Is 1,694 words short for a chapter?

Question

It's suppose to be a book for ages 12 an up. My long chapters are usually over 3,000 words long. I'm just wondering if these are short chapters or not.

EDITH:

It's suppose to be 25 chapters long and I'm on chapter 21 right now if that helps.

Answer 1

The reason you have chapters is to shift scenes, moods, ideas, or provide a 'rest' for your reader. Some books can be exhausting to read if the chapters are too long.

There are no rules to chapters either. They simply break up the story for the reader.

Answer 2

As a published writer, I can tell you that there is no hard and fast rule for this.  Use chapter breaks instead of them using you.  Chapter breaks make for a nice transition in time when a specific period wants to be glossed over for the sake of story progression.  I've actually "jumped" 400 years in one particular novel using a chapter break.  In another, it was only the next morning.  I've also used chapter breaks to transition from one character perspective to another.  Be creative in your chapter breaks.  They can be as important in telling a story as the plot itself by helping it along.  

Answer 3

I just read Life of Pi, the shortest chapter is two words.

My point?

Chapters are however long or short you need them to be.

Answer 4

I'm struggling with the same thing. Most of my chapters for a suspense novel come out a little over 2,000. Falling short in the word count drives me crazy.

I think part of the problem when the word counts varies is when the design is made for the book. Will your chapters always start on a right-hand page, or will it matter? For some authors it's a very important consideration.

Answer 5

I don't see anything wrong with short chapters as long as they serve a purpose. To me, it is a short chapter but if you are writing for the youth then they may not mind. It might give them a break and a sense of accomplishment for reading a chapter in such a short amount of time.

Answer 6

Chapters don't really have to be a certain length. i mean you shouldn't have one chapter that's 6000 words long and then the next chapter be 100 words... unless it works for your story. sometimes stories just need shorter chapter. john grisham writes short chapters. some of his chapters are only a few sentences long and steven king can write a chapter using thousands and thousands of words. so just start and end a chapter when you need to.

good luck with your story. may i read it when you're done? i love reading people's work.

♥

Answer 7

a new chapter starts when a new line of thought, or a change in the idea/ideas that you were writting about.-blurey

Answer 8

I think that a good chapter length is however long it takes you to get through the story!! Add just the right amount of detail, and it should be good! I don't think that 1,694 is too short. My average chapter is around 2,000, but some of mine reach up to 3,000. good luck on finishing!!