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I'm just curious on what is the basis of chapter naming/numbering. I'm reading Burgess’ Earthly Powers and I see that the chapters only consist of 4 or 5 pages (I'm now in chapter 10). On the other hand, there are those books where the chapter consists a lot of pages that might make you wonder when the chapter going to end.
So, is there any ground rules on chapter naming/numbering or is it something that merely depend on the author’s style?
Sub, I think it's up to the writer's discretion. I recently read a 180-ish page book with no chapters at all. The author uses chapter length for various reasons, sometimes to setup a rhythm, sometimes to break up transitions, sometimes to create a structure.Quote:
Originally Posted by subterranean
There are nor rules for chapters, length, names, or anything related.
Sub..I think the choice of chapter naming, numbering, lenght, etc is all down to an author to decide. But, am not sure of that. I know those who know will gladly lets know the genuiness of that...right?
Thanks, folks. I'm not a writer so I don't know much about the groundrules in writing, i.e. chapter numbering. I have a feeling that it depends on the author. However, I'm not completely sure about it. It should be based on something, I thought, like for example, a theme.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime uses only prime numbers for chapters, and Henry Fielding's Tom Jones consists of more than 300 chapters, none more than a dozen pages long. In The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy by Laurence Stern, chapters 18 and 19 follow chapter 25.
I think the main function of the chapter is to give a place where the author can say "whew, I've got annother chapter written. Now I can go for a beer".