Short chapters

[Bloo]

I've got a novel in my head, but few chapters to show for it. All of the chapters I've actually written are short. Most are fewer than 3000 words. Chapter one isn't even 500 !

I've been told that short chapters don't give the reader time to get into a character. Even worse...I tend to split chapters into two scenes each from a different character's POV.

So...does anyone have an example of a successful author who writes short chapters? Otherwise, should I consider bulking up my prose?

Also...are two scenes too much to stick into a 3000-word chapter?

Thanks!

 

[RK Wallis]

What kind of books do you like to read? Is that the genre you're trying to write in? What do they do? I've seen so many different lengths of chapters and one of the books I'm reading, by the master Terry Pratchett, doesn't have any chapters at all, just scene breaks and his first scene is only 261 words. But if you're still on a first draft, don't sweat chapter length, just get that story on paper (or on the computer)

As Terry Pratchett said, "first drafts are just telling yourself the story." It's in later drafts we tend to make the reading experience accessible to readers. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. The story will flow out of you much easier

 

[CageSage]

It's not something I'd think about much until the story was finished, just as long as the bits that happen are there. Once it's real, it can be worked into shape. A lot of my chapters are short, some are definitely not short (and I'd say that 3k is not short), but not many are long or I'll consider cutting them down to size to keep the reader's interest (better to break it up than to let them put the book down, in my opinion).

 

[Hannah F]

Once you have your whole story written and are editing, you may discard a chapter, change a POV in a scene. You may decide a short chapter lacks immersive experience for the reader (think in terms of utilising the 5 senses) or scene setting to allow the reader visualisation. Those chapters will therefore become longer. BUT there's no point in doing any of this until you have the whole story down. You will give yourself unnecessary workload and lose the flow of just writing the story.

 

[Dorm Ant]

I've got a novel in my head, but few chapters to show for it. All of the chapters I've actually written are short. Most are fewer than 3000 words. Chapter one isn't even 500 !

I've been told that short chapters don't give the reader time to get into a character. Even worse...I tend to split chapters into two scenes each from a different character's POV.

So...does anyone have an example of a successful author who writes short chapters? Otherwise, should I consider bulking up my prose?

Also...are two scenes too much to stick into a 3000-word chapter?

Thanks!

Write them as they make sense now, and change them around later. I chopped one of mine in half and joined two together, when I was on my final edit.

My opening chapter is only 1,400 words. My story is a thriller, so short, action-packed chapters work. I think genre has a big influence on reader expectations, in terms of chapter length.

 

[Andy D]

Life of Pi has some really short chapters. Personally I think they really work if the plot / action warrants it - they can be quite refreshing and can slam home a good hook. I use them occasionally

 

[Hannah F]

"The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black, chapter 1 (after a 7 page prologue):

"In Faerie, there are no fish sticks no ketchup, no television."

That's it. That's the whole of chapter 1.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

I write MG and YA fantasy, mostly. My chapters tend to be around 2400 words. Some are shorter, some longer--I don't fret about it, and I shuffle scenes and chapter breaks around a fair bit when editing. The key for me in terms of deciding where chapter breaks should go is--where is a good micro-ending that begs the reader to find out what happens next. I look for tipping points, where something has just gone down that could affect the plot or characters in more than one way, and the reader needs to move on to the next chapter in order to find out. I don't always succeed at it, but it's what I aim for

 

[Bloo]

Life of Pi has some really short chapters. Personally I think they really work if the plot / action warrants it - they can be quite refreshing and can slam home a good hook. I use them occasionally

Interesting! I haven't read nearly enough, yet I've read Life of Pi. It's a great book. You've made me wonder if its style has influenced me on a subconscious level.

I gotta ask...who did the "tiger" attack near the end? I thought it was Pi's brother. In other words, Pi ate him.

 

[Bloo]

What kind of books do you like to read? Is that the genre you're trying to write in? What do they do? I've seen so many different lengths of chapters and one of the books I'm reading, by the master Terry Pratchett, doesn't have any chapters at all, just scene breaks and his first scene is only 261 words. But if you're still on a first draft, don't sweat chapter length, just get that story on paper (or on the computer)

As Terry Pratchett said, "first drafts are just telling yourself the story." It's in later drafts we tend to make the reading experience accessible to readers. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. The story will flow out of you much easier

I've read The Colour of Magic by Pratchett, but that's about it. I liked it.

I'm not very well-read - but have been catching up with audiobooks during my hour-long commute. Perhaps a lack of visual feedback has affected my style.

 

[Andy D]

Interesting! I haven't read nearly enough, yet I've read Life of Pi. It's a great book. You've made me wonder if its style has influenced me on a subconscious level.

I gotta ask...who did the "tiger" attack near the end? I thought it was Pi's brother. In other words, Pi ate him.

