Chapter Length.

[anthorn]

Does anyone here worry about their chapter length?

I do though at the moment i've only written one. I only ever seem to write chapters between 4 and 9 pages in length on an A4 Tesco writing pad.

And question two. If i write this size on A4 handwritten on a tesco writing pad. THIS SIZE. roughly. Will it be longer than 4 pages when it comes to formatting on a pc. and being published?

[Lith]

Don't worry too much about it. Practice will tell you where chapter breaks should be. Just don't make them a paragraph or two.

[Green]

I think if you write that size, four sheets of A4 will be very little typed up. I think the average word count per page (depending on font and format yadda yadda) is around 250 ish.

Chapters can be any length you want them to be, there's no convention. Have a look at all your favourite authors and you'll probably see a big range, from less than a page to fifty pages (or more?). I think Lith hit the nail - make sure your chapter breaks fall naturally. I'm reading the Lies of Locke Lamora atm and to me it doesn't feel like Scott Lynch has mastered that one yet. Even the scene breaks are often bizarelly chosen.

The only thing I worry about in my own writing is consistency - my chapters are usually 7k to 10k long, so if I write one that's way out of this range (either end) it usually means I've not planned or paced it properly.

[Mad Tam McC]

I like to make mine at least 2,000 words. I'm not sure how that translates into your page sizes.

But don't worry, if they're 500 words long then so be it.

Terry Pratchett doesn't even bother with them.

[Cyricus]

I think mine are too long, but there will be only 15-20 chapters in my novel.

[Sapheron]

I go for somewhere between two and five thousand. Looking at the replies so far, I think it's already obvious how varied people make their chapters. Basically, you have to put them where they look right, not at a certain word count. I mean, mine aren't there because I get to a point and think 'that's enough words', it's because I get to somewhere in that range by the time I think 'scene's over'.

For the size thing; handwritten at that size it'll condense hugely on a computer. I mean really hugely. Not sure exactly how much, but a lot.

[Cyricus]

Prologue ~ 8478 words
But chapters are often longer, for example the 7th chapter "weights" 18639 words. :|
edit ~ I'm talking about my own chapter(s).

[anthorn]

I know that chapters are varied. But the problem for me is. I don't want a short book.

I think my problem is also, i tend to either put too much information or too little, and sometimes i can forget to be descriptive

[Cyricus]

Writing any of your chapters is not one_day/hour_work. Only first 'shape' that has to be faceted (like the adamant). Feel free to take your time, to gather inspiration and condition for writing. You should advance forward, but also go back to the old and previous chapter(s). Maybe after the 3rd of 4th editing of one of your chapters, it will be perfect for you - not too much, not too little information, nor the bad balance between descriptions and dialogs.

I don't want a short book neither. Both, we are not in trouble. For I should continue making my long chapters, but the quantity should be 'untensioned'. In your case, you can have shorter chapters, but many of them. For example, G. G. Kay has long chapters, but only pack of them (in numbers). G. R. R. Martin has shorter ones, and dozens of chapters in his ASoIaF saga.

I don't know how can I know how much is, for example, 10000 words in pages. What is the criteria? Is there any criteria? I have only experience in writing, but not in apparel or publishing.

[SpaceShip]

Mine are as long as a piece of string! Some chapters can be 12 pages and some just half a page - it depends on what needs to happen in that chapter. I mean, it's not a pantomime where one has to change the set every so often - the "set" is in the imagination.

[Sapheron]

Originally Posted by Cyricus

I don't know how can I know how much is, for example, 10000 words in pages. What is the criteria? Is there any criteria? I have only experience in writing, but not in apparel or publishing.

From what I understand you're saying, I think you're looking for a word counter. Most word processors have one.

[Cyricus]

Nope, I'm counting my words with word counter in Microsoft Word.
But I would like to know how many pages it will be for dimensions of, for example, Harper Collins books. As I said, I'm writing my stuff in Microsoft Word, Times New Roman, font size: 12pt, (but line spacing is 1.5). And the quantity of my pages variates from 19 to 42. I'd like to compare the amount of the word on one my page with, I don't know, the page in some of Harper Collins' books'. Are my pages longer than Harper Collins', Bantam's, Tor's, Voyager's are or... hehe.

Sorry because of my English.

[Green]

Do you have a copy of a Harper Collins book with you?

Just count how many words are on an average page. There's your answer.

[Cyricus]

I have only Guy Gavriel Kay & Robin Hobb from Voyager here at the moment. But I think I should c/p text from it's page, and compare with my one_page_text. I'll, when I have more time. I don't know how much I should drag/move margins in Microsoft Word. I guess, I'll find my answer and share it with you.

[power to the J]

Originally Posted by Cyricus

Nope, I'm counting my words with word counter in Microsoft Word.
But I would like to know how many pages it will be for dimensions of, for example, Harper Collins books. As I said, I'm writing my stuff in Microsoft Word, Times New Roman, font size: 12pt, (but line spacing is 1.5). And the quantity of my pages variates from 19 to 42. I'd like to compare the amount of the word on one my page with, I don't know, the page in some of Harper Collins' books'. Are my pages longer than Harper Collins', Bantam's, Tor's, Voyager's are or... hehe.

Sorry because of my English.

Why do you want to know this? It doesn't really matter much at all. You just have to send it out to agents/publishers in the proper m/s format and let them worry about that. Why do you want it to look like a published book? I think copying it is a waste of time, but if you really want to you can, I'm just saying that I don't think that it's worth your time. Just write, put it in Courier New size 12, double spaced, unjustified margins and send it out.