this moment when you haven't even finished the estimated half of your book and are already worried that you won't be able to fit the entire plot into the planned number of chapters.
"Blazing Past" is supposed to be 45 chapters long, but I'm seriously beginning to think that it won't be enough. I had the same problem with "Lake of Visions". Initially, I wanted every book in the series to have 30 chapters. Not more, not less. But then I had no other choice but to extend the second book by 10 chapters. ( I̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶u̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶a̶d̶d̶ ̶1̶5̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶.)
And now there might be a chance that "Blazing Past" is going to have 50 chapters.
I MEAN WHAT IS THAT‽ Why tf can't I plan a book properly so that the whole plot fits neatly into the number of chapters envisaged‽ What comes next? That volume no. 4 will have 60 chapters‽‽‽‽‽ If that went on like this, the final book would've 80(!!!) chapters. WHO WANTS TO READ A BOOK WITH 80 CHAPTERS?
ᴵ ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ⁿᵒ ᵖʳᵒᵇˡᵉᵐ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵃˢ ᴵ ᵒⁿᶜᵉ ᵉᵛᵉⁿ ʳᵉᵃᵈ ᵃⁿ ᶠᶠ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵒᵛᵉʳ ¹⁰⁰ ᶜʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳˢ
Anyway, in a few weeks or months we'll see if it's going to be 45 or 50 chapters. Although... 50 chapters are a bit crazy. I don't think the original books (excluding super editions) were that long.
How does that work for you? Do you always set yourself a certain number of chapters and try to squeeze the whole plot into them, whatever the cost, or do you not worry about it and just write and finish the book at a suitable point (especially when it comes to series)?
