New writers invariably get around to asking me the same question: “What is the right chapter length?” So let’s dig into this in a little bit of detail and figure out the answer! Let me just preface everything I say in this article with “In the case of my style of writing…” That should drive the point home that I’m not trying to establish any “rules” I think people should follow. For me, chaptering is a tool that serves at least four different purposes, and sometimes each at the same time.
“Yes, but” or “No, and” – End Writer’s Block
Writer’s Block. Two of the most dreaded words in a writer’s vocabulary…at least when put together in that order. You stare at the blank page, and it stares back. It’s taunting you. It’s telling you you’re no good. You’re just about to slam the lid on your laptop shut when you remember something crucial: “Writing is a learned craft, not a mystical gift from the universe.” (I think I’ve heard that somewhere before…) A craft? A learned craft? Yes. And don’t you forget it! Now click the link and read on. Let’s get rid of that pesky writer’s block using tried and true elements of the craft!
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The Basics: So You Want To Write A Novel
Where Do I Begin? If you’ve landed here, you’ve got a good head start. I’m going to make a couple of assumptions about you, if that’s ok: You’re an avid reader. You want to write a book-length work of fiction (i.e. you want to write a novel). You’ve never done this before, or you’ve had a lot of starts/stops in your past. You’re willing to dedicate the next several months…perhaps years…of your life to telling a single story. You have no idea where to begin. You may think I’m a mind reader now. But the simple truth is that I’ve just described most of us. And by “us” I’m referring to pretty much anyone who has ever taken the first …