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Inter{n}ational
HAI DER (:
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grasshopperandgrim
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Post by Inter{n}ational on Jan 8, 2011 7:23:45 GMT -8
So I'm writing a novel (my first) and I'm viewing it currently in a 6" x 9" page size, which is a standard novel page size nowadays. I have 21 pages already, a two page journal, a prologue, and two finished chapters. I'm starting chapter 3 right now.
But I'd like to ask how many chapters would be decent in a book that's anywhere from 500 to 1000 pages. I can't stand smaller books because I always want something more from them.
Anyways, if you could tell me, that'd be great. c: I'm not going to announce my idea seeing as there are a couple thousand people here, and, no offense, I don't want my story idea ripped off by any guest or someone looking for an idea to write about.
Anyways- thanks for any help. c:
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Phaelyn
Moon or quit, man.
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phaelyn
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Post by Phaelyn on Jan 8, 2011 7:29:29 GMT -8
Personally, I don't think the number of chapters matters -- it's more the placement of them. Chapters are basically the end of a scene or small event; alternatively, you can use them to build suspense or bring the story to a climax. Your best bet is to just end the chapter when you've come to a small gap in your storyline, a small thing has been completed, or literally just before your character rushes into battle (or whatever). It's really just about where it feels right, though.
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Inter{n}ational
HAI DER (:
2,727
September 2010
grasshopperandgrim
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Post by Inter{n}ational on Jan 8, 2011 7:31:52 GMT -8
Well, I guess so. xD I just don't want to have a new chapter every three or four pages. Books like that bother me because they are too jumpy. I try to put a chapter in mine every ten pages or so.
I've already theorized about seven hundred pages, which is, with my current chapter map, about 70 chapters.
Thanks for your opinion though! I'll keep that in mind. I usually change a chapter when my character is introduced in to a sudden moment, or realizes something important that the reader should pay attention to.
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Phaelyn
Moon or quit, man.
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phaelyn
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Post by Phaelyn on Jan 8, 2011 7:33:38 GMT -8
Well, yeah, every couple of pages is kinda a drag all I mean is don't say "okay, i have to get rid of some stuff so I can start the next chapter here". You'll probably also want to vary the length of your chapters -- a few small ones here and there are good for the storyline.
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Violet
Oh, bless your heart.
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watchmen2013
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Post by Violet on Jan 8, 2011 7:39:44 GMT -8
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events has thirteen books that has thirteen chapters each whereas Stephenie Meyer's Twilight has four books with a varying number of chapters but that's just the style of of their writing.
I would like to add to what Phaelyn said: a gap or completed task or the beginning of a task is indeed a good place to start/end a chapter. I've also seen writers end a chapter right before the climax of a situation. This is good, I think, if your chapters are short and your reader wouldn't mind reading one more chapter if they've just read five or more other chapters.
does that make sense?
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HAI DER (:
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grasshopperandgrim
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Post by Inter{n}ational on Jan 8, 2011 7:44:34 GMT -8
Hmm. That's a pretty good idea. Thanks guys!
xD. Violet- the second to last sentence didn't really make all that sense to me, but I think I can understand the rest of it. c:
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winter weezland
click it.
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weez
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Post by winter weezland on Jan 8, 2011 8:19:26 GMT -8
Seventy chapters is far too many, even for 700 pages.
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newworld40
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GUEST
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Post by newworld40 on Jan 8, 2011 8:26:07 GMT -8
All I have to say is, go with your gut feeling. ;)
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Andrea
wow it's been a while...
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Post by Andrea on Jan 8, 2011 8:28:27 GMT -8
Think about when you read a book. I know personally, when it's time to stop reading for whatever reason, I try to stop at the end of a chapter. Maybe keep that in mind when writing - end with a cliffhanger, end with a solution, finish at the end of a scene. While there are other ways to separate scenes within chapters (such as those ------ lines), you can also just end the chapter completely.
