Is there an ideal chapter length?

[Frakme]

I'm talking maximums here.
I've been turned off reading what I think looks like a really good fanfic because the chapters are far too long, or a big story has been published as one chapter. It's mainly practical, unless something is less than 5000 words, I'm unlikely to be able to read it in one sitting(just because I'm likely not to have the time!) and it's so annoying to get really into a story, then have to leave it, then find it is a major faff trying to remember where I left off. I do most of my reading my smartphone as well.
I've been doing some multi-chaptered fics myself and I was just curious about other people's thoughts on this matter.

[Glory1863]

I was involved with the last of the "extra seasons" of Enterprise over at the Warp 5 Complex. They had a story size limit for exactly the reasons you mentioned. I don't have the specific "rules" anymore, but I want to say that 5000 words sounds about right. I second your complaints. I'm usually reading before work or at lunch in between jobs. I don't go for the huge single-chapter stories even if they sound good and even if I know the author. It's too much aggravation trying to find my place again. I always feel like I've missed something.

[Lillith]

I'd say for reading length 5000 words is pretty good per chapter for a story. Most are signifigantly shorter than that, because people don't have the time to focus on chapters of a higher word count. Once a chapter gets to be above 5000 words it can be a bit ponderous and annoying.

The same can be said for oneshots that are 5000+ words long. Once you get to that length I feel you're better off doing chapters anyway, so readers can digest what they're reading. I've read 20,000 word oneshots I loved, but those are few and far between.

[Aquarius]

I'm so glad you all brought this up. It's one of those things that we'd inevitably get asked - and I'm sorta surprised we haven't yet (or if we have, they've asked another admin and I've been unaware/forgotten), and I would've really had no idea what to tell someone. I used to read fics all the time at the salon between customers on my phone, but interruptions are a constant state of affairs and any frustration factors aren't necessarily a reflection of length, you know? So my own experience is a poor guide there.

Just out of curiosity - when you all have the time, like on a day off or on vacation or something, do you find that longer, more complex chapters are okay because you're less likely to be trying to squeeze so much into a day? Or is the 5000 word thing still pretty constant no matter what?

[EntAllat]

Just out of curiosity - when you all have the time, like on a day off or on vacation or something, do you find that longer, more complex chapters are okay because you're less likely to be trying to squeeze so much into a day? Or is the 5000 word thing still pretty constant no matter what?

I second or third what everyone here has already said. and I'll add: For fanfic, which I read exclusively online, even if I know I'll have all the time in the world to leisurely read it and not get interrupted, I still prefer chapters that aren't tomes. I think it may have something to do with the fact that it can become physically uncomfortable to read anything longer.

Years and years and *cough* years ago, I'd print out my friend's fanfic all neatly, two pages per side and double-sided, and take it down to Kinkos to get it bound. Then I'd read it in a physical form. I didn't have the access to a computer to sit and read until I was done, and even when I could manage that, it was kinda uncomfortable. My eyes would get tired, my neck and back would hurt... Things have changed a lot since then, what with better screens, laptops, zoom, etc., but there is still a physical comfort kind of thing for me. Staring into a screen for long enough to read a lengthy chapter… nah. It doesn't help that my comfort level keeps going down as I get older.

Now, things might be different if I read fan fiction on an e-Reader. Those screens have been carefully designed to mimic paper, as far as the eye is concerned, when reading. I have read several books on a Kindle and been very comfortable. One of my relatives is 90 years and she reads two thirds of her novels on a Kindle now. Chapter length doesn't seem to matter to me then, because I don't get as physically uncomfortable as I do when I'm in front of my computer.

[Kathy Rose]

I agree that chapters of a reasonable length are easier to read. Chapter separations give the reader a chance to take a break on a couple of levels -- physical and mental. That latter can help in processing what's been read. I find that, rather than a word count, I measure a reasonable length as how long I'm comfortable reading in one sitting -- 20 to 30 minutes. Unless it's a really riveting read. In that case, I'm good for much longer.

Several years ago, I co-wrote a very lengthy story that was originally in chapters. However, for some reason that I can't recall, we had to post the entire story as a single entity at one site. Something to do with the mechanics of the site at the time and there being more than one author. I know I didn't care for a gazillion word story as one chapter, and we had comments from some readers that they didn't care for it, either. But, in order to have both of us listed as authors, we had to do it that way.

[Cap'n Frances]

Usually I prefer chapters that aren't too long for all the reasons that have been mentioned. Occasionally I take a bus to New York. It's about a three hour trip. The bus has wi-fi but the connection is at best intermittent. In that situation, I like having a story with very long chapters already downloaded onto my iPad.

[Frakme]

Just out of curiosity - when you all have the time, like on a day off or on vacation or something, do you find that longer, more complex chapters are okay because you're less likely to be trying to squeeze so much into a day? Or is the 5000 word thing still pretty constant no matter what?

Yes, if I had the time, it might not bother me so much... but there is always a risk of interruptions when you sit and plan to read a long fic and I'd probably still prefer shorter chapters. If I know a fic has really really wrong chapters, it is too tempting to rush through it, it's easier to take my time and really savour a story with shorter chapters.

[Glory1863]

Several years ago, I co-wrote a very lengthy story that was originally in chapters. However, for some reason that I can't recall, we had to post the entire story as a single entity at one site. Something to do with the mechanics of the site at the time and there being more than one author. I know I didn't care for a gazillion word story as one chapter, and we had comments from some readers that they didn't care for it, either. But, in order to have both of us listed as authors, we had to do it that way.

Covert Blue over at Warp 5! Yeah, I was one of those who had problems with the length of the story being all in one piece, but you got to do what the software allows. I felt like I missed the "aha" moment for when Reed and Shran became a couple. With you and Kylie Lee, that could have been in a paragraph or two someplace that I accidentally skipped rather than padded pages and pages by others. Despite the fact that I didn't get the ship romantically, I certainly bought them doing it for the mission. The espionage component was really good (could have made a great extra season story on its own with a lower rating). There's Shran snark and Malcolm being Malcolm. So if any of this sounds intriguing, then do check it out folks. I may not have gotten the ship, but I can wholeheartedly recommend the rest.

[panyasan]

5000 words per chapter: I must keep that in mind (I really need to learn to write shorter chapters!)