Long vs. short chapters

[RJA]

I was wondering how you guys write. I've got quite some trouble with ordering scenes and chapters. Sometimes I've got them after 2/3k of writing and other moments I'll just keep writing for ever and ever.

How much do you mostly put in chapters. And how much do you plan them with plotting?

[Agent Double Oh Zero]

Chapter length...varies. I've mentioned that I've never finished anything I write, and for anything I start, I never get past the first draft. At that stage, though, I don't even think in chapters. I just think in terms of large chunks, like 'the bit where A finds B and people start dying,' and 'the bit where C betrays B and A starts suspecting that the strange man is possibly insane,' and stuff. I generally go by '300 words per page' and 'if a chapter is more than 20 pages, i.e. 6000 words, it's probably too long.' I do tend to be long-winded, though, so even single scenes tend to wind toward 4k or more. Yet, I've had scenes that were as short as 500k.

I wouldn't worry too much about that at this stage. As for plotting, I'm putting my chunks on a timeline, with a list of characters going down the y axis, and time going down the x axis. Then I can see where there are time gaps, and where things slow down, and where there is too much happening. That is, that's my intention. I am still mind mapping. :-D It's easier to see it all visually laid out, though, when I have my whole novel on one screen...even if I have to scroll a million miles horizontally. =P

[lionhuntermo]

Mine are actually usually pretty short. Except for this one, because the scene doesn't break forEVER... ><

EDIT: Strike that. It just took a totally random turn and she started crying too soon so I could break it into its own chapter. It's still my longest, though, at nearly 3k.

[Amy P. Reed]

Personally, when I read a book, I prefer chapters that are short to medium length. If the chapters are too long, I might just give up and stop reading the book. I want to be able to end a chapter before turning out my light to go to sleep.

I hope this helped some.

[RJA]

So what is short to medium long?

I don't prefer long chapters to read eather. Same reason; when lying in bed. But how many words is a short to medium long chapter actually

[Agent Double Oh Zero]

I would put a 'long' chapter at 20 pages or more, which is approximately 6000 words. Short ones would be anywhere from a page to ten pages, up to 3000 words. Medium ones, I guess, would be 10-20 pages. That's just my estimate, though. It really depends on the book.

I guess I'm going to have to piss off some bedtime readers. XD My chapters are always ridiculously long! =P

[Amy P. Reed]

To me 20 pages and up is much too long for a chapter. Medium length would probably be around 10-15 pages give or take, and short would be anything under ten pages.

I hope this helped.

[sandi]

The issue I have with 'pages' is that with all the various programs and book sizes, what constitutes a page?

A page in MS Word? In what resolution? The amount of words I get on a page at my 1280 x 1024 is not the same as I get when I'm at 800 x 600. A page in a paperback book? A hardback book? How can I tell how much is a paperback page if I'm using MS Word (I actually use OpenOffice, but you get the idea)?

This is not a sarcastic or smartass question, it's genuine and sincere.

[Amy P. Reed]

Sandi, that's not an easy question to answer, but after thinking it over, I would probably go with the page count that OpenOffice has for it. Also, you could read over your chapter(s) and if they seem to be overly long, then you might need to find a place to do a chapter break. Hopefully at a cliff-hanger moment. LOL Those are always good.

I don't know if this has helped or not, but I did my best on it. LOL Good luck, and be sure to let us know how it's going.

[Agent Double Oh Zero]

Yeah, 20 pages is a very long chapter. Those numbers I put down were just approximate. I tend to use it as an upper limit rather than a goal. Btw, I was referring to 20 novel pages. The number would be lower for a Word doc.

Approximate page guide:
250-300 words = 1 page in a bound book
500 words = 1 page in a Word document (@ 12 pt Times New Roman single spaced)

My chapters are naturally long, so I usually try for 10-15 pages (3k - 4.5k words), 20 pages (6k words) tops. That's unedited, though. You can always just write them and split them, if necessary.