A general letter on the length of chapters in fanfic

[timepiececlock]

Dear Avatar ficdom (and others),

Be not afraid of long chapters.

Apologize not for long chapters.

Shorten not your long-chapter-writing tendencies for the (illusory) benefit of your audience. Short chapters are not a benefit, they are a detriment. Long chapters means not only more of a good thing, but also more complete and coherent story progression, more time spent transitioning from scene to scene, and generally more care and attention to the overall plot. And if you don't believe any of that: they're also more like real books.

Write long chapters. Long and juicy and rewarding chapters.

Give us readers something to sink our teeth into.

Sincerely,

Rashaka


P.S. I myself am mentally, emotionally, and typographically incapable of writing long chapters. I have the quill's equivalent of ADD. This is my excuse. But those of you who talk about writing long chapters and then shortening them because you think people don't want to read a 20+ page chapter? YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS EXCUSE. You are in fact going against your long-chapter-writing nature, which is so very wrong. Anyone who tells you they want short chapters is lying. LYING. Peace out.



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EDIT to add:

So, I wrote a review last week, complaining about Zuko being a pod-person in the fic. I received this most amusing reply:

i reject reality and substitute my own. the zuko in the show is a new man in my fic!

At least she's honest. Still frustrating, but honest! I think perhaps I should use the above statement more often in my daily conversations:

"Make dinner? I don't need dinner. I reject reality and substitute my own!"

Comments

[akavertigo.livejournal.com]

Want to be my royal jester? (Easy money: you just sit there and mock Canada.)

[memlu.livejournal.com]

SWEET! I don't even have to change my daily routine!

[akavertigo.livejournal.com]

You'll have to noogie people on command, though.

[memlu.livejournal.com]

Still not seeing any changes!

[akavertigo.livejournal.com]

I'm not particularly surprised by this.

also!

[memlu.livejournal.com]

Dear Callico:

Why is that last one-liner you requested turning into a bigfic?

Thank you,
Mem.

Re: also!

[akavertigo.livejournal.com]

Royal prerogative? (And because I love you long long long time?)

Re: also!

[akavertigo.livejournal.com]

Is it the poem bit one? Because if yes, then behold the powers of Anne Stevenson! (WARNING: Next time you open up a request thread, I am so going Rumi/Rilke on your innocent brain bits.)

PS:...er, you still have some innocent brain bits, right?

[memlu.livejournal.com]

It is! It is! And I might be looking for some of her poetry volumes at Borders tomorrow, too. (YOU THRIVE ON THIS SORT OF THING, DON'T YOU.)

PS: I can't -- I'm not sure. We'll have to wait and see.

[akavertigo.livejournal.com]

She's either really easy to find...or like the freakin' Holy Grail. And if the ever helpful wage-monkey asks if you're looking Anne Sexton instead, you have full karmic permission to bite off their thumbs and pee on the V.C. Andrews collections. (Nothing against Sexton.)

[akavertigo.livejournal.com]

With V.C.? Seriously? Pee and set it on fire.

[memlu.livejournal.com]

Flowers in the Attic kind of makes me want to go out back and stab things.

Girl at School: But when they finally made love, it was such an emotional experience, a beautiful completion of their love!
Memlu:
Memlu:
Memlu: HE RAPED HER.
Girl at School: But she said it was all right after! Because she loved him!
Memlu: His sister.

[akavertigo.livejournal.com]

Me: Y'know, I've got a sister. And an attic. Yet, nope, nada, never got tempted.
Other: Well, you're not gay.
Me: Oh, right: that's the reason.

[akavertigo.livejournal.com]

...and then I killed them all.

[memlu.livejournal.com]

I'm going to hope my proximity to D.C. and the frequency with which Serious Artistic Types show up at this particular Borders will guarantee the presence of her poetry. (GOD V.C. ANDREWS. Rage. Rage and hate.)