1. RogerDodge

    RogerDodge New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2015
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    Whitchurch Hampshire UK.

    Chapter writing

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by RogerDodge, Mar 21, 2015.

    I am on a chapter and about half way the first day ends, then it starts again the next day.
    So the next day follows on in the story but I do not wont to start a second chapter but like to tell the reader there was a break.
    Ok I will put it another way.
    The man offers the young couple a job but the job is two hours drive away so decides to go tomorrow.
    Break....
    Tomorrow comes and they all go to see the new job.
    The job is managing a new shop.
    Its the break bit.
     
  2. Catrin Lewis

    Catrin Lewis Contributor Contributor Community Volunteer Contest Winner 2023

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2014
    Messages:
    4,524
    Likes Received:
    4,856
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    No problem having separate scenes in the same chapter; just insert a line space between them. It's customary to mark it with a # sign in the manuscript so you or an editor don't inadvertently close it up.

    This is a valid question, but it would go better under General Writing. You can ask a moderator to shift it. :agreed:
     
    Andrae Smith likes this.
  3. Komposten

    Komposten Insanitary pile of rotten fruit Contributor

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2012
    Messages:
    3,016
    Likes Received:
    2,193
    Location:
    Sweden
    I'd say the same thing as Catrin. Insert an empty line with a centred hash character on it to indicate the scene break. Here's an example:
    (The hash should be centred but the forum software doesn't support that.)


    Done. ;)
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2015
  4. RogerDodge

    RogerDodge New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2015
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    Whitchurch Hampshire UK.
    It the little things that get me.
    Thanks for all your help.
    Thanks mod for moving post.
     
    Catrin Lewis likes this.
  5. A.M.P.

    A.M.P. People Buy My Books for the Bio Photo Contributor

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2013
    Messages:
    2,163
    Likes Received:
    1,374
    Location:
    A Place with no History
    #
    You just been schooled, son.

    Actually, the forum software, with copy/pasting, adds a lot of weird BBcode for no reason which can easily mess up the format of a post. You really just gotta click on the little wrench and manually change/add code so it doesn't auto-format.
     
  6. Komposten

    Komposten Insanitary pile of rotten fruit Contributor

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2012
    Messages:
    3,016
    Likes Received:
    2,193
    Location:
    Sweden
    I was looking for a centre-text button and missed the "align left"-looking drop-down... :(
     
    Catrin Lewis likes this.
  7. RogerDodge

    RogerDodge New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2015
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    Whitchurch Hampshire UK.
    I put the hash sign in and cantered it.
    It looks great, now finished chapter 22, well sort of.
     
  8. Andrae Smith

    Andrae Smith Bestselling Author|Editor|Writing Coach Contributor

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2012
    Messages:
    2,640
    Likes Received:
    1,668
    Location:
    Washington State, U.S.A.
    My only caveat is that you might want to be wear of how/when you break it. The transition should still feel natural, like the readers aren't missing out on anything by jumping to tomorrow. For instance. If there is some tension that could be explored, maybe jumping ahead is not the best idea. Just food for thought. I'm sure you've got it well figured out.
     
    minstrel and GingerCoffee like this.
  9. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2013
    Messages:
    18,385
    Likes Received:
    7,081
    Location:
    Ralph's side of the island.
    I wondered what those little bars were for, never bothered to look.
    :write:
     
  10. VirtuallyRealistic

    VirtuallyRealistic Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2015
    Messages:
    155
    Likes Received:
    77
    Location:
    Wisconsin, USA
    As other's have said, a line break is the way to go. I'm reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss right now, and he does a lot of this. Some times multiple times in a single chapter. He uses the line breaks to indicate time changes and POV changes that he feels fit into the same chapter.
     
    Catrin Lewis likes this.
  11. RachHP

    RachHP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2015
    Messages:
    268
    Likes Received:
    162
    Location:
    England
    Just another option to consider: If I'm changing scene/there's a significant break midchapter, I tend to use * to mark it.
    ie:

    blah blah blah
    *​
    blah blah blah

    I've seen it done in other books (Terry Pratchett comes to mind, but he doesn't use 'chapters' exactly) and since I use line breaks to manage my paragraphing, I think it's a clear way to indicate 'significant change occurring' to the reader.
     
  12. Komposten

    Komposten Insanitary pile of rotten fruit Contributor

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2012
    Messages:
    3,016
    Likes Received:
    2,193
    Location:
    Sweden
    There are a lot of different ways to indicate this (hash characters, asterisks, dashes, custom symbols/signs), but the standard manuscript format is to use '#'. When the work is published the publisher may change it to something that better fits the theme of the story (if I'm not mistaken).
     
  13. RachHP

    RachHP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2015
    Messages:
    268
    Likes Received:
    162
    Location:
    England
    Good to know - I'm sure there are thousands of such insights which I look forward to discovering when it's 'find an agent'/publish time!
     
    Komposten likes this.
  14. Komposten

    Komposten Insanitary pile of rotten fruit Contributor

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2012
    Messages:
    3,016
    Likes Received:
    2,193
    Location:
    Sweden
    There's a resource in the Resource Section about the standard manuscript format for short stories that you might want to check out. Most of the points it brings up apply to novels as well.
     
    RachHP likes this.
  15. Catrin Lewis

    Catrin Lewis Contributor Contributor Community Volunteer Contest Winner 2023

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2014
    Messages:
    4,524
    Likes Received:
    4,856
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    I have a cute idea for an appropriate symbol to indicate my scene breaks in my recently-completed novel, and I'm pretty sure I could get my WordPerfect program to insert it and keep it stable once the file's converted to pdf. But I have to look further into formatting for self-publishing before I know for sure.
     
  16. wellthatsnice

    wellthatsnice Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2015
    Messages:
    185
    Likes Received:
    99
    Read some Cormac Mccarthy, he can write weeks away over the course of a couple sentences...then do it again the next paragraph. This is completely acceptable in writing, no chapter break needed.
     
  17. TheWingedFox

    TheWingedFox Banned

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2015
    Messages:
    238
    Likes Received:
    97
    Location:
    London
    The last Skulduggery Pleasant book by Derek Landy has a one line chapter segment at the climax of the novel,but that's a literary tool to make a point about two simultaneously occurring pieces of action.
    Is it necessarily a bad thing to start a new chapter? There's no rule on how many chapters there has to be,are there?
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice