: Re: Length of a scene? Really, just how long should a solid scene in a chapter be? And what about when characters move setting but the topic is still relevant to the scene? How long would that

@Gonzalez219

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I agree with what Ken said, and would also add this:

Look at other books in your genre. They won't all be the same, and some may be completely opposite, but sometimes, you'll find a commonality in them. I write thrillers, and they tend to have shorter chapters, so that's how I write.

Also consider your Point of View. If you are writing in third person limited, then you'll probably need to change chapters (or scenes) more often as you change POV characters. But if you're in first person, in one person's head the entire book, you may not need to change scenes so often.

But the biggest thing is just to figure out what your story demands. If the scene needs a lengthy chapter (for example, your climax scene), then stay with it longer. If it doesn't need much to accomplish what you need it to, then stick with a few paragraphs and move on. You shouldn't dictate how long your scenes are by "rule of thumb" because then your story often won't sound right. You'll either have scenes that say too little or too much for what the scene demands.

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