YA chapter length
- Thread starter JBKeith
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They have gotten shorter, but there is no standard. Write what feels right for the story.
ColGray
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- Aug 9, 2023
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- 460
For YA, I'd aim for under 1500. For MG, even shorter. Even for adult, I find 2000-2,500 to be ideal--but I agree with Jo Zebedee, it's about feel. A long, emotional chapter can feel right. A short, action-packed chapter can feel right.
For anyone who reads on Kindle, there's a feature when you break into a new chapter that says approximately how long it'll take to read the chapter. I have multiple friends who are like, I've stayed awake WAY after i intended to go to bed simply because each chapter had a reading time of 10 minutes! Because I see that and think, Oh, it's 10 minutes: I want to find out what happened!
2 hours later...
For anyone who reads on Kindle, there's a feature when you break into a new chapter that says approximately how long it'll take to read the chapter. I have multiple friends who are like, I've stayed awake WAY after i intended to go to bed simply because each chapter had a reading time of 10 minutes! Because I see that and think, Oh, it's 10 minutes: I want to find out what happened!
2 hours later...
Steve Harrison
Well-Known Member
Just had a look at mine (YA SF published 2019) and the chapter lengths vary from 1000 to 4500 words. It has multiple POVs, and the main characters have more ink, but I've never given chapter lengths much thought in any of my novels.
Laura R Hepworth
Lady of the Rings (chainmaille rings that is)
There really isn't a standard. I write YA fantasy and mine range anywhere from 1.5k to over 6k. I did split up that one chapter though that ended up at over 15k words though 
. That was getting a bit long for anyone's tastes.
It's about the feel and flow of the chapter though, not about how many words are in it. Think about your story in terms of 'if this were a tv show, where would the commercial breaks be' and you'll generally have a pretty good idea of where a chapter break should be (works for scene breaks too).
You may not need to cut anything. Just read back through it and see if it can't be split into two chapters instead if you feel it is too long.
. That was getting a bit long for anyone's tastes.It's about the feel and flow of the chapter though, not about how many words are in it. Think about your story in terms of 'if this were a tv show, where would the commercial breaks be' and you'll generally have a pretty good idea of where a chapter break should be (works for scene breaks too).
You may not need to cut anything. Just read back through it and see if it can't be split into two chapters instead if you feel it is too long.
ColGray
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- Aug 9, 2023
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Yeah, I think that's a good way to frame it. (Terminology check, Scene: a defined interaction that deepens the reader's engagement with the plot or character(s). Chapter: A set of connected scenes)
One useful tool is to play scene / paragraph / sentence / clause Jenga: If i pull this out, does the greater unit work? It collapsed? Ok: add it back in. It stayed standing? Great, move on.
There's also a lot of advice out there (Save the Cat, Story Grid, etc.) that harp on each chapter having a shift in emotion, interior stakes or exterior stakes. Story Grid advocates using a spreadsheet to break out scenes and IIRC using a scale of ++, +, =, -, -- to map it out and give yourself touch points.
Example: Harry wakes up to his touch-hole cousin's birthday, is miserable/sad, goes to zoo and talks to the snake who terrorizes Dudley and makes Harry smile. Chapter starts as negative emotion with an exterior stake of Harry's miserable family life and ends with a positive emotion and Harry gaining some confidence via interior stake growth.
Done poorly, it comes off as a bit trite--like someone is trying to play with my emotions. Done well, it's invisible and draws the reader in with micro changes to emotions, stakes and engagement. It can also help define when and where to end a chapter. I haven't used that kind of system in real time, but i've used it as part of editing and found it broadly helpful.
Oligonicella
Well-Known Member
Just queried "what is the average length of a chapter in the harry potter series?"
"Those chapters are long. In fact, Detention with Dolores in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is over 9,000 words, while the average chapter length in the series is between 5,000 and 6,000 words."
Original emphasis. Since those are quite popular it follows that kids don't see that length as a deterrent.
"Those chapters are long. In fact, Detention with Dolores in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is over 9,000 words, while the average chapter length in the series is between 5,000 and 6,000 words."
Original emphasis. Since those are quite popular it follows that kids don't see that length as a deterrent.
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