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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/5503-Chapter-Length--an-Opportunity.html
Fantasy: February 05, 2013 Issue [#5503]

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Fantasy


 This week: Chapter Length & an Opportunity
  Edited by: Satuawany Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

Chapter length is arbitrary, unless you're submitting to a publication that has its own guidelines.

Also, have you ever wanted to write a "Letter from the Editor" article for an official newsletter?

Welcome to the newsletter edition with the split personality. *Cool*



Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor

I’ve gotten a lot of unsolicited advice over the years about chapter length. I’ve gotten a lot of solicited advice about it, as well. The only advice I’ve ever gotten that set specific word counts was sketchy on the origin of the information.

I concede that it’s possible there are publications out there that request novel and novella submissions have chapters of a certain length. I have never seen the submission guidelines page of any such publication. Then again, I certainly haven’t seen every submission guidelines page.

If you know of a publication that requests a specific word count for the chapters of submitted novels and novellas, please let me know. I’m not against doing a follow-up on this and, as I said, I’ve managed to miss them.

Now, the advice you get about chapter length from published authors is, if I may paraphrase, “Who cares?”

The novels in Orson Scott Card’s Ender series regularly contain chapters that take up great chunks of his books. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley, doesn’t even have any chapters. Speculative fiction written for young adults tends to have short chapters.

But these are all tendencies, and they fit the voice and style of their books. If a book is well-paced with scene breaks that end and begin in tantalizing ways, you don’t even need chapters.

The only time chapter length really becomes an issue is on sites like Writing.com, where you read in an electronic format and have no convenient way to keep your place when you have to stop reading mid-chapter. That’s why a recommendation of “2,500 words per chapter” isn’t a bad one, if you’re only out to make your novel “convenient” for Writing.com readers.

Before you go out trying to encourage everyone to conform to that, try this suggestion the next time you have to stop reading mid-chapter:

1.) If the book item is not already in your favorites, add it to your favorites by clicking on the “+” sign at the upper right-hand corner of the item. (The “+” sign is between the printer icon and an envelope icon.)

2.) On a piece of paper (or in “My Notepad,” if that service is available with your account---or even in any word-processing program file, if that’s convenient for you), jot down which chapter you’re on. Next to that, write the first three or four words of the next line you intend to read when you come back to the story.

When it’s time to continue reading, follow these steps:

1.) Go to your “My Favorites” page and click on the book item.

2.) Go to the chapter you jotted down in your note earlier.

3.) On your keyboard, press the “Ctrl” key and keep it held down while you press the “F” key. A “Find” box should appear. With the browsers I’ve tried, it appears as an extra line at the top of the webpage. In the prompt box next to “Find:” type in the three or fours words you noted next to the chapter number when you stopped reading. If typing it doesn’t automatically take you to that place in the text, hit “enter” and that should do it.

It might sound a little complicated here, but once you get into the habit, it makes coming back to longer items much more convenient.

Now, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a writer deciding they want to aim for chapters of a certain length. Like with everything else to do with writing, you have to find what works for you. I'm talking to the writers who've lost the will to go on writing because they're so wrapped up in trying to make their chapters a certain length: let it go. Just forget about trying to do things the way you think you're supposed to be doing them and write the story. More often than not, you'll start to get a little mental "ding" in your head as you write that lets you know when to end a chapter.

And if you don't, well, then you're lucky to be on a peer-review site, no? *Wink*



Before you go, please check out this extra note from your editor:

Back when I was a Preferred Author with my bright yellow case, I had a lot of ideas for articles I’d write if only I could write them for an official site newsletter, like this one. It’s been such a pleasure to be able to share those in this format over the past year-and-a-half.

But I always promised myself there was one thing I would do if I ever became a moderator. It was a two-parter:

1.) I’d try for a position as one of the regular official Fantasy Newsletter editors.

2.) Once I had the hang of it, I’d offer Gray, Black, and Yellow cases the opportunity to write articles for said newsletter.

