Chapter length
I have now published Chapter 3 of Hb
When writing I have always worried that the chapters I construct are too short, but then again whoever said a chapter should be a particular length?
The first few chapters of Hb are short but as they are doing the character introductions and setting up some of the themes I guess this is okay. I have notes for another three chapters that are much longer.
It may just be a case of me getting into the way of writing and becoming comfortable with the process and after all that is what the Hb project is designed to do.
Kev
2 Comments »
Leave a comment
-
Recent
-
Links
-
Archives
- September 2006 (1)
- July 2006 (5)
- January 2006 (2)
-
Categories
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
i agree, they are quite short. but it depends on what style of book you are writing, how long your book is, etc. i assume this is intended as a pulp horror (from the plot/characters), and i believe that most of these have less pages, shorter chapters, and sparse, to-the-point narration. although this is purely speculation, as i have not READ any pulp horror (the closest i’ve come to pulp would be the old “crypt” and “weird tales” comics, among others)–this is from a quick flip through the pages.
i would suggest, since you are attempting to write horror (as i am) reading stephen king’s “danse macabre”, which is a fantastic book about horror tropes in books and film. i remember skimming it when i was a kid, thinking it was a new novel (and being greatly disappointed), but reading it now i’m sad i hadn’t finished it back then. i’ve learned a lot from that book (king really does know the genre), and it certainly would have saved me 13 years trying to fit my writing style into the cramped screenplay format… king’s other book on writing–aptly titled “on writing”–is also a great book on craft and well worth the read!
p.s. the best thing to do i think, is to study (by reading and/or skimming) as many genre novels as you can–and if you can stand it, to branch out into other genres as well, since a lot of horror doesn’t deal much with character.
the more books you absorb, the more you get a feel for how a book should look, feel and read.