An Update and a Question · 5:24pm Jul 14th, 2016
Hello, all! Wow, it's been a while, huh?
I wanted to give you all a quick update on how things have been going for the past 6 months (geeze, was it really that long? Sorry about that.) First and foremost, Chapter 10 of Spectrum is nearing completion! I've moved into the editing phase of writing it, which is the last stage I go through before posting it! I'm not going to give a date for when it'll be done (because, let's face it, I'm not very good with deadlines), but fear not, the next chapter is still coming! I ain't dead yet!
Second, I have a question for you readers in regards to Chapter 10. Without spoiling anything, looking at the next chapter as I've written it, I think I could split it into two separate chapters instead of keeping it all as one chapter. I'd like to ask you, my few but faithful readers to help me choose whether to split the chapter up or keep it together. To help you with deciding, allow me to explain the differences between the two choices.
Keep it as 1 Chapter
Chapter length: ~15,000 words
Pro: When the chapter is finished, you'll get a lot more story to read than if it was split up
Con: Chapter 10 will take longer to come out
Split it in 2 Chapters
Chapter lengths: ~5,000 (C 10) & ~10,000 (C 11)
Pro: Chapter 10 will come out quicker, and Chapter 11 will come out soon after
Con: Each chapter will have much less content to it than they would together (chapter 10 in particular being much shorter than I am generally comfortable with)
So those are the options we have on the table. Personally, I'm leaning more towards keeping it as 1 chapter, but I'd like to hear more opinions before I commit to anything.
So... yeah. What do you guys think?
split! you could get them out faster.
My general advice, when it comes to chapter length and break-points, is to completely ignore word count. Pretend it doesn't exist at all. Focus instead on whether the events within the text would work better as one individual piece or two separate pieces. Look at the themes presented, particularly any minor arcs within the story, and base the chapters around that. Also consider where a break would be best spent. They can be great tools to build tension or drama, but they can also be speed-bumps that interrupt the flow and detract from a scene that would be better left in one piece.