| A Time when Size Really Matters | | | | room. One is to add an extra line space after the |
| "When is this chapter ever going to end?" This is | | | | paragraph and the beginning of the next (three |
| a common rebuke heard by many a weary soul. | | | | spaces instead of two in a raw draft) to indicate |
| The quality of the story may not have diminished, | | | | a shift in the scene that, though evident, is not so |
| but the chapter is not consistent in length with the | | | | great that a new chapter is desirable. Simply, the |
| rest of the book. And the reader is | | | | whole is still within the theme of that chapter. The |
| uncomfortable. No time was allowed for the | | | | other device is to use dots between a line break |
| person to relax with the words. | | | | . . .to indicate a shift in the direction of the scene |
| Consistency with Chapter Length is Important | | | | that is substantial, but still not such that a new |
| Harry Crews, whose writing is far-removed from | | | | chapter is deemed appropriate. Some publishers |
| the mainstream, dissected Graham Greene novels | | | | use elaborate symbols to accomplish the same |
| related to how many chapters they contained and | | | | thing. |
| the length of each. Crews had a number of | | | | Prudent Reasons for Section Breaks |
| reasons for doing this, and it can be suggested | | | | It must be kept in mind that section breaks must |
| that a writer should look at his/her own work as | | | | have a distinct function--such as denoting a |
| Crews parsed Greene's to create visual continuity | | | | passage of time, a change of setting, or a |
| that can translate to pacing and pitch. | | | | point-of-view shift--to indicate a transition point |
| Genre as an Influence | | | | that would otherwise confuse the reader by its |
| However, when reviewing chapter length, a | | | | absence. But just as section breaks enable the |
| number of issues must be considered, | | | | reader to take a deep breath, too many of these |
| none-the-least of which is genre. A writer of | | | | breaks, or if they are ill-placed, can confuse the |
| literature, such as Pat Conroy, will have different | | | | reader as to why the change of direction was |
| chapter parameters from a mystery author like | | | | necessary. The story will appear choppy and |
| James Patterson, with the separate and distinctive | | | | therefore a poor read. |
| narrative nature of the disparate stories | | | | The Ultimate Test for a New Chapter |
| influencing chapter length. | | | | If you feel a chapter is too long or bloated, a |
| Clever Techniques that Provide the Perception of | | | | good test is to look closely at the point at which |
| a Shorter Chapter | | | | you are contemplating a section break. Apply a |
| If a writer finds a chapter, for whatever reason, | | | | simple concept: If you were getting tired of |
| too long, there are techniques that can be used | | | | reading the chapter, wouldn't the reader likely be |
| to shorten the perception of a chapter's length | | | | feeling the same way? |
| and provide the reader with some breathing | | | | |