Is Twelve Chapters too long to take off with the story?

CajunWriter · Oct 30, 2012

I spent twelve chapters setting up the story. The mood, up until this point, has been curiosity, suspense, Mythical Fantasy, excitement (for some) but in the twelfth chapter, I've definitely killed off 2 characters with a twist while introducing the antagonist. I might have killed off a third but I might use him as a set up later on in book 2. To boot, it was demonic deaths in a fantasy setting. :evil

I'm right around the 21k word mark.

Did I take too long to have the story line take off at this point? This is my first book so I'm not entirely consumed with doubt, but I do want/need some advice, tips, and input. Also, is it too much to have so much happen in one chapter. Everything was going fine and then BAM! Flipped it on its head.

TIA for all the advice!

JanDarby · Oct 30, 2012

For a first book, it's more important to just finish the book. Worry about restructuring it later.

Just keep going. Come back when you've typed "the end."

druid12000 · Oct 30, 2012

JanDarby said:
For a first book, it's more important to just finish the book. Worry about restructuring it later.

Just keep going. Come back when you've typed "the end."

Yup.

Just a side note, Clive Barker's Imajica took over two hundred pages to set up. I'm a fan but I almost put it down at that point. Glad I didn't because once it took off it was brilliant but just something to think about.

Kerosene · Oct 30, 2012

Like Jan and druid said, finish the book, don't worry about everything at the moment.

But, stemming from this, you start the story when it starts. If that's the 13th chapter, start there.
I've known writers who've written 200Kwords of a book, cut the first half off and use the second half as the real story.

The setup, history and all that; isn't needed for the reader to understand the story.

Then again, everything is a story, and as long as you're entertaining me, I'd keep reading to get to the meat.

Finish the book, don't worry about this stuff for now.

thothguard51 · Oct 30, 2012

Finish writing the story then worry about any changes you need to make. Why? First book and more than likely there will be , perhaps a great many. I might also not that when you write the 2 book, you'll more than likely want to go back and change some things in the first book.

It happens all the time...

vitani · Oct 30, 2012

Depends on how many chapters you end up with in total... 12 chapters out of 24 would be too much. 12 out of 200 would be different.

Like the others said, finish the book first then see what needs to be cut/restructured. I'm a huge fan of flashback scenes, so there might be ways of keeping the early material but starting the story earlier. But then, not everyone likes flashbacks.

CajunWriter · Oct 30, 2012

Excellent advice everyone!

Thank you!

Mr Flibble · Oct 30, 2012

Definitely finish first.

You will - I can almost guarantee it - improve exponentially between starting and finishing your first novel. Then you will go back to the start and roll your eyes and gnash your teeth and cry 'Waily waily waily'.

And then you'll figure out a better way to start your novel. But unless you finish it, your writing won't improve enough for you to recognise it.

First get it written. Then get it right.

waylander · Oct 30, 2012

What they said.
Finish the book and then it will become clearer where the story really starts. It may be the case that the opening chapters are just scaffolding; you needed them to get you into the story, but when it is done you can take them away and the story stands without them.

Bufty · Oct 30, 2012

When I wrote my first novel I was so absorbed in the unfolding tale and wanting to find out what was going to happen next that your question never occurred to me.

If it had, I suspect I would have wondered why.

Melanie Dawn · Oct 30, 2012

I think overall length of the project makes a big portion of it. Also, too much exposition can kill a book for me at least. Is there a way to spread out some of the world building over say 15-20 chapters?

chicgeek · Oct 30, 2012

I agree with the others -- finish it first and don't make any judgment calls until you do.

But when you do go back, be willing to murder your darlings. Once you've got the bones of the story laid out, there are ways to thread that exposition and backstory throughout the in-the-moment action of the story, via dialogue and narration. This is always preferable to making the reader wait for the plot to start so that you can lay everything out.

When it comes to rewriting/revising, set-up is a necessary evil. I treat it accordingly -- I concede as little ground as possible. The plot is what matters in every scene. The set-up can be there, but it should work around it.

