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

[ailelie]

Chapters are another unit by which to organize your book and, just like words, sentences, and paragraphs, they affect pacing. As a previous commenter noted, short chapters increase the pacing and longer chapters slow it down.

Also, like a sentence or a paragraph, a chapter provides a natural stopping point and can be a way to highlight something. Something has ended. Ending your chapter with that moment draws attention to that something.

Chapters are also a way to manipulate the reader. A cliffhanger or a hook can pull the reader into the next chapter. Like paragraphs, chapters are a natural place for the reader to pause in their reading or either a short or extended period of time. However you end the chapter will be how the reader remembers your book. A strong image, emotion, or question can be useful for that.

Like sentences and paragraphs, chapters are transitions. However, they can allow a greater transitions than either a sentence or a paragraph. You can skip to a new point-of-view character, time period, place, etc.

Also (and, again, like sentences and paragraphs), chapters must have internal structure. How you decide to structure it (scene? plot arc? point-of-view? etc) will depend upon how you are using the chapter for pacing, ending, highlighting, hooking, and transitioning. (As well as anything else you can think of)

[anthimeria]

I'd never thought of chapter length in and of itself affecting pacing--interesting point.

Given what you said about the function of chapters as breaks, how odd would it be if a chapter transitioned without changing POV, time or place?

Thanks for responding!