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Violet
Oh, bless your heart.
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Post by Violet on Jan 8, 2011 9:56:56 GMT -8
I was trying to say what Andrea said: some writers "end [some of their chapters] with cliffhanger".
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Aug 4, 2018 8:42:46 GMT -8
Inter{n}ational
HAI DER (:
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September 2010
grasshopperandgrim
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Post by Inter{n}ational on Jan 8, 2011 12:11:38 GMT -8
Seventy chapters is far too many, even for 700 pages. depends on the reader. i read books with 90, 100 + chapters. doesn't bother me at all.
then again people who don't like to read chapter books can't stand anything more than one chapter. xD
but. it's the reader who likes however many / few chapters in a book.
i hate cliff hangers. xD i finish a book and they leave off without answering every question, and then they don't make a sequel- kind of ruins the book for me. i sometimes end scenes with a double line break. then it's the next morning or so forth.
anyways.. thanks everyone c:
[/size]
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Phaelyn
Moon or quit, man.
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phaelyn
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Post by Phaelyn on Jan 8, 2011 12:18:26 GMT -8
Seventy chapters is far too many, even for 700 pages. depends on the reader. i read books with 90, 100 + chapters. doesn't bother me at all.
then again people who don't like to read chapter books can't stand anything more than one chapter. xD
but. it's the reader who likes however many / few chapters in a book.
i hate cliff hangers. xD i finish a book and they leave off without answering every question, and then they don't make a sequel- kind of ruins the book for me. i sometimes end scenes with a double line break. then it's the next morning or so forth.
anyways.. thanks everyone c:
[/size][/quote] First -- I think he means that you're breaking to a new chapter far too soon, not that your book's too long. I sort of agree that 1 chapter per 10 pages is a bit...frequent? Again, personal preference. And what we're all saying about cliffhangers (this is what I was trying to get at in my earlier post -- everyone else worded it better, though) is not to end the book on a cliffhanger, but to end a chapter. For example, have you ever read the book Eldest? Literally before this giant battle starts, in the last half of the book, the chapter breaks. Same for when the antagonist is about to make a decision whether to kill the main character or not -- just before he makes his decision, the chapter breaks. I personally love when this happens -- it really builds the suspense and makes me want to keep reading the book.
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D
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dodz
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Post by D on Jan 8, 2011 12:30:12 GMT -8
There is no correct answer to this question since there are no rules governing literature. Write it however you want.
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Aug 19, 2014 20:33:56 GMT -8
winter weezland
click it.
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February 2006
weez
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Post by winter weezland on Jan 8, 2011 12:45:19 GMT -8
Seventy chapters is far too many, even for 700 pages. depends on the reader. i read books with 90, 100 + chapters. doesn't bother me at all.
then again people who don't like to read chapter books can't stand anything more than one chapter. xD
but. it's the reader who likes however many / few chapters in a book.
i hate cliff hangers. xD i finish a book and they leave off without answering every question, and then they don't make a sequel- kind of ruins the book for me. i sometimes end scenes with a double line break. then it's the next morning or so forth.
anyways.. thanks everyone c:
[/size][/quote] I can't stand a book with that many chapters. That's one of the many reasons why I hate Dan Brown.
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TinyTitan
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tinytitan
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Post by TinyTitan on Jan 8, 2011 12:53:21 GMT -8
I've been working on a novel too, and I find myself asking the same thing. Then I think-- "Oh my god, I want a sequel! I have the perfect outline for it!" I tend to get a little ahead of myself, ahaha.
But I don't know if 70 chapters is good? Sounds like a lot, in my opinion. Try and see if you can combine any chapters. I sort of hate when there are little chapters. It makes me wonder what made that scene so special that it had its own little chapter... Ya know?
I wish you the best of luck though. I love supporting fellow aspiring writers. If you need any critiques for certain areas, PM me. I've taken AP English and a Fiction course, receiving A's in both.
-Titan
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