Gladiator · Oct 30, 2012

Well, it depends on what you mean by "take off with the story." You don't necessarily need for things to get too crazy that early in the book, but it damn well better be interesting. Some things to keep in mind:

1) There needs to be steadily-growing tension from the first chapter. If those twelve chapters are largely world-building and set-up without intriguing conflict, then it needs to be cut. World-building occurs alongside plot, not before it.

2) There also needs to be a point for why you've included those twelve chapters. Do things occur in each chapter that we need to read first-hand? Or are they unimportant enough where they could be removed and those events described in passing?

3) I'm confused at how two characters can be dead before you even get to the meat of the story. Normally, deaths should be inciting events that get things cooking. Do these deaths serve any real purpose or are they there just for shock value?

rwm4768 · Oct 30, 2012

As long as the buildup is entertaining, don't worry about it. You can also chop off some of the chapters later if you find they aren't necessary.

blacbird · Oct 30, 2012

Short answer: Yes, almost certainly.

Longer answer: As others have said, don't overworry about that right now. Finish the damthing, then go back and figure out where story actually begins, and throw away everything before that.

And get used to the "throw away" part. If you want to be a good writer, you'll need to know when to do that.

caw

Mara · Oct 30, 2012

Depends. You might be wrong about the story taking that long to take off. It might be that what you mean by "taking off" is something different than we mean.

Anyway, I strongly suggest finishing and not worrying about it yet. For a long time, I sabotaged myself by worrying about that stuff for no reason. You can fix it in edits.

blacbird · Oct 31, 2012

Mara said:
You can fix it in edits.

Assuming you're willing to really edit. I've encountered a disturbing number of writers adamantly opposed to that process, when it involves their own work.

caw

Fenika · Oct 31, 2012

CajunWriter said:
Everything was going fine and then BAM! Flipped it on its head.

How many books have you enjoyed where everything was going fine for several chapters?

Plus what the others said.

Roxxsmom · Oct 31, 2012

I went to an outlining workshop that suggested you should have the basic problem for the protagonist clear and in place by chapter 5-6, but this is assuming that the book is about 75,000 words long, AND that there is a total of 25 chapters. Book lengths and chapter lengths (and number) vary so much that it's hard to know what percentage of your book your first 12 chapters comprise.

And as some others have pointed out, it's more important to get the story down and laid out and to tinker with it later. Once you get the first draft in place and start revising, you (maybe with the help of some readers) can decide whether the beginning of the book is too slow. Most authors end up snipping, consolidating and trimming parts of their story. So don't worry too much about it right now.

WeaselFire · Oct 31, 2012

One chapter is too long to set up a story. The book starts where the story starts.

Don't fret, you needed to write the 12 chapters. You just don't need the reader to read them.

Jeff

Jamesaritchie · Oct 31, 2012

The story needs to start in the first chapter. On page one, if possible, but definitely in the first ten pages. Story is what readers are after, and darned few will wait around for the story to start.

Jonathan Dalar · Nov 1, 2012

As has been said already, finish the damn book. So what if it's a trunk novel. Not like they're rare at all, and it will be a tremendous learning experience.

But as a learning experience, you should soon see that yes, 12 chapters is about 11 chapters too long to start your story. Hook the readers from Chapter One, sentence one, and entice them to read further.

Is Twelve Chapters too long to take off with the story?

CajunWriter

JanDarby

druid12000

You're out of your tree...

Kerosene

Your Pixie Queen

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

vitani

The Tobermory Hamster

CajunWriter

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Melanie Dawn

Gypsy, wasted from the hips down.

chicgeek

Gladiator

Tribunus Plebis

rwm4768

practical experience, FTW

blacbird

Mara

Clever User Title

blacbird

Fenika

Roxxsmom

Raised by Wolves

WeaselFire

Benefactor Member

Jamesaritchie

Jonathan Dalar

Science fiction, horror and fantasy