Chapters

[anthimeria]

For those of us writing lengthy prose, I want to pose the question--What do you think about chapters?

I tend to read books straight through, so I don't notice chapters.  This, unfortunately, means I have a hard time writing them.  I know they serve a purpose, but what?  You tell me.

Should they all be approximately the same length in a given work?  Why do they exist at all?  Should there be internal structure in a chapter?  A cliffhanger ending?  How do chapters function for readers?

Comments

[ex_pippin880]

I know some people who freak out when their chapters' lengths vary too much, but quite honestly I don't mind (and think they're weird :p). I don't like lots of ultra-long chapters, though, because I usually read before bed, and 60-page chapters can be annoying to negotiate when I'm getting sleepy.

I'm okay with no chapters, like in most Discworld books, but if the story is very engrossing then the lack of chapters makes it difficult to go "okay just to the end of x and then I won't turn the page and I will go to sleep damnit" but that is quite obviously something an author should be proud of, so!

[anthimeria]

You would not believe how long it took me to notice that the Discworld books rarely have chapters. I'd been reading them for years.

Chapters as sleep-breaks seem to be popular!