Chapter Length?

I actually researched this at my local bookstore. I went to the fantasy section and chose random novels, and noted the page count of a chapter or two of each of the books. I got anywhere between 8 and 15 pages a chapter (on average) so (at 250 words a page), your looking at between 2k and 4k for the norm in my little experiment.

But I do agree that chapters can be as long or short as you want. As long at that chapter drives home the point of what you are intending to drive. I think that is, overall, a more important factor then the actual number of pages.

I like to mix it up. Sometimes after what it, for me, a longer chapter (say 2k or so), I put in a couple of short ones. Keeps things moving. In my current WIP I'm trying to maintain momemtum within the plot so this really helps. Of course, I'm not doing epic fantasy. Just thought I'd throw my two cents in.

I've read a chapter that consisted of one single "f" word. It may have been in Tommy knockers.

I'm writing a YA fantasy, and my chapters range from 1500-5000 words, depending on what feels right.

Like people said (both in this thread and others), go with what feels right. So long as you get that, it doesn't really matter.

I was listening to Writing Excuses recently. If you've never checked it out, you should. It's a wonderful podcast (15 min episodes) from Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells. They're on the 8th season and all the previous ones are archived. The webpage is here if you want to check it out:
http://www.writingexcuses.com/

Anyway, I was listening to the one on outlining Mary's way and she gave advice on chaptering I'd never heard before. She says chapters are the very last thing she does, because those are about pacing, not about story structure.

Story structure is how to get from point A to point B and how not to miss plot points and whether there are scene/sequels and the like, but pacing is about how to build and relax tension, deciding whether to end in a cliffhanger, etc. And the pacing structure comes after everything else.

I thought this was wonderful advice, both because it says don't worry about it at all until the novel is completely done *and* doesn't just say 'they go wherever' but gives some real advice on where you might like to put them

Most chapter ending points are obvious and in the natural flow of the unfolding tale.

I suspect most folk may tweak their chapter locations after finishing but doubt anyone gives it too much concern on the way through.

Laer Carroll said:

Don’t worry about chapter length. Think about scene length and content.

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Go back a page and read this reply again. It's the one that got it right.


Many of us forget that books were originally serialized in newspapers with a new chapter posted every week, the writer getting paid a penny a word. In those days 5.00-50.00 a week was living very well indeed. Now you know why Dickens, Wilkie Collins and Bulwer-Lytton had such long books. The longer they spun out the story, the more money they made. Varney the Vampire has over 100 chapters, I think.

Papers had space limits; the writers conformed to those whether it was 500 or 5000 words. The most popular writers could get away with longer chapters and did so. The papers enjoyed more sales and could afford to pay them.

In each chapter one or two major plot points / scenes occurred and ended on a cliffhanger so readers would have to buy the next paper to see what happened.

That still works today: one or two plot points or a single major scene and end on a cliffhanger, big or small.

This is about *structure* and *pacing* -- not word / page count.

Genre doesn't matter. That's a guideline to follow for all books.

Fast or slow paced, you want readers cursing you because they were up all night reading your book. They planned to just finish the chapter, but you wouldn't let them.


Take a couple of hours and watch a few random soap operas. You'll find they push the plot forward at a snail's pace, but each scene, each episode, ends on a cliffhanger, big or small, awesome or totally lame, but the fans have to tune in the next day to see how it is resolved.


If you outline or are a pantser (and a mega large fantasy should have at least a general outline) make a list of all the major scenes you need in your book. I use index cards on a magnetic board and shift them around.

MC confronts bad guy

BIG battle here

Bad guy dies

MC meets plot point character

Intro of magic whatsit

Dragon eats village

MC has internal crisis

Comic relief character gets into a jam



Those fantasy tropes are wildly out of order, but each is a scene you put in the right order to tell the story. Each scene is as long as it needs to be to accomplish its purpose, so disengage from word / page count and focus on craft / storytelling instead.

Couldn't agree more- and to those who say they put chapter breaks in to let the reader go to sleep or make a cup of tea or whatever - remember that every reason you give the reader to put your book down is a potential reason for him not to pick it up again.

Oh, gosh, yes.

Be MERCILESS! Keep your reader up all night.


Pro's tip:

NEVER have a character yawning or mentioning they're tired and want to go to sleep.

Seriously, don't. Leave it out of the whole danged book. Just thinking the word "yawn" will inspire your reader to yawn and perhaps put the book aside.

Are you yawning yet? Wait for it......

There is no definitive answer. It can be between 1 and 100 pages. It all depends on how long the chapter needs to be in order to convey the story.

in order...to accommodate the scene (or scenes) inside it.

Tara_22 said:

There is no definitive answer. It can be between 1 and 100 pages. It all depends on how long the chapter needs to be in order to convey the story.

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I would just write until the chapter seems finished, whenever that is for you.

Gillhoughly said:

NEVER have a character yawning or mentioning they're tired and want to go to sleep.

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I tried to read a book recently where, on about page three, one character says to the other, "I'm SO bored!"

What a strange coincidence; I didn't even make it to page 15 of that book.

I write paranormal/erotica romance and I average out somewhere between 2K - 3.5K in my chapters. I'm not sure if I subconsciously picked it up by reading so many things in my genre or whether it is just a natural thing.

Like various people have mentioned, its really not so much you write per chapter, it is the content in it. ;-)