《Twilight over Arcania》Author's Note: Chapter length
Advertisement
What is the ideal length of a chapter?
I found myself shortening this week chapter from 16K to 11K words because it felt too long. As an author I can release about 10k to 15k words a week.
When I write a chapter I usually choose a theme, and put in snippets that advance the storyline according to that theme. The length also increased as the novel is progressing.
I thought about it, and like often in engineering, there may be a sweet spot.
On one end, there is a length that most would consider too short. If I just wrote 100 words per chapter, it would take forever to finish the novel and a chapter would not meaningfully progress any story thread at all.
On the opposite end. If I were to release a chapter of 1M words, it would basically be a whole novel in itself. It would be bad because you wouldn't have the chapter list to help you navigate all this content, and it would take you days or even weeks to read.
It's hard to tell, but I feel this novel will be about 100 chapters of 10K words once the third arc is over. That adds up to about 1M words in total.
This is the actual length of some of the chapters I have written.
Chapter 2: Arrival is 1.8K words
Chapter 5: Revelation is 5.2K words
Chapter 12: Death is 10.9K words
There are also side stories. I outlined many of them when building the history of Arcania. But I'll hold on to them. Right now I plan to finish the main story before exploring anything else in the world of Arcania.
I'd like to hear your opinion as readers, so I made a poll.
What do you think is the right length for a chapter?
Advertisement
- In Serial195 Chapters
My Master Is A Tsundere
Rant Valo was an outcast in his village. His dream was to marry the village maiden, Zaria, and live a normal life.
8 1449 - In Serial60 Chapters
Bloodlines
Bloodlines is the first major story set in the far larger and immensely connected universe known as Infinitum. A group of renegades and misfits take into the sky in their fancy skyship to fulfill the prophecy they don't care about and defeat the Empire they care even less about. In the process, they learn things (they would rather not) of the fucked up Universe, dead gods, and the future that holds no mercy. Bloodlines draws inspiration from One Piece. But in the bigger picture, Bloodlines is one of many stories set in Cosmere-like universe where plots stretch beyond planets and star systems and stakes are higher than godhood (like in Malazan chronicles). Currently, I am planning to finish the first arc [Bandit Arc], add 10k words interlude with some revelations, then publish a story happening elsewhere. Then I will be back to write the second arc. For now, the Fifth Region has 8 arcs planned. Officially, there are 5 regions. The Fifth Region is not the shortest but is far from the longest regions. - PS. Pay attention to flavor text. Chapters published weekly.
8 213 - In Serial17 Chapters
Death God's Descent (DROPPED)
Consumed by boredom, Mlithru, God of Death, has decided to change things up a little. Instead of watching others venture the realm of mortals, he himself has decided to walk in their shoes and experience the world first hand. Thus begins his adventure.
8 194 - In Serial44 Chapters
Shaman
*** Let's get this clear now: the MC is a trans woman. This is not a gender-bender. It's set in a fantasy world but the exploration of identity and gender is reality-based. Not a joke, not a kinky turn-on. If this is a problem for you, please just act like an adult and look elsewhere for something to read. *** Rating breakdown, since that should be public info: 2 x 5*, 1 x 4.5*, 1 x 3*, no reasons offered. A human shaman and healer returns from several years with the mysterious shyani, accompanied by her shapeshifting puma best friend. A valued friend, from her previous identity as a male student physician, has acquired an old shyani book, and extremists will not tolerate its presence in human hands. But back in human lands, the question arises: which world does she belong in? Generations ago, human explorers found a continent inhabited by an utterly alien culture of shapeshifting weyres and the shyani, humanoids who prefer dusk and dawn. A truce of sorts was eventually reached: humans claimed the rich lowlands, and the shyani and weyres retain the highlands. Along the border, practicality often rules, but on either side, old grudges linger in some hearts. As a student physician, Corin tried to take his own life, unable to bear the countless tiny wounds inflicted over twenty-one years of lying to himself in order to be, or pretend to be, socially acceptable. At the last improbable instant, intervention came, in the form of a spirit fox, who led him away from the existence he’d known in the lowlands and into the highlands. There, a puma weyre rescued him, and a shyani shaman helped him find his true self and offered a rebirth, a life with no more lies, and an important role to fill. Now a shaman and healer in her own right, Vixen who was once Corin learns that the one human who mattered to her in her previous life, then a fellow University student, has come into possession of an old shyani book, and the more fanatical shyani and weyres will stop at nothing to reclaim it and punish Jared. Even though it means going back into the lowlands and facing Jared as a woman, she can’t bear to just look the other way. This should be a short visit, just long enough to see the book into the proper hands and make sure Jared will not be killed for having it, and then she can return to the shyani community that has accepted her as their shaman. And, of course, her feline best friend Dayr insists on coming with her. But Jared is now a Lord, with considerable wealth and power, and his response to her presence isn’t one she expected. After years living with the shyani, she sees everything around her from a new perspective, and that makes it difficult to keep to the plan of making as few waves as possible. As an honoured guest in a highborn house, with only Jared aware that she has ever been anyone else, Vixen finds herself questioning where she belongs: with Dayr and the shyani, who accept her gender without question but have to make allowances for her differences, or with humans, in the culture she grew up in even though her past would mean a major scandal? *** Trigger warning: there are scenes of Vixen's previous life, which include some difficult moments and culminate in an (obviously unsuccessful) attempt at suicide before she finds her true self and a better life. Please be careful! This is the ONLY reason for the "Traumatising Content" tag.*** Complete stand-alone novel, 96K words. Also available on Scribble Hub and as a free ebook.
8 126 - In Serial6 Chapters
Progenitor of Mana
Leo had always felt something was wrong with him. Hell, the world even confirmed this for him with the bundle of mental and physical health issues he had to battle his whole life. At least he always had his imaginary friend, The 'Voice', to guide him through his most troubling times. But what happens when the world comes to an end at the behest of something called 'The System'? And maybe The 'Voice' wasn't as imaginary as he thought as it had been telling him this day was coming for a year. This story is not for the light hearted, at least that is the direction I have it going.
8 172 - In Serial16 Chapters
Late Night Conversations ✔ [COMPLETED]
{Highest Ranking: #2 in Short Story} One collision.Two strangers.One unorthodox way to pay off her debt.Three weeks of late night conversations.One Date.
8 105
Prev Chap
Next Chap
Chap List
Boy
Girl
