tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post8532729960404453852..comments2024-01-03T04:03:15.300-05:00Comments on S.P. Bowers: Chapter One. Maybe.S.P. Bowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-57526576549184214212012-05-23T16:19:47.819-04:002012-05-23T16:19:47.819-04:00I loved reading through the comments to see what p...I loved reading through the comments to see what people think. I prefer shorter chapters with names. But names that don't spill the beans.Leslie https://www.blogger.com/profile/17430815366297302202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-38118149485398737122012-05-15T13:12:12.942-04:002012-05-15T13:12:12.942-04:00I usually write long chapters with sections within...I usually write long chapters with sections within each chapter. Kind of a "mini chapter" approach.Adam Gaylordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10776176053095754224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-84538860779467341602012-05-10T13:49:05.900-04:002012-05-10T13:49:05.900-04:00I've had a couple places I wanted to do a cha...I've had a couple places I wanted to do a chapter that was less then a page, I just didn't know if I could pull it off. I'm no Stephen King. I guess the trick is just to act like you can pull it off and maybe everyone will believe you.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-43630720470518880062012-05-10T13:47:58.883-04:002012-05-10T13:47:58.883-04:00Good to know, numbered chapters are beginning to e...Good to know, numbered chapters are beginning to edge into the lead.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-44111001614494403622012-05-10T10:22:42.471-04:002012-05-10T10:22:42.471-04:00Sara, The best rule of thumb is whenever you reach...Sara, The best rule of thumb is whenever you reach a stopping point in the current action...end the chapter. Or at least leave it with a hook so the reader turns the page to find out what happens. Stephen King once wrote a one word chapter. While I've seen chapters which were huge, I've also seen shorter ones. I tend to write shorter one because I do varying points of view.J.L. Murpheyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11782355786883006411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-85899976964126567772012-05-10T08:07:45.488-04:002012-05-10T08:07:45.488-04:00Numbered chapters for me, please! And I don't ...Numbered chapters for me, please! And I don't mind variation as long as the chapter comes to a natural break.Talli Rolandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04780882465745107715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-612178616698923462012-05-10T07:07:20.085-04:002012-05-10T07:07:20.085-04:00*Snort* Common sense? The Engineer will get a goo...*Snort* Common sense? The Engineer will get a good laugh over that. <br /><br />I'm trying to put the chapter ends at places where it feels natural, but I'm to the point where I'm second guessing everything.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-84614929444146039002012-05-10T07:03:55.401-04:002012-05-10T07:03:55.401-04:00I never thought that titles may be more traditiona...I never thought that titles may be more traditional in certain genres. Something more to think about.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-19628250022633554142012-05-10T07:02:58.360-04:002012-05-10T07:02:58.360-04:00I thought about quoting the poem that inspired thi...I thought about quoting the poem that inspired this novel but there's the whole getting permission to use it and paying royalties which is completely the authors responsibility. Hmm, I wonder what you need to do if the poem/quotes are public domain?S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-55259277522366076822012-05-10T07:01:47.164-04:002012-05-10T07:01:47.164-04:00If the chapter is short, it's easy to say, &qu...If the chapter is short, it's easy to say, "One more chapter" and end up reading five.<br /><br />I do that! I like the quotes at the beginning generally. Sometimes though I think the author has chosen poorly and it has nothing to do with the book, and I'm left to wonder if I'm missing something or if the author is.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-32554196918571737342012-05-10T06:59:42.809-04:002012-05-10T06:59:42.809-04:00Yea, it is more important to end them at the right...Yea, it is more important to end them at the right place then to get the perfect length.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-10772340261204282002012-05-10T06:59:13.247-04:002012-05-10T06:59:13.247-04:00I do want movement so shorter sounds good. I have...I do want movement so shorter sounds good. I have noticed when book is really good I don't notice the titles until a later go around. Hmmm, something to think about.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-39495357580412077662012-05-10T06:57:52.101-04:002012-05-10T06:57:52.101-04:00Another one for titles. How interesting you notic...Another one for titles. How interesting you notice a difference between the length you enjoy reading and what you write.