novel revision

Chapters

What is the Best Length for Novel Chapters?

How long are your chapters? How long is long enough or too long?

In his book, Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing: A Novelist Looks at His Craft, action/adventure author, David Morrell (creator of the Rambo character, among others), says he tries to write short chapters, so that a reader can complete one chapter (or structural unit) at one sitting. He bases his ideas on two essays by Edgar Allen Poe, The Philosophy of Composition and The Poetic Principle. Part of this discussion is about pacing, because it’s about keeping the reader’s attention. Morrell says he keeps his structural units small in order to accommodate the reader’s bladder, TV interruptions, phone calls, a neighbor who drops in, etc. Poe’s essay is worth reading, as is Morrell’s chapter on “The Tactics of Structure.”

Of course–a chapter should be as long as it needs to be. But consider shorter chapters which can be read at one sitting.

Did you know it’s easy to stay connected?
RSS feed signup
Ocassional newsletter signup

Related posts:

  1. SCENE 28: Scene Length
  2. Pacing
  3. 3 Tips for Novel Chapters
  4. Opening Chapters
  5. 9 Tips on Opening Lines & Opening Chapters of Your NaNoWriMo Novel

Discussion

2 comments for “Chapters”

  1. [...] Subtitles Chapter Divisions Character Names Stronger Settings Stronger Setting Details Characters That Count Take Your [...]

    Posted by 30 Ways to Write a Stronger Novel | March 26, 2009, 6:09 pm
  2. well the length of one chapter depend by the plot. but its better to be fix. in the if you have 10 chapters the frist 3 chapters and the last three chapter better to be short in length. becouse it make the reader more crousity and attractive

    Posted by tesfalem | November 25, 2011, 2:03 am

Post a comment

RESOURCES

join our mailing list
Fiction Notes. Entries (RSS) Privacy Policy