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Dramatica Tip
of the Month
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How Many Chapters in a Novel?
Q: I am writing a novel and I am having difficulty with creating chapters. I know there is the “Step by step” process in Dramatica Pro that talks about the 28 character events and suggests that one each should be put into a single chapter. I will say that given that I have probably created something like 400 to 500 points of interest, to now drop them into 28 chapters in a way that makes sense seems like quite a challenge. Any suggestions?
A: Do NOT feel constricted to 28 chapters. That is one way to build them, but it primarily focuses on act sized plot elements. You may find it easier to construct scenes and then organize those scenes into chapters at a later point (or vice versa, for that matter). There is no generic way to write the correct number of scenes or chapters in a novel.
I recommend looking at novels similar to your own to get ideas for organizing and presenting your story. Some novels are very formalized (such as Huckleberry Finn) and have titles that say what is going on in the chapter. Others break every major beat in a story into its own one or two page chapter. Whatever works, is my motto.
I also recommend that you be flexible and feel free to change your mind as you go along.
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