A chapter comes at an appropriate point in the narrative. There's really no rule you can apply categorically for when a chapter break should come. They can be useful for conveying the passing of time in a general sense, or for providing a break between viewpoint characters if you've got multiple viewpoint characters. You could say a major change in the setting, whether in time or space, could be a place to break for a chapter, but that's not really a hard and fast rule either.
I think a general thought is that each chapter should be leading into the next—though I would assume that would fit in with the idea of gradually rising tension throughout a book.
While you don't necessarily need to break your book up into chapters, if you're having trouble doing it, I would consider looking back at what you're writing. If you can't find any places that work for narrative breaks, you might have some things you need to work on with your writing; focusing on major details, ensuring that the plot flows and doesn't become stagnant, and so on.
As with all metatext things, don't get too caught up on it (whether it's word count, chapter count, chapter divisions, et cetera) because in writing, the writing should be most important. If your story works without chapters, don't put in chapters.
The Electric Eccentric
Well, there are plenty of ways to end a chapter; one big determinant is what happens in the chapter that follows. Say you're in the middle of an action scene. Two characters seem to have everything under control...but suddenly, enemy reinforcements arrive. You could end the chapter right there on a cliffhanger of sorts, and then immediately pick up the second chapter with the two bad dudes fighting their way out of the situation.
You could also try ending with something punchy and memorable — a Wham Line that makes the reader go "What?" and make them either want to leave a bookmark there to pick up tomorrow, or immediately drive them to read on.
Or you could think of a chapter's end as a chance for the reader to take a breath — or set things up for a change of pace/scenery. If your chapter has a motley crew having a heart-to-heart before they set out to save the world, then the end of the chapter could have the hero coming to one final, resolute conclusion before hitting the hay. That way, you can pick up the next chapter with the journey to the baddies' lair.
So as a general rule, I'd just be mindful of what the next chapter entails. (Or if the chapter's at the end of the story/book, what image or thought or idea or words you want to leave the reader on.) That's pretty much about all I can offer right now — but if you've got your chapter almost done, why not tell us what's in it? If you give me some details, I might be able to help even further.
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I personally end at a point of termination. In English this means the story part has basically finished, often using a piece of dialogue to convey the finality.
For example from my chapter "Counterattack! Two Great Armies Clash!" I begin like so:
“Swordmaster. They are coming!” One Preyaran Lancer said approaching where Swordmaster Khornan stood.
“Where?” He replied.
“Everywhere! The Terrans have launched a full scale counterattack all over the planet! Kasen’s division has already been engaged alongside the Phoenix Corps!”
Khornan walked over to the panicked Lancer realizing this was not some diversion.
“Calm down warrior, where is the main thrust of this counterattack headed?” He said talking some sense into him.
“Here. This city.”
“Do we know who? Which outfits?” Khornan said trying to re-think his standing.
“My report here tells who we know of. I have confirmation of the Terrans’ Eighth Armored Division, Third Infantry, Special Operations Taskforce Assault Team: Bravo, and the Fourth Fighter Wing.” The Lancer said pulling up his hastily constructed dossier of documents compiled from various sources.
“Get back on the radio warrior, I’ll handle this from here.” Khornan said dismissing the Lancer.
He looked out a nearby window seeing the clear sunlight pouring down trying to think.
“Jameson you worthy bastard… Alright then, we’ll decide the fate of this planet right here right now…”
That is an introductory scene to the chapter which over the course of the events of it leads to this as conclusion and thus ending the chapter.
“Well done Jameson. Well done. But this is only the beginning of this war, we are not done yet.” He said as nearby Lancers quickly began to pack up and leave.
“Swordmaster, the final report you requested has come in.” The Lancer who first reported the offensive said handing over one last packet of documents. “Is there anything else I can do before we leave?”
“Just one thing, get my son along with us…”
“Yes Swordmaster.” The Lancer said before heading back to his radio.
“The burden of being the Swordmaster is almost too much to bear… I can admit defeat Jameson, enjoy it while it lasts.” Khornan quietly said to himself as he began directing everybody out.
Over the next three weeks following the decisive battles outside Elysium City and other locations, the Preyaran forces all over the colony fell back in full retreat, evacuating the planet and abandoning the Epsilon Eridani system in total. Within two weeks of that, the Preyarans had pulled back from the Feyline world of Shalea and their campaign against the Terran military facilities at Wolf 359 as well. The entire front had calmed down back to what it was just prior to the onset of hostilities. This time however, it was the Alliance’s move. This time they were on the offensive…
That last line/paragraph is the termination point. There the plot for that chapter has concluded and is ready to move on to the next chapter.
I can show you other less expository endings if you ask so you can know alternate means of ending a chapter.
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May I just say that I think the title of that chapter is absolutely hilarious. (Also, ending a chapter on an ellipsis is pretty high on the corny scale, too.)
In any event and back on topic, chapter length and the position of chapter breaks is completely up to your own discretion, as is whether to use them in the first place. If you're looking to create tension, then a chapter could end after the characters have overcome one particular obstacle, and as they begin to confront their next obstacle. The chapter should in some sense feel like a complete story 'unit'. And if your story doesn't work that way, that's fine. But like I said above, it can't hurt to see if you've got extra padding you can cut out that's preventing you from finding a clean break in the action.
Remember to always murder your darlings
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I know right? I have all kinds of weird chapter names like that.
Also ending on an ellipses is appropriate considering I separate chapters by a set of five splats (the \*).* Trailing off like that I have seen in several published works.
Not to derail this too much... but how exactly is that supposed to be at all mutually exclusive with "corniness"?
Even Twilight fanfiction gets published nowadays, so that's not exactly a good point—and there's plenty of corny published books any way. You don't really need to trail off like that at the end of a chapter, since the separation between a chapter ending and one starting already offers a break from the narrative.
What I think makes your instance of it stand out so much to me is that you've got a very dry third-person narrator, so the narrator's voice is for the most part non-existent. But then with the ellipsis, you're essentially making the narrator's voice evident as an actual spoken voice, and it feels jarring. Ellipses denote a certain way of speaking, so they don't work as well in prose that's not meant to be read like a transcript or dialogue. It feels a bit like you were writing it the way a movie narrator would say it, instead of the way a book would say it.
I don't want to get too off topic though, so getting back to generally how to end a chapter, one thing I'd be wary about, OP, is trying to get overly sarcastic/snarky/witty with the ending sentences. If you think a chapter's ending is weak, it's not going to be helped by a Schwarzenegger-level oneliner or dickish self-aware narration. Sincerity is going to be better than stylishness just about all of the time.
edited 21st Aug '12 6:38:05 PM by Kotep
Let me throw out a few ideas:
- After a reveal.
- After a scene.
- After a character makes an important decision.
- When the conflict increases.
^^^ It's technically not mutually exclusive. You can have a corny trailing off and be published and have a well-placed trailing off and be published. Just pointing out that it isn't by publishing standards considered bad writing or bad style.
edited 21st Aug '12 6:45:13 PM by MajorTom
So, I'm writing this thing- well, of course I am, otherwise I wouldn't be here- and I seem to have this little problem.
Now, by no means necessary am I an expert writer, but I still pride myself on my work. It might not be as good as I hope it could be, but honestly, when is that ever the case?
Anyway, the problem I'm having is, as the name of the thread would suggest, that I can't figure out how to end a chapter. I mean, I think that the rest of the chapter's pretty good, but then towards the end it just sort of... ends. I know that sounds redundant, but it just stops. There's not a lot of tension, no segue, nothing. It just stops.
So, I was wondering, again, as the title would suggest, just how does one end a chapter? Like, what do you guys normally do?
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