What wizardry is this, called chapters?!

#1
So I have seen this question a few times. "What is a chapter?" I have commented on it a few times but I felt it wasn't quite right, so i went and did a little research about it.

Uhmmm a chapter is a bunch of words written on a few pages in a book, right? Wrong!

Think of your book as a huge succulent burger just brimming with delicious goodness and chapters are little itty bitty bite sized pieces of it, because you cant eat the whole thing all at once unless you are some kind of snake person that can dislocate its jaw.....If you are, you should put that on youtube.

 Tip 1-There is no set standard for how long a chapter should be I have read books that have chapters with six pages and I have seen ones that have chapters with sixty. So how does one determine how long a chapter should be?

Its easy, just follow your book outline. You have already done your outline,right? Riiiiight!
This brings us to plot points;
Plot points are like the meat in your burger, you cant have a burger without some meat, can you? Even vegetarians have something in there resembling meat.

So following your OUTLINE with set PLOT POINTS you can determine the length of the chapter when you have carried over the plot point you wanted to.

Tip 2- How do you know its a good chapter? Well this is a bit difficult to answer since reader's are our judges. But here is a guideline for you to know more or less. If your book can remain the same and go on without the chapter. Then its bad. What I mean is. If the chapter is about how the MC is laying around, eating, picking his/her nose, brushing his/her teeth and how the weather is, then its bad.

This is what brings us back to plot points. Every chapter should have one. If it doesn't its a waste of your reader's time because they are reading it for entertainment. Have you ever read a chapter in a book and then went. "Why the f#ck did I just read this?" That my dear friend was probably a chapter without a plot point or just a bad book.

Tip 3- How to end a chapter. Now people can probably debate about this for hours but the bottom line is once you end that chapter the reader should be doing a tiger claw in frustration because they want more. One way to accomplish this; are with cliffhangers. For example: Your Mc is finally going on his/her first date. Yaaay!- Everything is awesome some funny things happen they finally have their first kiss *blush* But right at the end the Boyfriend/girldriend's ex shows up. Bam! end of chapter.

Now the reader is like wtf, what is going to happen next, is that new person going to try and spoil the date? Are they going to fight. Whaaat, what,what?

That is what you want people. Now a book does not always have to end on a cliffhanger and it can get irritating if it happens with every damn chapter. All you have to do to understand this, is think back to the old days when you watched dragonball Z. "Freeeza I am gonna kill you so bad!" and then the dreaded voice "Stay tuned for the next episode of...."

 My point is, give your readers info with the plot points but keep them hungry for more.

Tip 4- Some may be thinking if I add plot points to every chapter I wont have much to write about. This is where plot points gets its little sidekick called SIDE PLOTS its like the sauce and garnish in your burger. It makes the meat all the more delicious and tasty.

So your plot is the hero needs to go kill some ugly mofo somewhere. The side plots are the things that distract him/her from this. Maybe he meets an old man along the way to go kill the monster. OH NO! the old mans daughter has been kidnapped by bandits! SURPRISE a side plot is born. Every story should have side plots, if you don't, get some!

They are perfect for showing your MC's growth and introducing new characters. A side plot can be 1 chapter long or several but remember it must fit in and weave into the main plot.


So those are my tips to my fellow, beginner writers.

I know there are a lot of you who can add to this, so do it! My noobishness needs it.
Read my fic or..... (¬¦_¦)=/????/’?’? ? ??? ?? ??.

Sky Prince- Book 1 Battle for Atlantia