i was wondering; how long do your chapters have to be as a minimum? and also, do they have to be all the same length, as sometimes i find a chapter being only a page or so long when others are fifteen. thanks, Heather
Heather, There are not any hard rules on chapter length. Sometimes it varies by genre, and even publisher. Holes by Louis Sachar, for example, has 10-12 page chapters, and 1 page chapters. Stephen R. Donaldson's, a well sold fantasy and SF writer, usually writes chapters of almost uniform length throughout a book. If it is a concern, examine the specific market, or even the specific publisher, and see what seems to be prevalent. In the end, I think a chapter needs to be as long as it needs to be. Sometimes they are based on plot events with logical breaks, sometimes based on switching character POV, or a myriad of other reasons. Even if a publisher/editor has a preference, I don't think the length of chapters or the consistency in length of chapters will turn them away from what is otherwise an excellent manuscript. Terry
Most chapters should be at least a few pages long. They don't have to be, its just the most common. They can also be as long as you want. But keep them within reason, 50 pages and up is probably pushing it. As for keeping them all the same length, don't bother. More trouble than its worth.
Like the above said, although I don't necessarily agree with the idea that chapters should be at least a few pages long- or at least anything. I've seen a chapter consisting of five words (Daniel Pinkwater, go figger) and a chapter over 120 pages.There's no such thing as a minimum. It depends on what you feel like.
