As promised in the last chapter, here is how I, Eliza, create a chapter. And then a little bit about how long a chapter should be. Because I'm really good at going on tangents when I think things through, but I always come back around eventually! 

~ * ~ How I, Eliza, Create a Chapter ~ * ~

First: I establish the scene and point of view and include some type of hook or interesting information. The scene might be a continuation of the last one or there could be a time jump, but either way I need to establish where and when we are (and who's talking) as quickly as possible without being awkward. Sometimes, I'm still awkward, but I try to make it as seamless as possible.

This might look something like this:

"The rain slams against the windows of my truck, hammering the beat of 'We are the Champions' while I wait for the stoplight to turn green. At this rate, I'm going to be late for my first day back to work since the accident."

Or, in third person:

"Twenty-One days had passed since Amelia quit, and Javier had managed to keep his kitchen clean for precisely two of them. The first two. So that morning, when he went to make his coffee, he had a choice to make."

Second: I introduce something new OR expand on something old. This part is the most abstract and difficult to describe part because there are so many choices. But this is the plot or character relevance that the scene or chapter is letting me share with the reader.

Perhaps I need the reader to understand WHY the main character is so fearful of airplanes. This scene could have them driving somewhere instead of getting on a plane. It could have him refusing a work assignment because it requires air travel. Maybe she gets all the way to the airport before realizing she hasn't got over her fear like she thought she had.

This could also look like introducing a new thing that will create conflict. In a workplace romance, this could look like the leads getting a new project they have to work on together or being pitted against each other to bid for an account.

There are so many things here that I couldn't possibly explain them all. Basically, I try to give some piece of new information. That could be a big thing like a plot twist or a secret identity reveal, or it could be a small thing like learning more about why he asked her if she liked chocolate three chapters ago.

It can be completely new or building on existing things, but I always want to make sure I'm not just providing the same information over and over again. Sometimes, things bear repetition, for sure, or we learn a thing in more depth than we did last time, but the chapter needs to give the reader something new. Even if it's just that he's decided to dye his hair bright green, my readers need to have something to add to the list of things they know. I'd definitely try to make it interesting and intriguing as to why he dyed his hair, if that's what the new thing was!

Third: I make sure they want to read the next chapter.

This one was the hardest for me to grasp. Because initially, I wanted to put in a question or cliffhanger on every single chapter and it made for some very poorly constructed chapters, honestly.

Using a question or a cliffhanger can be a great way to get readers to keep going, but they're like spices. I want enough of them that my dish has flavour, but not so many that I can't tell what's underneath them, you know?

Imagine eating pizza that had no crust. It would just be lumpy soup. Not appetising.

But that's kinda what it felt like when I first started attempting cliffhangers or hooks for the next chapter!

Fortunately, I've learned a lot and have a few more ideas for how to make readers want to go to the next chapter without having an epic cliffhanger at the end of EVERY chapter. (IF that's your style, go for it! But it's not mine).

Personally, I hint at things and I leave questions unanswered. Or I drop something the reader has been waiting for and then don't let them see what happens next until the next chapter. Because I'm evil? Maybe. It's kinda fun!

If the chapter was about her fear of airplanes, maybe I'll explain how she got that fear or how she thought she was over it, but now she's at the airport and the only way to get to her love by midnight, New Years' Eve is to get on a plane. Then I probably won't ask it, but my readers will likely be wondering, "Wait! How is she going to make it to him in time?"

If the chapter introduced a project for the main couple to work on, I might drop a couple hints of the problems they could face together. Perhaps one of them is a serial scheduler, and the other is chronically late. Whatever it is, I give a hint of a conflict they might face.

This has to be obvious enough people will pick up on it but not so obvious I just tell them.

So, when they are trying to plan a meeting for the next day, Sasha asks Ted if he's sure he can make an 8:00 am meeting, because she knows he's always late, usually showing up at 9:00 am. He assures her he'll be there. Or maybe I end the chapter with him setting sixteen alarms and then setting his phone on the charger wrong, so we know he's going to miss it and just don't know why.

Well, now I want to know if he manages to make the meeting. I want to know what will happen when he doesn't. Is the client going to fire him or will Sasha get in trouble? If I set the chapter up right, and I developed Ted and Sasha's character enough, my readers would probably have a couple guesses as to how it would go.

And interested readers would probably read the next chapter to find out.

I will note, that this hint of trouble is usually somewhere *near* the end of my chapter. It doesn't need to be the last sentence, but it should be close enough to the end that the reader is thinking about it when the chapter ends.

And that's it. That's the basic blueprint I follow for every chapter I write. I also ask myself how it flows naturally from the last chapter and how it will lead into the next one, but that's a topic for another day as this is already REALLY long.

~ * ~ So, How Long is a Chapter? ~ * ~

Before I go, I want to quickly mention two more things that I've found might impact the length of my chapters: genre and medium.

By that I mean a paperback fantasy probably has different chapter length expectations than a Wattpad Romance. That is not only perfectly fine, it is also a good thing. But it definitely adds a layer of complexity to this decision of how long a chapter should be.

I'm not going to be able to make a comprehensive list of genre expectations here. I think the only real way to get a feel for that is to read in the genre you'd like to write in. To read a great deal. To get an idea of how much fits into one unit, the chapter, in your genre. Your readers will likely expect similar things when coming to your book.

Does that mean you can't write outside your genre expectations? Of course not. But think about why you are doing it. There may be a trade off with convincing people to read your book or keeping them there for subsequent chapters if they feel like they aren't getting enough (or are getting too much) in one chapter.

It's also somewhat trial and error.

And because of how Wattpad works (reading on a screen, how bookmarks work, etc.) it can be quite difficult for someone to read longer chapters using this medium. I tend to stick between 1500 and 2500 words for most of my chapters to help my readers break up their reading into manageable chunks.

There's definitely no hard and fast rule here, but if you're the kind of person who wants a word count to aim for, I'd try for a chapter between 1000 and 2000 words. See how much you get done there and if it achieves what you want it to.

You can always adjust after the fact if you feel like too much or not enough is happening. There are so many ways to do this. I'll save my ways for later when I come back and discuss my process for revision and edits.

That was probably a lot to take in, so let me recap what I have learned so far:

A chapter needs to advance the plot or characterization, give us some new information, or expand on some previous information. In short, chapters connect like puzzle pieces of the overall story and each one gives the reader something new.

I usually write my chapters with three things in mind. First, I establish the scene and point of view. Second, I write the scene, making sure to introduce something new or expand on something old, giving the reader some new information they didn't have before. And third, I make sure the reader wants to go to the next chapter, leaving them with a question or intrigue as to what happens next.

I don't think your chapters need to be a specific length, but if you're looking for a place to start, I'd aim for between 1000 and 2000 words at first and see where you end up.

~ * ~ * ~

There are so many more things to consider when writing chapters, so I'd love to hear from you!

What do you consider when writing a chapter? As a reader or a writer, what is something you think is vital to a good chapter?

How long are your chapters on average? What genre do you write?

Do you have any resources for how to write a chapter that you'd like to share?

What would you like to see in a discussion on how to edit a chapter? What questions do you have about what makes a good chapter?

Any other questions or thoughts?