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  1. Taina

    Taina Member

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    Chapters

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by Taina, Sep 1, 2017.

    I'm writing my first novel and so far I've got about eight scenes divided into two chapters (to which I've given titles) but I'm growing increasingly concerned that the division and the titles are wrong and that this issue is going to hinder my writing. So my question is: how do you decide when a chapter begins and when it ends? Do you start writing scenes and then group them into a chapter or do you start with the central idea for a chapter and then divide it into scenes?
     
  2. Megs33

    Megs33 Active Member

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    imo, i don't think you should be looking at chapters at all yet. chapters are going to box you in too early in the process. i have all my scenes laid out, but i know they could move around at any moment, so there's no sense in trying to force order on them yet.

    once your story possesses a solid foundation that you are happy with, then you can start divvying up the content in to chapters. otherwise, just go with the story and don't think about where it will sit in the book as a whole.
     
  3. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    Short answer: a chapter break is basically a signal to the reader that a scene/thought/vibe/sentiment is over for now and we're moving on. Common things that indicate this could be a change in scene, a POV switch, or a gap in time.

    Agree with @Megs33 that chapter length or delineation is the last thing you should be worried about it. Not a first draft problem.
     
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  4. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    They both have very valid points.

    For me, I abandoned the set norm with my WIP and
    just have time/space markers between 3 MCs. Though
    you might not want to do that unless you are writing in
    1st POV multiple MCs.
    So yeah listen to @Megs33 and @Homer Potvin on this one. :superagree:
     
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  5. OurJud

    OurJud Contributor Contributor

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    The typical, somewhat cliched method was to end a chapter on a cliff-hanger, but forget that for now and go with @Megs33 and @Homer Potvin
     
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  6. Walking Dog

    Walking Dog Active Member

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    Story transitions are the logical places to end one chapter and start another. Take for example the fight between Mayweather and McGregor. One chapter would be a press conference with the two fighters posturing and tough-talking, ending with the official weigh-in. The next chapter would be Mayweather and his trainers in the gym working on a strategy. The next chapter would be McGregor training. The next chapter is fight day. The next chapter is the day after, either Mayweather in celebration, or McGregor in defeat. Look for natural breaks in the story. I'm not saying you can't do this, but I wouldn't create separate chapters during the fight, even if the fight stretched into a hundred pages. But I might follow, or precede a long chapter with a couple of short chapters to sort of mix it up and balance things out.
     
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  7. Medazza

    Medazza Active Member

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    So far I've got approx 5/6 main things that are ongoing (which all either resolve or come together at the end) so I've inadvertently ended up with a natural pace whereby each chapter checks in with each bit of the story even if briefly.
    Each chapter also contains a few snippets from news reports or other comments so it is starting to find a rhythm of sorts. It's actually helping me speed up writing because I know where I need to go next (they aren't all in a repetitive order tho) so I means no part of the story gets left behind.
    As I'm using Scrivener each part gets its own text box, some have been left with little more than a sentence or two but I know I need to go back and finish them
     
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  8. Nightwraith17

    Nightwraith17 Member

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    I don't write the first couple of drafts in chapters, either. Just one enormous chunk of writing, no breaks. If I think a place would make a good chapter break, I mark it on the side and keep going.
     
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  9. Taina

    Taina Member

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    These posts make perfect sense, I am completely getting ahead of myself. For me there's so much anxiety involved in creating something out of nothing that I had to start boxing things as soon as possible.
     
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  10. bananafish

    bananafish Member

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    There's no need to be nervous! As long as you're writing...you're doing so much more than people who just "want" to write.
    I've been writing since March 2006 and I'm still learning.
    It will take a lot of experimentation. You'll get the hang of it and discover what works for you. Sometimes, I find my technique has to change with each individual story I write. And remember there's no right or wrong way to write. It's different for everyone.
    Best of luck!
     
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