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

[margaretdriscoll]

I'm sad to say the one of my favorite mystery writers does obnoxious fake cliffhangers like that to end her chapters. Sometimes they're real, but most of the time I guess they're supposed to be "funny."

She didn't do it in her earlier works, so my guess would be she decided or was told that she needed to liven up her chapter breaks. It really is annoying. I've seen them in thrillers and in other humorous mysteries, too.

(To avoid username confusion, the original poster is my IRL sister- not me).