Why does it seem my chapters are so short? Question from the mail bag #1

This will be my first time posting in response to a question. If you have any yourself, about writing or even about me personally, post a comment or shoot me a message and I’ll get back with you and possibly make a post about the topic. Also have started a “Q and A” list on the “About Me” page.

Q:

When I write I always find that I get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ very quick. I'm not too good at adding detail so chapters end up being very short. That's one of the big issues I have. IDK maybe that doesn't make sense.

A:

Actually that does make sense to me. You probably are getting really focused on what you are wanting to HAPPEN in the story, and not so much on the TELLING of the story. Here is a great exercise that I think can help you out with this. First, go ahead and write out the story / chapter as you normally would. Now, start back over from the beginning and start reading the work slowly. Doing this normally helps you “picture” the world. Are you getting a good mental image of what is going on during the story? If so, double check with the words, and make sure you’re not mentally adding everything yourself. If your character walks into a bar and yanks some guy out of his chair, make sure ALL of that is actually written down. If you are montaging the events, it can be a problem. You have to make sure to give the character(s) enough 'screen time' to actually seem alive.

This brings up the debate of “how much is: too much, too little, enough” when it comes to details in a story. I have another entire blog post planned out for this, but I’ll give a cliff notes version here. “Enough” is when you can, within the confines of your own style, convey your story to another using only what you have written. If you have to keep verbally clarifying for your reader, then you need to add those details into the book. Unless it’s something that’s explained/ revealed a lot later, but then that’s a style choice and not a clarity issue.

That being said, there is no reason for you to write out every micro detail your character(s) is(are) doing. It can be to your benefit to let the reader "fill in the blanks." If you put in TOO many details, the reader may get bogged down and have an issue relating with the story. It's okay for a chapter to be "short." "Short" is a relative term and as long as it works for you and your story, there's no problem.

This most likely will be my only post for the week. I will be presenting at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus Ohio and am going to be INSANELY busy. Hopefully I can manage a post on Sunday when I get home but no promises.

--Kirk