Dec 03 2008
How to Edit - Chapters
When they have to stop reading, most people will go on until they reach the end of a chapter, then put the book down. You can use that knowledge to ensure you give them a reason to pick the book up again.
When you’re writing, it’s tempting to end each chapter at a natural break – where something has been resolved or completed. That’s the worst possible place to end a chapter, because your reader can close the book feeling satisfied. You don’t want that – you want them to be left with a niggling question in their minds, something that will make them pick the book up again as soon as they get the chance.
It’s a good idea not to split your chapters as you write – if you wait until the book is finished, it can be easier to choose good points in the story to make the breaks. Your aim is to end each chapter at a point where something remains unanswered.
There’s no set length for a chapter – it can be as long or as short as you please, and they don’t all have to be the same length either. So you have lots of flexibility to choose the right spot.
