Length of Opening Chapter

Storyteller5 · Dec 1, 2007

Okay, first off, I know the correct answer to "how long is your first chapter?" is "as long/short as it needs to be" and "as long/short as the story dictates". :tongue

But I'm curious about your experience with the first chapter specifically. Prologues aside.

Obviously in your opening chapter, you want to introduce your characters and set up the story to some degree. Do you find your first chapter often runs short, long or about the same as the rest of your novel? Or, if you've written 2+ novels, has it been very different in different novels? :e2writer:

Madison · Dec 1, 2007

In my first two novels, the first chapters ran about 8 MSW pages - enough to introduce MCs and grab the audience with the problem. I think the following chapters are a little longer, 10-14 pages. My current WIP has no chapter breaks yet, but I'm shooting for 16 (or longer) page chapters. Except for the first chapter, which will be maybe 6 pages. Concise and gripping.
I don't think length matters at all for first chapters, as long as the audience is left with a desire to keep reading until the finish.

JJ Cooper · Dec 2, 2007

1500. Anymore and you're being verbose.

JJ

spacejock2 · Dec 2, 2007

My first chapters are all about 2000-2500 words, usually with two or more scenes.

triceretops · Dec 2, 2007

I've always written 20-page chapters for most of my books. I've just begun to carve down the first chapters to about 10 pages recently, fill them with intense conflict and action--just to get things off to a blistering start. I had a bad habit of leading slowly into the story, instead of starting off with a bang. Now I'll use just about every literary device to grab the editor's attention right out of the gate. LoL. No more tedius setups, info or character dumps. My last two books have chapters of 9 and 12 pages.

Tri

maestrowork · Dec 2, 2007

My published novel has a 10-page (printed) opening chapter. My WIP probably will end up with a 5-page. But yeah, whatever it takes.

DeleyanLee · Dec 2, 2007

My first chapters are generally 18-22 ms pages, occasionally going down to 16 or up to 27 (which is fairly long for me).

The longest first chapter I've ever seen in a published novel was, I think, 60-odd pages which was written by my friend, Wen Spencer, for her Baen hardcover, Tinker.

Get the work done, get people interested so they'll keep reading and it doesn't matter how long/short the chapter is.

NicoleMD · Dec 2, 2007

I have a condition where all of my chapters need to be more or less the same length. In one WIP that's 30 pages, and in another, it's 10 pages. I don't think I do it on purpose, but I'm sure there's some little whisper nagging me in the back of my brain.

Nicole

PeeDee · Dec 2, 2007

One book had a 5,000 word opening chapter. The next one had a 40,000 word one. (I know, I know). Make of it what you will. Write what you need.

donroc · Dec 2, 2007

My currently published horror novel has a 1 page 1st chapter. My soon to be published historical has a 6 page ms word 12 pt tnr, which may be about 7 pages in print depending on #line/page.

www.donaldmichaelplatt.com

GeorgieB · Dec 2, 2007

NicoleMD said:
I have a condition where all of my chapters need to be more or less the same length. In one WIP that's 30 pages, and in another, it's 10 pages. I don't think I do it on purpose, but I'm sure there's some little whisper nagging me in the back of my brain.

Nicole

That's me! I've got the same conditon, all the scenes end up at around the same word count, therefore the chapters do the same. Average scenes run about 1000-1200 words, chapters contain 3-5 scenes.

The name of the condition escapes me for the moment, and in any case I have to get back to writing...one of my scenes is a bit short.

Anyone remember the name??? :Shrug:

Shady Lane · Dec 2, 2007

Usually about 5 pages. I have very short chapters.

HourglassMemory · Dec 2, 2007

My prologue and my 1st chapter, are both 7 pages long.
The prologue is one scene and the 1st chapter is about 4 scenes.

Length of Opening Chapter

Storyteller5

Say something...

Madison

summertime...

JJ Cooper

.

spacejock2

triceretops

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

NicoleMD

Onomatopotamus

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

donroc

Historicals and Horror rule

GeorgieB

Almost a wannabe writer

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

HourglassMemory