Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 523 Location: Upstate New York
Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:54 pm
Some authors write long chapters, while others write short chapters. I don't think there is any set word length. _________________ "I'm going to do what the warriors of old did. I'm going to recite poetry!"
Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Posts: 203 Location: Vancouver, Canada
Breaks within chapters
Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:33 am
I, too, find it ridiculous to impose specific lengths on chapters. I assume a chapter is a unit of a book which covers one specific piece of action, perhaps within one specific time period. So some will be long, some short.
However....
You might keep in mind that, just like in film editing, a series of short chapters tends to pick up the pace, and a long chapter tends to slow it down. Sometimes writers feel that a specific action is taking too long a stretch of time, and they find a point to break it, to make two chapters. If done properly, this gives the reader a rest without losing his attention.
With the supposed short attention span of TV-raised readers, perhaps shorter chapters would be more effective, especially for younger (under 30?) readers.
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