Chapter length?

[RileyMarino]

The question of 'how long should a chapter be' is asked from time to time on the author's forums, but I wanted to post it here.

How long is too long? How short is too short? What would you like to see?

For a gauge, a page in a typical novel is 250 words, so 1k is 4 pages, 2k is 8, etc. For a far-less accurate comparison, 2k words requires me to scroll approximately 5 screen lengths when viewing in web-novel format, but it's a pretty crude measure as it's obviously influenced by font size, zoom levels, monitor orientation, and whether I'm wearing my glasses (I usually don't).

The typical answer is 'about 2.5k words', but IME, most novels actually use 3-4k as their benchmark.

What's your view?

 

[TASTYLEADPAINT]

I would say it's less about how much you write and more about consistency.

If you write around 800 words but post daily that's fine if you are the sort that writes maybe 20k words and posts once a month that's also alright.

Write within your limits personally 3k a week works for me because I have a full time job and I have to edit by myself.

 

[RileyMarino]

I would say it's less about how much you write and more about consistency.

If you write around 800 words but post daily that's fine if you are the sort that writes maybe 20k words and posts once a month that's also alright.

Write within your limits personally 3k a week works for me because I have a full time job and I have to edit by myself.

Consistency is important from the writer's perspective, I agree. But I'm really asking this from the reader's perspective.

My current story, for example, has a 2k average chapter length, releasing 5/week. The sequel, which I'm in the process of writing, seemed to flow better with 3-4k chapter lengths, but I recently went through it and reduced them down to 2k, splitting up the chapters. When (if) I ever get around to putting it up on Amazon, I'll probably put it back to 3k chapter lengths, as I think that's better for a book (vs a web-book). This is all conjecture, though, and hence why I asked - keen to see if others care one way or the other.

 

[Corty]

My experience I find that chapters between 2k & 3k work best to keep readers and make them come back.

 

[TASTYLEADPAINT]

Consistency is important from the writer's perspective, I agree. But I'm really asking this from the reader's perspective.

My current story, for example, has a 2k average chapter length, releasing 5/week. The sequel, which I'm in the process of writing, seemed to flow better with 3-4k chapter lengths, but I recently went through it and reduced them down to 2k, splitting up the chapters. When (if) I ever get around to putting it up on Amazon, I'll probably put it back to 3k chapter lengths, as I think that's better for a book (vs a web-book). This is all conjecture, though, and hence why I asked - keen to see if others care one way or the other.

From my pov 2 to 3k chapters are very nice to read. Enough happens in them that you don't feel like you're being drip fed a story but aren't to big that you feel intimidated.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I tend to write outside the "good" range - either too short, or too long.

I find as a reader, online I prefer less than 2000 words, but in print I prefer longer, 3-4k chapters... Though I started reading Chandler's "The Big Sleep" (there are a lot of plot holes in the movie caused by the Hayes Code that the book sorts out beautifully) earlier this year, and was shocked at how short the chapters were yet how well it flowed.

 

[BLIGHT_ZERO]

hahah. I max out at 1.5k

 

[Anonjohn20]

One thing I've noticed since webnovels appeared is that there is a push to make all chapters similar in length (due to the fact that authors post 1 chapter at a time). In the past, if one chapter needed to be 2 pages and the next chapter needed to be 16-20 pages, then so be it. It just wasn't a problem when people would publish the book all at once. Fortunately, there is a solution; if you feel that your chapter is too short, then you can release two chapters that day.

 

[Puji-Maki]

I write everyday so I only write 1k words per chapter so I won't burn out. So far, I'm receiving quite good reception in my novels in different platforms despite having 1k words per chapter.

 

[Heartmint]

The ideal length for me is 1.5k-2k. one of the reason I read Webnovel is I often don't have time to read in my schedule, with only 5-10 minutes downtime. Webnovel is perfect because I can read a chapter in that little break that I have. Too long and I will come back confused and re-read the whole chapter

 

[MarekSusicky]

As a reader in "read as you go" I prefer average 2k, can tolerate a few chapters with more or less, but up to 3k if its only sometimes. If I read the novel in one go, it doesn't matter, 'cause... I read it in one go :)

So I always tried to fit into that frame as an author, but only as a guideline, not hard rule :)

 

[SternenklarenRitter]

I prefer to read chapters that are 4k-5k words in length. Less than 2000 words is way too short.

 

[yinjenxie]

As an author, it depends on how much content is shown in each chapter without disrupting the flow of the current chapter in a weird way.

Some chapters may be longer because new knowledge is introduced for the reader, and for a particular character to understand. It may also involve introducing a new character, a mix of showing and describing their characteristics as they join the story. Maybe it is also a chapter where the characters arrive in a new place, where the chapter describes their surroundings so that the reader can visualize the place.

Some chapters might seem short due to the nature of a chapter's content, maybe a flashback or a chapter with small events happening here and there.