Re: Chapter lengths chapter hooks -- The Lonely Canadian Writer

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Date Posted: 09:31:05 08/15/08 Fri GMT-5
Author: DianeG (grateful)
Author Host/IP: bas1-kitchener06-1096648270.dsl.bell.ca / 65.93.134.78
Subject: Re: Chapter lengths chapter hooks
In reply to: Lori 's message, "Re: Chapter lengths chapter hooks" on 20:47:39 08/14/08 Thu GMT-5

Yes, it's good advice and I'll follow it when I get to the end of the second draft. Thanks.

Hello from 34-degree Merritt, BC, en route to Calgary.
>
>I have read suggestions that you should try to have
>each chapter contain 4 - 5 scenes. This seems to be a
>length that works well. Once I was happy with the
>basic story / shape of my novel I did a scene by scene
>breakdown. Just make a title for each scene within a
>chapter and see how many you have. Sometimes I only
>had two or three, sometimes I had as many as seven.
>But mostly it was four to five, and I tried to make
>all the chapters like that.
>
>Does that help? I hope so.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Lori
>
>Thanks for the support, Linda. I will probably have a
>>better idea when I get to the end again and then go
>>back to the beginning. I wish I had the space to
>>spread it all out by chapter, but since I write at a
>>desk in my livingroom there isn't any.
>>
>>As for procrastinating, I can probably beat the pants
>>off you in that department.
>>
>>Diane
>>
>>>Hi Diane: I have read books with very long chapters
>>>where the transition to new character, time or place
>>>happens with just a line left to show that there is
>>>the change.
>>>I have also read books where each time there is a
>>>switch of point of view a new chapter also begins.
>>>I think perhaps it is an author's choice although if
>>>you find there are two many switches...you could have
>>>longer chapters with internal sections that maybe
>make
>>>sense from point of view of time or setting or
>>>incident.
>>>The book I am currently reading actually uses both of
>>>these techniques. It's done quite seamlessly and I
>>>like the "hook" and then switch as you have
>described.
>>>I hope this helps even the tiniest bit and good on
>you
>>>for first of all having a novel and then editing it.
>>>
>>>good luck,
>>>
>>>Linda

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