You shouldn’t worry about having too many chapters, because during the editing process, you may decide to cut chunks of text and blend ideas in existing chapters.
Please remember that a chapter should have one broad theme with one main event that stands apart from other scenes, otherwise, the main-event may be submerged amongst other details, which will lessen its impact.
In order to ensure that all the good information in a novel stands out, there will be a need at times, to have short chapters. These can be from half, and, or between 3 - 5 pages.
Hi Lorraine, you've definitely given me lots to think about which is great, going to enjoy deciding on all the advice and tips you've given me. Thanks a million :)
Chapters serve the purpose of breaking up the story and switching POV or scene, amongst other things. I have 20 in my novel, and within each chapter I have four or five scenes, separated by line spaces. That worked for me, because it's a long book, and I use multiple POVs.
There's no reason why a book should have chapters, but it's down to the construction of the story. If you had, for example, a plot that takes place entirely within a short time period - eight hours, say - you could do the whole thing with only scene breaks. Your book could be narrated by one person going over the events of a day or night, which would work without chapters.
The reader, however, likes to have a point to aim for before closing the book for the night, and in that case some kind of textual break is important. This matters particularly in e-books, where the pages simply roll on one after another.
If your book works without, and if you can convince an editor or agent that it does, then why not do it however you like? It could become a part of the story, like an extra subliminal character.
If you are aiming for a particular publisher, though, you need to study their house rules on these things.
You shouldn’t worry about having too many chapters, because during the editing process, you may decide to cut chunks of text and blend ideas in existing chapters.
Please remember that a chapter should have one broad theme with one main event that stands apart from other scenes, otherwise, the main-event may be submerged amongst other details, which will lessen its impact.
In order to ensure that all the good information in a novel stands out, there will be a need at times, to have short chapters. These can be from half, and, or between 3 - 5 pages.
Hi Lorraine, you've definitely given me lots to think about which is great, going to enjoy deciding on all the advice and tips you've given me. Thanks a million :)
Chapters serve the purpose of breaking up the story and switching POV or scene, amongst other things. I have 20 in my novel, and within each chapter I have four or five scenes, separated by line spaces. That worked for me, because it's a long book, and I use multiple POVs.
There's no reason why a book should have chapters, but it's down to the construction of the story. If you had, for example, a plot that takes place entirely within a short time period - eight hours, say - you could do the whole thing with only scene breaks. Your book could be narrated by one person going over the events of a day or night, which would work without chapters.
The reader, however, likes to have a point to aim for before closing the book for the night, and in that case some kind of textual break is important. This matters particularly in e-books, where the pages simply roll on one after another.
If your book works without, and if you can convince an editor or agent that it does, then why not do it however you like? It could become a part of the story, like an extra subliminal character.
If you are aiming for a particular publisher, though, you need to study their house rules on these things.
Lorraine