How long should a chapter be?

So, here's my dillema...How long should my chapters be? (I write fantasy by the way.) Some people perfer shorter, some longer, some medium length. Which ever way you like just put up your opinion .

(Oh, and please answer in how many words, not pages, cause that depends.)

-The green one

Oh, I don't know in words but I prefer really long Chapters. Short ones just annoy me. Mine are about eight to ten computer pages long but I've read books with longer...


~Pol~

I read somewhere that 1000 words is recommended, and that seems to be pretty good. I prefer things to be a little shorter, maybe 700-1000 words? just because it's hard to keep your place when reading online. For me, anyway.

It's hard to say. I don't mind longer chapters in books, where I can stick a bookmark, but if I'm reading something online, I like chapters short enough to read comfortably in a single sitting.

Sorry I don't know what that translates into for word count, though.

1000 words doesn't seem like much for a whole chapter. Might be though, I don't know that's why I'm asking . I'd say 1000 words or less is good for one online post, but that doesn't mean a whole chapter necessarily.

-GJ

I don't post ym story in full chapters. That would be really big.


~Pol~

I don't mean a thousand words per chapter, more like a thousand words per posted section. Like Sureal, he posted his first chapter in three parts, which makes it much easier to read. I happen to think that's a pretty good idea.

Ya, I agree with you on that. But forgeting posting online and such, how long should a CHAPTER be?

-

Before online? eh, mine probably average somewhere around five thousands words or so, give or take a couple hundred

In my current novel I'm writing about 2500 words per chapter.

Well ... I don't really do chapters anymore. Once when I was writing for NaNo I just could find good places for chapter divides ... so I just didn't bother. I figured it was legal seeing as I'd seen it done in real books. And it just works for me. So I just do it.

I don't really think there is any sure way of saying how long a chapter should be. Personal preference. Personally I'm not fond of reading long chapters.

When I start with a word count or a number of pages that I will have per chapter, I start pulling the story this way and that so it all fits and it gets all weird. So that's another reason why I don't bother with them.

But, an idea. Take what you think should be a chapter's worth and read through it, maybe get other people to as well, and see if people/you think it's a decent length. Things are always shorter reading-wise than writing-wise.

Well, I just rambled away. Hopefully I've said something interesting/relevent.

I'd say a chapter should be as long as you want it to be. It's your story and as long as it doesn't drag out for a long, long, time then I'm sure that is fine.

I too, like Elelel, am not a big fan of long chapter, but it also annoys me when I see really short chapters that are barely two lines long.

So as long as your chapter is fun and exciting, and holds enougb information that you think is relevent, then it's fine!

=]

I think a chapter is as long as it needs to be. For me, that usually varies between 3000-5000 words, but it totally depends on the nature of the story. For some stories I've done short chapters, for others, very long ones. I think it's important to know the mood and style of your story. There's no *set* chapter length, in my opinion.

I agree with Pol. It annoys me for some reason when I'm reading a book and the chapter is only one page. If it's going to be that short you might as well combine it with another chapter or scrap it.

I think I like medium-length ones the most. Around 2000-5000 words but that's me guesstimating...

I agree with Jack.

I think a chapter is as long as it needs to be. For me, that usually varies between 3000-5000 words, but it totally depends on the nature of the story. For some stories I've done short chapters, for others, very long ones.

A chapter, story, whatever you are writing should be as long as it needs to be to cover you intention or dominant impression.

I've written one or two page chapters to ten page chapters, or longer.

Ta,
Cal.