: Re: Sizing of a chapter and how many should I use? This is basically a follow-up question I asked here: Scene switching and how to do it? I always considered it normal for a chapter to have
Chapter length is a stylist choice
There is no correct answer to this. The length of the chapters in any given book is entirely dependant on writing style. How you use them can effect the tone of your writing as well as the readability. However what is 'best' is entirely up to you.
Chapter length can be used to control the pacing of your work. A longer chapter gives a slowly pace while short chapters drive the plot more quickly. Some authors change the length of their chapters throughout the novel to control the pacing of the story.
This article How long should a chapter be? analyses the average chapter length of popular works and find the most common length is between 3000 and 5000 words, but Holes averages just 942 words per chapter and One Hundred Years of Solitude averages 7226 words.
Ultimately word count shouldn't be the driving force behind chapter length. Instead let the feel and pacing of the story determine where and how your chapter end.
More posts by @Karen856
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