I recently came across this fascinating article by author Caleb Pirtle:
Do you write your chapters too long? Are you still stuck in the old days? - Venture Galleries
In it he recounts an interview that he conducted with James Patterson. Patterson had started writing shorter chapters, just 3-4 pages long, because he discovered that it kept readers reading.
Here's a quote from Patterson:
I recommend giving this article a read in it's entirety.
How do you feel about shorter chapters in your books?
Do you write your chapters too long? Are you still stuck in the old days? - Venture Galleries
In it he recounts an interview that he conducted with James Patterson. Patterson had started writing shorter chapters, just 3-4 pages long, because he discovered that it kept readers reading.
Here's a quote from Patterson:
Let’s say a reader is sitting around at night reading one of my books. He comes to the end of a chapter. It’s late, but he thinks, well, the next chapter is only four pages long, and I have time for that. And the next chapter is only three pages long, and he certainly has time to read that. Pretty soon, it’s midnight, and he’s finished the book. If the next chapter had been twenty pages long, the reader would think, well, that’s too long to start tonight. I’ll read it later, maybe tomorrow. And it might be days or weeks before he picks the book up again. Of course, he may get busy and never get back to the book. I can’t afford to take that chance. My goal is to keep the reader reading. Short chapters keep him reading.
I recommend giving this article a read in it's entirety.
How do you feel about shorter chapters in your books?