Your best word counts?

[Chessie]

What's a good word count for a chapter? Books come in so many shapes and sizes I can't tell how many pages I'm writing.

Do it by theme of the chapter or plot point. For example, intro chapters, climax chapters, midpoint chapters, this sort of thing. Let the word count within that chapter be what it needs to be in order to achieve your point to the next chapter, if that makes sense.

 

[Penpilot]

I heard 2500 words is a sweet spot for not too short and not too long. My chapters tend to fall in around that ball park. But there are always exceptions.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

Do it by theme of the chapter or plot point. For example, intro chapters, climax chapters, midpoint chapters, this sort of thing. Let the word count within that chapter be what it needs to be in order to achieve your point to the next chapter, if that makes sense.

Apparently you get the rank Istari at 2,000 posts...

 

[ThinkerX]

What's a good word count for a chapter? Books come in so many shapes and sizes I can't tell how many pages I'm writing.

In my recent rough drafts, 1700 to 2400 words is the norm, though these will grow a couple hundred words after rewrites.

I do have a few chapters of under 400 words.

At the other extreme, the one I have been working on this past week stands at 5500 words right now, and will top 6500 (maybe 7000) before I finish, but because of its theme (doomed expedition) can't rightly be broken up.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Back when I was writing for the MMO, I'd average about 3,000 words a day.

These days, I have a real job, which doesn't let me spend much time writing, so when I do sit down and write, I usually run about 1,500 words in a sitting.

My all time best was about 8,500, and that was on a particularly inspired day, and I was writing all day long.