(Keep in mind that, with first drafts, the title is just a suggestion.)
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| "That sounds a lot like one of your other books." |
Of course, there will be changes. For one thing, I'm putting a few pictures into the book. Don't tell Emily, she's up to her arms in pictures for another book, and just might strangle me. That would increase sales, I suppose.
As I was looking over the draft, I also counted chapter lengths. I'm not OCD by any means, much, usually, but I like my chapters to be approximately the same length. There's no particular reason for that; in fact, chapters should be the length they are, along the lines of "start at the beginning, go on to the end, then stop".
But in this rough draft, my longest chapter is nineteen pages ... and my shortest is three.
Yeah, that's not gonna happen.
This is a humor book, and I think a humor book chapter should be no longer than, say, the average bathroom break. So I'm thinking of chopping up the longer chapters into short ones, which will probably leave me with around two dozen or so. What do you think? Do you prefer long or short chapters? And does it bother you if they vary greatly in one book?
And how much do you think it annoyed the dog to find himself holding a copy of the original Slightly Off the Mark? I mean, he got his picture on the cover, so who is he to complain?
http://markrhunter.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Mark-R-Hunter/e/B0058CL6OO
I find unequal chapter sizes refreshing. Especially if I've got to put the book down for a couple of days. That way I only have to reread a couple of pages to get back into the swing of it.
ReplyDeleteTrue--if you can choose where you end and begin again! We just finished reading the Odd Thomas novels, which have widely varying chapter lengths. The problem is, it was hard to stop reading, so sometimes it didn't work out for us!
DeleteGreat cover! Please, don't strangle each other. Writing a book is hard enough! Lol
ReplyDeleteOh, wait until she finds out how much I screwed up the formatting!
DeleteI would vary the chapter lengths, but I agree with you on the nineteen pages. That is too long for a humor book. The cover is wonderful. Of course, it should draw all dog lovers. I think I Tweeted, but it said I had already done so.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's what I want--dog lovers. Dog haters need not apply!
DeleteIt depends on the genre.
ReplyDeleteIn that I agree entirely.
DeleteI think it depends on the genre too, as William states above.
ReplyDeleteMy chapters toward the end are usually shorter, to create a sort of pace, since I write fiction, and by the time I get to the climax (in the book, smarty pants), usually needs to create a sort of anxiousness in the reader. Giving them the sensation of racing break-neck speed (or something faster than a turtle), I've read the writer should try for shorter sentences and chapters, if possible.
Cute dog. Probably should write his/her own chapter, or at least the afterword.
How did you know I was a smarty pants?
DeleteBut you're right, shorter chapters, sentences, and paragraphs are indeed recommended as you approach the finish line. It doesn't work so well in non-ficton, of course, but I shoot for it in fiction.
As for Beowulf, he edited the original "Slightly Off the Mark", according to the book cover--what else could he possibly want? :-)