A Time when Size Really Matters

When is this chapter ever going to end?” This is a common rebuke heard by many
a weary soul. The quality of the story may not have diminished, but the chapter is not consistent in length with the rest of the book. And the reader is uncomfortable. No time
was allowed for the person to relax with the words.

Consistency with Chapter Length is Important

Harry Crews, whose writing is far-removed from the mainstream, dissected Graham Greene novels related to how many chapters they contained and the length of each. Crews had a number of reasons for doing this, and it can be suggested that a writer should look at his/her own work as Crews parsed Greene’s to create visual continuity that can translate to pacing and tone.

Genre as an Influence

However, when reviewing chapter length, a number of issues must be considered,
none-the-least of which is genre. A writer of literature, such as Pat Conroy, will have different chapter parameters from a mystery author like James Patterson, with the
separate and distinctive narrative nature of the disparate stories influencing chapter
length.

Clever Techniques that Provide the Perception of a Shorter Chapter

If a writer finds a chapter, for whatever reason, too long, there are techniques that can
be used to shorten the perception of a chapter’s length and provide the reader with some breathing room. One is to add an extra line space after the paragraph and the beginning
of the next (three spaces instead of two in a raw draft) to indicate a shift in the scene that, though evident, is not so great that a new chapter is desirable. Simply, the whole is still within the theme of that chapter. The other device is to use dots between a line break
to indicate a shift in the direction of the scene that is substantial, but still not such that a new chapter is deemed appropriate. Some publishers use elaborate symbols to accomplish the same thing.

Prudent Reasons for Section Breaks

It must be kept in mind that section breaks must have a distinct function–such as denoting a passage of time, a change of setting, or a point-of-view shift–to indicate a transition point that would otherwise confuse the reader by its absence. But just as section breaks enable the reader to take a deep breath, too many of these breaks, or if they are ill-placed, can confuse the reader as to why the change of direction was necessary. The story will appear choppy and therefore a poor read.

The Ultimate Test for a New Chapter

If you feel a chapter is too long or bloated, a good test is to look closely at the point at which you are contemplating a section break. Apply a simple concept: If you were getting tired of reading the chapter, wouldn’t the reader likely be feeling the same way?

Robert L. Bacon
robertlbacon@aol.com

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