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Joined: 4/24/2013
Posts: 45
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What should be an average chapter lenght? Are there rules pertaining to chapter lenghts? How much are we allowed to vary them throught the book?
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Joined: 6/18/2012
Posts: 228
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Hi Maya!
In general? For your genre?
When you say allowed, what do you mean? I imagine much depends on your style and the way you're telling the book.
Best,
Brandi
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Joined: 4/30/2011
Posts: 662
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I just finished reading Kadrey's Sandman Slim. It's a full length novel and has no chapters, just breaks in the text. There are writers who break it up per point of view shift, and those who break it up by event or day. In truth, the whole chapter length thing is subjective.
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Joined: 4/24/2013
Posts: 45
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I was wondering in general but my genre is Fantasy.
My first chapter is quite short, around 1300 words, but the rest are longer. So I was wondering, with a debut novel if I should stick to some guidelines? I know things are a bit more strict for new novelists.
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Joined: 3/17/2011
Posts: 88
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No guidelines. Just write excellent chapters.
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Joined: 4/24/2013
Posts: 45
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Thank you Kevin 
I will not try, but do!
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Joined: 4/28/2011
Posts: 24
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I tend to write chapters under 1200 words, but that doesn't mean you should. The length that a chapter should be depends on how you want to adjust the pace of your story and your writing style.
Chapters under 500 words are good for scenes where you are escalating conflict and suspense. Longer chapters are good for setting the mood. Varying chapter lengths can help keep the reader engaged. Long chapter after long chapter after long chapter can become monotonous, even if the chapters are well written. A series of short chapters can prove exhausting if there isn't a change of pace.
One of the million and a half things to keep in mind while putting your story together is that most readers want to feel like they are making progress through the book they are reading. They need to feel like the plot is moving ahead, characters are becoming more interesting, the plot more engrossing, and so on. If you have them hooked, then the chapter length doesn't matter much.
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chapters and stories are as long as they need to be.
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