Not much time to write out a full post today, so here's just an easy question for all your writers out there: what are you average chapter lengths? Do you go by word count or by pages? Do you put more than one scene in a chapter or is every scene its own chapter? (Okay, so it's a few questions ;) )
As for me, my chapters are anywhere between 8k and even 20k. Completely depends on what's going on. My average is probably 10-12k. These usually are comprised of 3-5 scenes.
I am well aware I am pretty much in a minority =P
I've always loved the sense of progression when reading books with short chapters. This is why I always try and keep my chapters around 2,500 words. This usually covers just one scene, although those scenes sometimes flow seamlessly between one another. The longest chapter I've ever written was about 8,000 words long. So I ended up splitting it into three seamless chapters.
ReplyDeleteI prefer short chapters too and mine tend to end anywhere between 1500-2500 depending on the scene.
ReplyDeleteMy chapters are usually 2500-3000 words.
ReplyDeleteMine vary, depending on what's going on and where it is in the book. The last chapters should be fairly short, because this is the climax.
ReplyDeleteUsually 4,500-6,500. The first several at the start of the novel seem to be longer though, 8-12k.
ReplyDeleteDepending on the story, they can range from 900 to 6800. However, my norm over the last several stories has been between the 2500-3000 range.
ReplyDeleteFor my first book, I didn't really stick to a set page count. My current project, I've tried to keep the chapters between 8 - 9 pages to be consistent. I like it that way because it helps me to hone in the chapter and not go to overboard--keeps it consise and to the point.
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