I can easily give you a reason why. Everyone stops on a chapter. Much like tv episodes, small chapters make people feel as though they’re not too far away from the next checkpoint if they wish to read more. And stopping on a chapter allows them to know where they last left off. On top of all of this, if they wish to go back in the book to reread part of it, chapters allow for easy access.
When I was younger, I used to write very short chapters. Like a chapter a scene like you said. But really, I feel like good paced variety is generally a good rule for most stories. Like most mid length, some short, only a handful long. Otherwise, I definitely thin there's an art to chapter breaks, and it helps you and the readers keep track and remember where things are. It's a win win for both parties.
"Why do we jeed pants?" 😅 Great advice to consider how the chapter stands alone. I had kind of forgotten you can end a chapter with a resolution. My draft is being handwritten so I can't just check easily what I did, and don't want to look back analytically until I'm done, but I'm going to keep this in mind from now on. I think I did in the first third actually, then in middle third spanners kept being thrown into the works. I definately need some more resolution endings now though, but like you said, progress the emotional beats.
Wait, the mid-credits scene revealed the secrets to the cat appearances: Carl bribes the beast with treats! As for chapters: I just write in scenes, and present them generally one scene = one chapter. Sometimes a few scenes in a row are shorter or smaller moments -- they go together into one chapter. Sometimes a scene is such a Big Moment that it works to break it into two chapters, and, rarely, even three.
I think it’s far more likely to be an assault on those with no clear goals as they write. Many of the “pantsers” I know follow a loose framework as they write and would view a chapter division as a natural break in the process. People who have no idea where they’re going and approach every project like a free write or timed event would seem more prone to stumble over when and where to pause the action because they’d have no idea where they’re going anyway.
In most of my novels the stories span a week or two, so it's very convenient to start every new day at the beginning of a chapter. The only backside to this that I can think of is that the chapters seldom end with a cliffhanger, but instead with the resolution of a mystery, so the reader may not be strongly motivated to continue reading.
I can easily give you a reason why. Everyone stops on a chapter. Much like tv episodes, small chapters make people feel as though they’re not too far away from the next checkpoint if they wish to read more. And stopping on a chapter allows them to know where they last left off. On top of all of this, if they wish to go back in the book to reread part of it, chapters allow for easy access.
@30 seconds Kitty: "HI YOU TUBE FANS! " 😂😂😂
I opened youtube to search your channel to sign up for your writing program and this video was at the top just uploaded. 👍
That means you have achieved 1st Level Duncanosis.
Love that kitty!
When I was younger, I used to write very short chapters. Like a chapter a scene like you said. But really, I feel like good paced variety is generally a good rule for most stories. Like most mid length, some short, only a handful long.
Otherwise, I definitely thin there's an art to chapter breaks, and it helps you and the readers keep track and remember where things are. It's a win win for both parties.
"Why do we jeed pants?" 😅
Great advice to consider how the chapter stands alone.
I had kind of forgotten you can end a chapter with a resolution.
My draft is being handwritten so I can't just check easily what I did, and don't want to look back analytically until I'm done, but I'm going to keep this in mind from now on. I think I did in the first third actually, then in middle third spanners kept being thrown into the works.
I definately need some more resolution endings now though, but like you said, progress the emotional beats.
Wait, the mid-credits scene revealed the secrets to the cat appearances: Carl bribes the beast with treats!
As for chapters: I just write in scenes, and present them generally one scene = one chapter.
Sometimes a few scenes in a row are shorter or smaller moments -- they go together into one chapter.
Sometimes a scene is such a Big Moment that it works to break it into two chapters, and, rarely, even three.
I feel, very strongly, that this is an assault on Pantsers.
I think it’s far more likely to be an assault on those with no clear goals as they write. Many of the “pantsers” I know follow a loose framework as they write and would view a chapter division as a natural break in the process. People who have no idea where they’re going and approach every project like a free write or timed event would seem more prone to stumble over when and where to pause the action because they’d have no idea where they’re going anyway.
I'm a panster and I don't feel attacked.
@@robertsuter4671 You really didn't need to respond to me referencing jokes at the beginning of the video that talked about pants.
@@CyphersBasement - Ah, but I did not get your joke until you explained it in response to his response - so it all worked out!
For me at least.
@@PaulRWorthington I would say "fair enough", but that would excuse people of not remembering the minute-long conversation about pants.
Hilary Mantels Wolf Hall doesn’t seem to have any chapters, just scene after scene for a hundred pages. It’s wearisome
Sometimes it's a stylistic choice! There are people who enjoy that.
In most of my novels the stories span a week or two, so it's very convenient to start every new day at the beginning of a chapter. The only backside to this that I can think of is that the chapters seldom end with a cliffhanger, but instead with the resolution of a mystery, so the reader may not be strongly motivated to continue reading.
Great advice as ever but I seriously feared for your shelving at one point in the video !
More curl and Carl.