11 Answers2025-06-10
In tie-in novels for role-playing games such asLitRPG, chapters can be of varying lengths depending on the game mechanics. This means that a chapter could end with a big quest completed or when a character gains a new level. The chapter length would thus follow the in-story progression and not follow traditional narrative structures. In terms of length, such novels would thus not have a ‘standard’ average length of chapters as seen in typical fantasy novels. Instead, the structural rules of a game world or the rules of a progression fantasy would determine the length of a chapter. In progression fantasy for example, a chapter would be as long as it takes for a cultivation cycle or a training montage to be completed by a protagonist. These subgenres therefore have their own structural rules which make the average length for chapters in a typical fantasy novel less relevant. Here, the chapter serves a different master than in typical fantasy: the master is game logic or the progression of power of a protagonist.
4 Answers2025-06-10
Most YA fantasy novels fall in the range of 70,000 to 90,000 words. That can vary from the debut novel to longer novels in a series. In general, however, every chapter must earn its place in the novel. The plot must be tight and well-written. My book, Classic Faery Tales Rewritten For Adults Only, takes familiar elements of fantasy stories and rewrites them for adults only. This novel presents the same archetypes in a darker and more mature setting, focusing on the same political intrigue and moral conflicts that are presented in classic faery tales but are glossed over in children’s stories.
8 Answers2025-06-10
I came across a great blog post from a developmental editor. Most of the time when I’m reviewing manuscripts for a new writer, I suggest they’ve written too many scenes in one long chapter rather than spreading them out over more chapters. Specifically, they fail to take full advantage of the chapter break as a means of increased tension.
A chapter break is a moment of silence. It allows your reader to wonder what happens next. It is a built-in amplification of your cliffhangers and revelations. If you have a big reveal at the end of a scene, then that should be the end of the chapter. Allow your reader to sit with the bombshell you’ve just given them before you move on from it.
When evaluating chapter length, consider whether there is a better point to break in that content. Are you trying to fit two chapters into one long chapter? Remember that two strong scenes can be even better than one long, meandering one, and often need a breath of space between them.
9 Answers2025-04-20
This is an interesting discussion for me. I have only watched the show so far, but it sounds like the book took a few different routes than they did in the series. I might have to read this in order to get a better sense of the author's vibe.
7 Answers2025-08-16
My rule of thumb for the length of a fantasy novel is this: Novels under 300 pages don’t have enough room for a fully realized world; novels over 600 pages rarely have the pacing to support their length. (There are exceptions to both of these, of course. Some writers are able to create fully realized worlds in very short novels; others are able to make 800 page novels fly by.) In general, though, I find that novels of 400- to 500- pages are best. There’s enough room for a good plot with plenty of twists, for fully developed characters, and for a richly detailed world. Yet such novels are never self-indulgent. (That would be a novel of, say, 1000 pages or more.) Instead, they’re substantial but disciplined. That’s my typical.
6 Answers2025-06-10
Make up a cover story for any reason you have for knowing something. For medicine, tell people your grandmother was a healer. For advanced math, say you found an old scholar's notes or something. Never say "in my world" (it sounds suspicious). Make up a story for why you are the way that you are, and stick to it. People will look for inconsistencies in your story, so practice it until it feels natural, and until you can conjure up appropriate emotions to go along with the story (i.e. you feel a pang of nostalgia when thinking about your grandmother teaching you to make potions, or you scowl in frustration whenever you think about losing that notebook with all your math problems in it). Your cover story is your first line of defense against inquisitive mages and suspicious nobles.
11 Answers2025-06-10
Your old writing practices may not work anymore. In the past, you wrote alone, looked up information on the Internet, and drank lots of coffee. Now, to write, you need to collaborate with a bard for the melody, an illustrator for the visuals, and a scribe for copies of your work. In this sense, writing becomes a very communal activity and even a performance. You can write by dictating your work to a scribe while acting out the parts. It’s all part of the oral tradition. Go perform your stories in taverns and adjust to the audience’s reaction immediately. Charisma and the ability to perform are just as important for your success as a good plot.
5 Answers2025-07-28
Pride by Ibi Zoboi, it's a Pride and Prejudice retalling as a Black romance.
Children of Blood and Bones by Tomi Adeyemi, African Fantasy/Mythology which also has romance.
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson, Black romance really beautifully and lyrically written. As someone who's not typically a fan of romance, this book is really good.
5 Answers2025-08-03
If you like Sanderson's work, some other good choices for authors are Brent Weeks, Brian McClellan, and Will Wight. Also Charlie Holmberg, if your tastes are slightly more feminine.
11 Answers2025-09-20
I love this little detail with 'luxin lamps'. They are so simple and so beautiful for a piece of worldbuilding. A will-caster makes a permanent yellow luxin globe. This simple invention would revolutionize so many aspects of society, and here it is, just a background detail to consider. It shows just how deeply magic has sunk into the practical, mundane details of daily life. So, yes, there are huge, epic battles to fight. But there’s also this: an eternal light in the corner of a tavern; blue-luxin windows that never crack. These are the kind of tiny details that make a world really feel like it’s been logged out in fine detail from its core premise and extended from there in a totally logical manner.