When I wrote my first draft and my friends read my first chapter there was a lot of excitement. Yes, it was long (57 pages!) it was full of errors and just generally needed tightening and shortening, but it entertained nonetheless and my friends wanted to read on. Success!
They also encouraged me to make the book suitable for publication so I always had that option, even though I started out writing purely for my own pleasure. It didn't seem like much of a stretch to work out how to make smaller chapters, bring the book down to a publishable size etc.
But chopping the book meant making some hard decisions, losing characters, sacrificing sub-plots and losing some of what people had enjoyed. I justified it as necessary because that is what everyone does. And the cuts were all over the book, but the first 57 pages were hit hardest. They now stand at 34 pages and when someone read the first 20 or so recently her comment was that I appeared to be hurrying through far too fast, that scenes should be opened out and that some of the narrative had become synopsis-like in my haste. I saw what I could do to the chapter to make the transitions smoother and show just the most important information on the characters, skipping the tell, but I stopped short of making the changes. I know why. Those original 57 pages are still in a box next to me and how different they were to the extract she had read. My heart wants to open the box and let out the original 57. That chapter just sang in a way the replacement doesn't.
What would you do? Would you open the box and re-cut the original (this was a job and a half the first time and there is no guarantee I would do it better) or would you take the 34 pages you have and restructure?
That was not the question, Adrian!
The 34 pages has been split into a prologue and 4 chapters, but I cannot think about it split because it wasn't written that way. Call it the first section of the book if that's the way you have to think about it.
It is about the school days of my two MCs. The next section moves on to them 8 years later (hence my never being able to see past my original chapter marks.) The first 34/57 are various scenes from their school days important to their future. It was hell to cut because nothing was completely irrelevant in the original. I just found ways to move conversations on quicker and skip great swathes. Trouble is, that is what has given it its current 'tell factor'. And it's not that I don't know how to remedy it, I'm just not sure which is the best way. Do I rectify the current format or re-cut the raw material? I'm very aware something was lost in the cutting and while I'm confident I can restructure what I have, I'm not sure that will put back the x-factor the original chapter seemed to have. My first readers cried at the end of the chapter. As soon as I cut it the tears dried up.
Hi Victoria.
It is a hard call without having read your work.
Long chapters usually have too much going on. More than one dramatic event/landmark or too many situations. Long chapter titles are a clue to the reader. The author has a long chapter title to cover more than one situation in the chapter. But I am not saying you can't have a long chapter with one main event. Its simply that short chapters give pace to the novel, and are becoming increasingly popular.
The 34 pages you have left is twice the length of the longest chapters in contemporary novels. The 34 pages need breaking down into 2 or more chapters. I would aim for shorter chapters of 8 to 12 pages.
I used Sharon Creech's novel, Ruby Holler, as a model for the lengths of my chapters. But I am not recommending that others follow suit. In my novel there are not many chapters over 6 pages. It makes the editing process easier, and allows me too cut, merge or extend chapters. I will definitely expand some of my chapters.
A few tips that you are probably already aware of
Chapters should be short: no more than eight to twelve pages. They can be as short as half a page, or two, three, four pages in length.
Chapters should have broad themes, yet be strong as a unit.
A chapter should link with the preceding and following chapter.
Chapters should have a dramatic opening. A landmark signpost and end with a cliff-hanger. (maybe) or a hook (always).
Who or what is the chapter about?
Where is the chapter set/location?
Each chapter should be a water-tight, self-contained episode.
I hope that helps.
Good luck.