Afternoon all.
Should chapters be around the same length throughout the book and how long should they be for a young adult fiction?
Cheers Emms
Afternoon all.
Should chapters be around the same length throughout the book and how long should they be for a young adult fiction?
Cheers Emms
Just adding to that, i once heard an agent say that if a chapter is going to be short, there has to be a good resson for it. That might just be personal preference though!
Chapters should advance the plot, storyline and the protagonist’s growth throughout the novel. Every chapter should contain a dramatic landmark, a vital issue that needs to be resolved later in the novel. These events cause the protagonist to adapt to his/her rapidly changing circumstances as he/she strives to achieve their aims.
You would struggle to find chapters of more than twelve pages in most contemporary novels. Short chapters of five or six pages are common. Chapters can be as short as three, four pages in length, but it’s not advisable for them to be less than three pages.
However chapters of half a page or a page can be used to great effect. For example, to draw the readers’ attention to a vital part of the storyline and plot that involves the protagonist.
It is not necessary for chapters to be uniform in length.
Chapters should have broad themes, yet be strong as a unit.
A chapter should link with the preceding and following chapter.
Chapters should have a dramatic opening. A landmark signpost and end with a cliff-hanger or a hook.
Each chapter should be a water-tight, self-contained episode.
I hope that helps.
Good luck.