 15-20 pages (about 4000 words). I start getting itchy when they get past 25.

In a previous project, I had chapters up to 15,000 words long -- 60 pages! (To my credit, there were lots of scene breaks.)

I usually break chapters as I write, but my NaNoWriMo project is two big chunks of text (Part 1 and Part 2). One of my first tasks when I sit down to revise it will be to divide it into chapters.

I'm afraid you'll have to play it by ear...

veinglory · Jan 13, 2006

I am assuming 300 words a page?

Cathy C · Jan 13, 2006

It varies wildly with me. I decided to go back and look at my books already out to see. It varies from 2,000 words to 10,000. I just this minute finished the first chapter of my new WIP, and it's just short of 8,000. To me, a chapter is a "scene", like in a movie. The end of every single chapter should have a hook sufficient to make the reader to want to turn the next page -- regardless of whether it's time for bed, or "I should really get out of the bathtub," or "Oh God! I just missed my train!" :ROFL:

(This really happened to our editor when doing the first read on our second book.)

A good chapter needs to end where it needs to end.

How Long Are Your Chapters on Average

How long are your chapters on average?

Less than 5 pages

Less than 8 pages

Less than 12 pages

Less than 15 pages

Less than 20 pages

Less than 25 pages

More than 25 pages

No average. Big differences in length. Depends on story.

Storyteller5

Say something...

Carmy

BlackCrowesChick

Uptown Girl

SeanDSchaffer

zeprosnepsid

Rambling

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

loquax

I verb nouns adverbly

Jamesaritchie

blacbird

Sharon Mock

Wing nut

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!