Novel Chapters

Hi ,

Just wondering, do you divide into chapters as you write, or during the reviewing stages?

Usually, I will do it during the reviewing process, but occasionally I will do so while writing the draft.

 

As I write and when I am editing both. I sometimes combine chapters too.

 

I prefer to plan where a chapter ends while writing so I can arc the story towards it, but I also move chapter placement around all the time in the reviewing process, combining or splitting chapters, or just moving the split a few pages over to get a better flow.

 

I do it as I'm writing. I find it much easier this way.

 

I split it into chapters in the outlining stage.

 

I like neatly divided chapters, all the same length. I became so used to writing assignments of around 3,000 words that I find now most of my short stories or chapters fall naturally into this pattern. I nearly always use chapters as I am writing. I could never just splurge everything out without dividing it up somehow into scenes or chapters and I have to edit as I go along, I can't shoot off a rough first draft. But that's just me. If something different works for you, well, that's the way to go.

However, Mills and Boon divided the chapters of my romance slightly differently from the way I had them, so I guess in some publishing houses, editors sometimes change them according to their own criteria, or agents advise their clients on how it works best. Speaking as a reader, I prefer it when the chapters are similar length, and in most novels you tend to find the chapters are mostly similar--but like I said, maybe this is the hand of the editor at work as well as the writer.

 

I do it as I'm writing.

 

I do it while in the first draft stage, less trouble for reviewing stage..

 

I do that while writing the fist draft, and then when rewriting I might change the order/structure of them if I change some scenes according to the new plot.

 

I do that while rewriting and editing. I write in terms of scenes the first time around so I can never find a good divide on the spot. I'm sure if I thought about it it would work.

 

I do it mentally as I compile my scene list, then once I'm happy with scene list I know where the chapters will generally be before writing the first draft.

It will probably change a little on editing.

 

How I do it depends a bit on the story. Some stories have parts that fit well into chapters, and there aren't much question about it. Then others are really hard to split up, and I can't really see a good pattern in the story until it's all out there.

 

i do it as i write... the chapter switching points just seem to announce themselves, so i don't have to do it consciously...

 

I tend to have very long chapters. But I never realize they're chapters until the reviewing stage.

 

Sometimes when there is an evident cliff hanger, or where a significant even has happened it is instinctive to take note of the chapter ending. Usually as I draft I do the chapters as I go.