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-2614875565785192002012-05-10T06:56:19.371-04:002012-05-10T06:56:19.371-04:00I wouldn't say I'm stressing, but I can...I wouldn't say I'm stressing, but I can't really put it off any longer. I'm glad most people seem all right with a variety of chapter lengths.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-62134055112354472722012-05-10T00:48:30.394-04:002012-05-10T00:48:30.394-04:00Chapters usually need to finish on a bit of a clif...Chapters usually need to finish on a bit of a cliffhanger. Not enough to send the reader into a complete tailspin, but enough for them to want to keep on reading. Length is irrelevant - but common sense ought to prevail.widdershinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04205462833259334647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-41074601003459582412012-05-09T23:54:18.461-04:002012-05-09T23:54:18.461-04:00What an interesting post. I don't care what th...What an interesting post. I don't care what the length is, but the division needs to make sense. I also prefer the chapters to be numbered. I find the titles distracting. But I read mainstream or literary, not YA.Tess Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-30635674067035671972012-05-09T19:31:00.524-04:002012-05-09T19:31:00.524-04:00I love chapter titles but I'm really not good ...I love chapter titles but I'm really not good at coming up with them. I wish I was better at remembering lines from my favourite poetry, so I could quote those, at least.Deniz Bevanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17134553551048836979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-2076250411248181152012-05-09T19:12:29.965-04:002012-05-09T19:12:29.965-04:00It depends on genre. I write YA, and my chapters t...It depends on genre. I write YA, and my chapters typically range from 1500 to 3000 words. I love books with short chapters because they end up being page turners. If the chapter is short, it's easy to say, "One more chapter" and end up reading five. <br /><br />I don't pay attention to chapter titles or quotes used under the chapter heading. I'm not even sure what the point of the quotes is.Stinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11415189347501942340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-70434575269960138842012-05-09T15:16:20.387-04:002012-05-09T15:16:20.387-04:00I only like titles on chapters when they don't...I only like titles on chapters when they don't give away too much. And length? Whatever you want, just leave me wanting more at the end ...Jolene Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14809468564016928636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-36831206039435587302012-05-09T14:59:43.565-04:002012-05-09T14:59:43.565-04:00Well, it probably depends on genre and scene inten...Well, it probably depends on genre and scene intensity, but I prefer shorter chapters (less than 10 pages). It makes the book feel like it's moving quickly rather than dragging. As far as Chapter titles, I don't like them personally. I think it pulls me out of the story. My goal is to have Chapter breaks be virtually invisible. If I end one chapter with a cliff-hanger (which is the goal for every chapter) then the reader starts the next chapter without hardly realizing they have. Title's stops the flow. But that's just my opinion.Rebecca Bellistonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10387850668547139178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-23715057038666250282012-05-09T14:06:57.244-04:002012-05-09T14:06:57.244-04:00I'm a massively big fan of chapter titles--inc...I'm a massively big fan of chapter titles--including numbers. I love reading books with chapters that are shorter than those I write, oddly enough. My chapters usually range from 3k-7k words in length, but average 4k-5k words.Jeff Hargetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14198367021884647821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-5054725241345892402012-05-09T13:29:08.889-04:002012-05-09T13:29:08.889-04:00Mine vary a bit. Some are only a few pages while o...Mine vary a bit. Some are only a few pages while others are more than a few. It's how ever long it takes to get the point across. Of course when I go back and edit, things change. I wouldn't stress over it :)Samantha Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09370961661054617338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-3076393940698730802012-05-09T13:05:17.667-04:002012-05-09T13:05:17.667-04:00Most people like named chapters and I really do pr...Most people like named chapters and I really do prefer them. Guess I'll need to work on that.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-42139198185748527412012-05-09T13:04:16.469-04:002012-05-09T13:04:16.469-04:00I think I'm leaning towards short too. I'v...I think I'm leaning towards short too. I've been breaking up some of my longer ones and I think that is helping.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-54571046189270792332012-05-09T13:02:29.606-04:002012-05-09T13:02:29.606-04:00I have renumbered my chapters SO MANY TIMES. I re...I have renumbered my chapters SO MANY TIMES. I really should start coming up with titles.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.com