Well I haven’t read nearly enough either Nor can I remember much of what I did last week let alone what happened in a book I read ten or so years ago, but no I can’t say I remember thinking that. I do remember thinking how much I loved the religious arguments in it. Might have to read it again

 

[Hannah F]

I've read The Colour of Magic by Pratchett, but that's about it. I liked it.

I'm not very well-read - but have been catching up with audiobooks during my hour-long commute. Perhaps a lack of visual feedback has affected my style.

It is worth reading books too. Audio is good for the storytelling, but reading allows you to absorb grammar, paragraphing and what makes a good chapter ending. Not all chapter endings you read will be good, but when you come across good ones, it's an awesome lesson in what to aim for.

 

[Barbara]

I don't think we necessary need time (length of chapter) to get into a character. It can be done quickly with few words. I'm fairly sure getting into a character is NOT about how many words, but which words.

Same goes for chapter length. Good story telling is good story telling, which ever way you tell it. You can do it well in snippets because the dark space (the bits we don't write) counts too.

I've seen a chapter of a story told entirely in text messages. I haven't seen the entire novel though but that one chapter looked promising.

Personally, I don't like long character building. I prefer an effective nugget to hook me and give me the idea of who that person is then have that person reveal themselves as the story goes; the development of that person which continues all the way to the end to when the journey is over.

I've been told that short chapters don't give the reader time to get into a character

I'm assuming this is general advice you've heard, and not feedback to your work?

If it's feedback to your novel, then look at your novel and consider it.

If it's generic writing advice, ignore it. For now.

The most important thing is that the novel is long enough (wordcount) to be called a novel. How you arrange those words is the real measure. Of course, apply craft to your writing. But if you break rules, so what, because if it works it works.

I suggest write it. Then look at it. Does the story hang together? Do the characters progress, engage, etc,? Ask all the questions you would ask to assess a 'normal' novel then take it from there. Like I said, if it works it works.

 

[Dorm Ant]

Interesting! I haven't read nearly enough, yet I've read Life of Pi. It's a great book. You've made me wonder if its style has influenced me on a subconscious level.

I gotta ask...who did the "tiger" attack near the end? I thought it was Pi's brother. In other words, Pi ate him.

My reading of the novel was that it was a metaphor about the strained relations between Hinduism, Islam and Christianity in India, and that most of the things that happened at sea were hallucinations.

 

[Pamela Jo]

An agent or writing coach is liable to tell you 3k words for a chapter is too long to hold a contemporary reader's attention. A lot of people just read a chapter before bed. So it really depends on what kind of reader you are writing for. You're likely to be whittling that down to 2k anyway just when you start editing. Making chapters shorter speeds up the action and readers do want that I think. Otherwise it's like inviting them over to a party and showing them slides of all your vacation trips. The main rule is just don't bore the pants off your reader. They paid to be there.

 

[Dorm Ant]

I work on the basis that people are reading before bed or on their way to work by bus or train, so they want a chapter that they can read in half an hour or less, without skimming.

 

[Julie]

Hi @M. Dupré There's no one right way to write; one can get bogged down in trying to 'do it the right way,' and this can stifle creativity.

However, in terms of the whole book, it is a good idea to know where and how you want the story to end; sometimes it's quite powerful to have written the final closing sentences. It means you have an end-goal and something to 'write up to.' I ask myself, what do I want the reader to feel? How has my character changed? What is my parting shot; is everything tied up? Do I want the reader to ponder? Am I ending on a cliff hanger in prep for a follow on novel? It's not set, but it does give me a way of designing the novel. I find it easier to brushstroke in story elements that come before that. I usually do this with KEY scenes - the ones that are absolutely needed for the story to hold up and make sense.

Then, I begin working around them. What do I want each scene to achieve: character development? Plot point? World-building? Conflict will drive a story, so am I putting those in? Am I hooking the reader? In early drafts, a scene is as long as it wants to be. As I start to tighten, I'll trim and try and streamline it to include only what's relevant (easier said than done!).

In early drafts, my chapters are set rather arbitrarily. With more or a YA audience in mind, I try not to go over 2k chapters. Later, after the rewrites, I may switch scenes or chapters around, and that's when I start focusing on which scenes serve which chapters best. Sometimes, this means a chapter may be very short or quite long.

When I had an 'out-of-control' behemoth of a novel, I found Roz Morris' Nail Your Novel: Why Writers abandon books and how you can draft, fix and finish with confidence, very useful. If you are in early stages of writing a novel, Morris has a nice 'walk through' way of approaching writing. Hope this helps.

 

[Hannah F]

When you've finished your novel (first draft), put it aside for a couple of months or longer (enough time to feel like the reader rather than the writer). Read it as you would read any other book. If chapters don't say enough or chapters are too long, that's when you'll find out. When you are writing your first draft, you are too close to the words to make that kind of judgement.