Your Next Draft 3 Ways to Organize the Chapters of a Novel
Scenes and chapters are not the same.
Scenes are the units of story writers use to craft amazing stories. They include one story event that moves the plot forward.
Chapters are the units of story that readers see. Writers divide their books into chapters in a variety of ways in order to shape the way their readers experience the book.
How do these work together? How can you craft chapters that are the best fit for your book?
In this episode, I’ll show you three ways that authors divide their books into chapters. Plus, I’ll show you examples from novels ranging from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to Hank Green’s An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.
You’ll learn:
- Why there’s no “right” number of scenes that must go in every chapter
- 2 essential principles to help you organize the chapters in your book
- How the number of scenes in a chapter impacts the reader’s experience
- 3 common ways authors organize scenes into chapters
- And more!
This isn’t a comprehensive list of every possible way to organize your chapters. Study your favorite novels, and you’ll find so many creative ways that authors arrange the chapters in their books.
But the principles I’m sharing in this episode will be helpful to you no matter how you decide to organize your chapters.
This episode was inspired by a listener question from Kathi. Thanks, Kathi!
Have an editing question you’d like answered? Send me an email at alice@alicesudlow.com with the subject line “Podcast Question,” and I’ll keep it in mind for future podcast episodes!
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Ep. 8: What Is a Scene? The Ultimate Guide to Write and Edit Amazing Scenes
- PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen
- SEAFIRE by Natalie C. Parker
- RADIO SILENCE by Alice Oseman
- AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING by Hank Green
Want my support in your revision?
In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.
Get started by telling me about your story here.
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