I think the shortest chapter I ever read was literally a blank page. You can’t get any shorter than that, now can you? I’ve also seen chapters that had only a single word, usually an exclamation, like “Help!” Certainly, the one-word chapter will catch the reader’s attention. It will also make for an easy read if you’re the type that only reads a chapter a day. On the other end of the spectrum, how long should a chapter be? That depends on how much information you want to share in a given section of the novel. But, be careful: don’t be too long. I’ve read chapters that were over a hundred pages in length. A bit long.

Some writers set a specific page or word length for each chapter and then others think of a chapter as being a story within a story – something that, like a story, must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. For me, chapter-length just happens. I don’t believe in the blank page chapter length. Nor do I believe in just one word per chapter (I’ve seen one-word chapters in some of the books I’ve read). I also don’t believe in epic lengths for a chapter, as that’s enough in itself to turn off readers, especially those who want to read a complete chapter at a time.

I think the average length of 2500 to 3000 words makes for an adequate chapter length, but I’m not going to stop short at the 3000-word limit. Nor am I going to add a lot of filler words to make the chapter at least 2500 words. Page length of 8 to 15 pages is a good length, but going up to 40 pages is a bit much. Remember the poor reader who wants to finish a chapter before turning off the light for a good night’s sleep. Using blank pages or minimal words for a chapter can also be effective in highlighting key points like how time passes, often more slowly when in mourning. Chapter lengths can be a powerful tool. Lewis Carroll uses this tool effectively in “Through the Looking Glass” where he has two very short chapters back to back, one with 59 words and the next with only 8 words.

Some writers advocate a specific word or page length depending on the genre. For example, some believe that a fantasy novel should have chapter lengths between 5,000 and 8,000 words, while science fiction and romance novels should only be about 3,000 words. But who’s counting? Don’t get bogged down on chapter lengths. Just write. I don’t believe in hard-set rules on chapter lengths. It’s a matter of what the author perceives as beneficial to the story. If a blank-page chapter works in creating an overwhelming sense of awe and eerie subtleties, then go for it. Just don’t overdo it. After all, you’re not writing a novel full of blank page chapters. What would be the point of that?