Well, I’m never going to have the hang of it, but I have been doing it long enough to delude myself into believing I have the best handle on it I can. So now I’m ready to offer an opportunity I never got.

Some of the best articles I’ve seen on this site weren’t in the official newsletters, but were static items or book entries or sent out in a group email as an unofficial-newsletter article. And the reason they had to be in those formats was because their authors were Registered Authors or Preferred Authors. (I’ve never seen such an article from a Registered User, but I’m leaving this open to you cases, as well.)

I’d love to see that kind of work here in the “official” setting.

I urge Registered Users, Registered Authors, and Preferred Authors to check out the following item. Please read it carefully.

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I am still fully responsible for this monthly newsletter slot, which is why there are so many guidelines in that item, as well as a note about how not all submissions will be accepted.

I still enjoy writing for this newsletter, and will continue doing so. I just want to give others a chance at it as well.


Happy reading and happy writing.



.


Editor's Picks

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                             by Lorien Author IconMail Icon

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                             by Arwee Author IconMail Icon

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Word from Writing.Com

Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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Ask & Answer

Feedback on my previous newsletter, "Dream SequencesOpen in new Window.:


Voodoo Shampoo Author Icon writes:

I feel you discredit dream sequence too much.

Unfortunately for your likes and dislike, prophecy dreams do occur same as deja-vus.

The movie Sucker Punch was mainly about the day dream sequences and without it, it would be nothing. And theres the charm in it, it didn't even have to be some dollies to make the movie good, it could have just as well be some guys doing those stunts.

Thanks for writing in! The whole point of the article is that I discredit them too much, but that by listening to readers who dislike accepted storytelling devices, you can improve those devices. That is to say, you broaden your audience. Not that you're "supposed to" do that, if it's not in your goals, but that "here're some possible things to avoid" if broadening your audience is your goal.

There are plenty of stories in all formats that depend on dream sequences, and more than one that is nothing but a dream sequence (or, at least, that's what's hinted at as a possible interpretation, like in the iconic The Wizard of Oz.) I don't discredit all of them. And I love The Wizard of Oz.


Kisha Author Icon writes:

I can't believe it's taken me this long to realised this kind of help is on this site. Okay, I've been on the site less that a week (I think?). I will keep this in my favorites and keep checking it out.
Wait, you don't like dreams . . . nightmares . . . I need to edit some of the detail out of mine, maybe?

It's more about being aware of what some non-fans of dream sequences find they dislike about them. Like I said in the newsletter, I'm not on any kind of mission to rid the world of dream sequences. *Wink* And I'm glad you're finding this kind of help! If you want to get this and other newsletters in your email when they come out, you can sign up to receive them by visiting your account page. Access that by clicking on your username in left-hand column of any WdC page, at the very top. From your account page, click on the "Options" tab (at the top). The first option there is "Manage Newsletter Subscriptions." Click on that, and it takes you to a page where you can sign up for any official newsletter(s) you like. If you'd like to know more about what you're getting into, you can check out the newsletter archives here: "The Writing.Com Newsletter ArchivesOpen in new Window.

If any of that is confusing, or you need more help with it, feel free to email me by clicking on the envelope that follows my handle: Satuawany Author IconMail Icon

That goes for anyone else reading this as well. *Wink* Thanks for reading, and for writing in. I hope the site continues to help you on your journey!


jim1184 Author Icon writes:

Geat topic and news letter. I agree with your points. However I do like a good dream once in a while if it serves a purpose. My favorite is the prolouge to A Storm upon Ulster,by Kenneth Flint. This is a retelling of the Tain. The dream is part of the action call for the hero. The dreams described in mythology often held real power. Thanks for the letter. Jim

Thanks for writing in, Jim! There are dream sequences I enjoy, such as those in the novels I quoted in my newsletter, Illusions by Richard Bach and Sunshine by Robin McKinley. I'm not familiar with Kenneth Flint's work, but thanks for the information! I'll have to check it out when I get a chance.


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