Katrilop asks: How many words should there actually be in a chapter? Or what is the average of words that should be in one. Lately I have been reading quite a lot of books, and have found that some chapters are really long, while in other books they are really short, so I have come to the question, how many words should you have in a chapter?
This is a fair question, and there's no one answer that is correct for everyone. Some people like long chapters (more than 5000 words), and that's okay. Others prefer short chapters (like me) (under 3000 words), and that's okay too. Some books mix both long and short chapters. I've even seen some professional authors publish chapters consisting of just one sentence! It conveyed a point, and it worked for those books.
The real question is where to end the chapter. Each chapter should have a goal, and once you reach that goal, you can start a new chapter. Some examples of chapter goals:
- A scene connecting two other important scenes
- A resting period between action scenes
- Main character discovers where the treasure is hidden
- Villain is almost caught, but gets away
- An important piece of a character's past is revealed
- A turning point in a large scene
- A plot twist is revealed <--This is a good one! When you reveal a plot twist (for example, the character you thought was a vampire is actually a werewolf!) ending the chapter right there gives the reader a nice pause to marvel over it and think about it.
This is another reason why reading other books is an important part of your writing education. You start to get a sense of where chapters should break. In books that don't do this well, you get a sense of what doesn't work, and you can avoid that.
Just remember that chapter length is completely arbitrary. It's a personal preference, and the only right answer is what feels right to you.
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How to Write Stories People Will Love
Non-FictionIf you're a writer struggling to improve your craft, this book can help. It breaks down the basics of a good story and good writing. It'll also provide a few tips on how to stay motivated. There's no magical formula for instantly likable stories, bu...
