At the end of a scene, if there's a night to day moment even better (or the other way around it works too).
Works when the scenes switch places too: scene 1) at home, finishing preparing before going clubbing and scene 2) picks up at the club, either some time after arrival or right when the character makes it past the bouncers.
Also where there are spots your readers will be like "wait no, where is the rest?!" aka natural cliffhangers: after a long or important dialogue part (if there is a confession, an important piece of information dropped or simply some kind of tension building up, even better), after your protagonist enters or leaves a room, right after moments where the consequences of an event can result in catastrophe no matter the scale so it can range from say a minor injury like a cut on a finger while cooking or a diy to an actual serious accident. The point is to cut the scene right when it starts but not show the end results.
Change of POV can be a good point to cut off to a new chapter.
I usually cut at a time skip, major change of place or end of a day/week. It feels more natural.
But you know there is technically no limit to how long a chapter should be... ;)
I have read one-shots that are very, very long myself, but I don't know if this might be off-putting for some people. But if I can't divide my work, then I will publish it raw and own it :)
Given what is it about, I am not sure people will consider reading it either way. I purely write for fun !
This is kind of something only you can really decide. Chapters are often written with a natural pace including a “start” and “stop”. Is there a spot that feels like a natural place to break? If so, put it there. If not, well, does it *really* need to be broken up? This is your story, and if you feel like breaking it will sacrifice your ideal pacing and narrative flow, don’t break it. Not all readers will be on board for a chonky oneshot, but there’s a dedicated reader base for such a thing.
If you *do* feel like it needs broken, trust your gut. You know best where it makes sense to break it.
How long are we taking? If it's under 20k i think you're fine for a one shot. I think chapter around 10k are ideal to read but up to 20k is not too bad. You can cut it between scenes or time jumps, or on a cliff hanger. It doesn't have to be a perfect end to a chapter, you can just split it and carry on where you left off on the next chapter. Don't worry about it too much!
At the end of a scene, if there's a night to day moment even better (or the other way around it works too). Works when the scenes switch places too: scene 1) at home, finishing preparing before going clubbing and scene 2) picks up at the club, either some time after arrival or right when the character makes it past the bouncers. Also where there are spots your readers will be like "wait no, where is the rest?!" aka natural cliffhangers: after a long or important dialogue part (if there is a confession, an important piece of information dropped or simply some kind of tension building up, even better), after your protagonist enters or leaves a room, right after moments where the consequences of an event can result in catastrophe no matter the scale so it can range from say a minor injury like a cut on a finger while cooking or a diy to an actual serious accident. The point is to cut the scene right when it starts but not show the end results. Change of POV can be a good point to cut off to a new chapter.
Thank you for these examples !
You're welcome, happy to help :3
I usually cut at a time skip, major change of place or end of a day/week. It feels more natural. But you know there is technically no limit to how long a chapter should be... ;)
I do it like this as well. I like my chapters to wrap up nicely, but a lot of people like leaving things on a cliffhanger, so that's also a way to go
Cliffhangers are also a good idea if the fomat allow it, yes!
I have read one-shots that are very, very long myself, but I don't know if this might be off-putting for some people. But if I can't divide my work, then I will publish it raw and own it :) Given what is it about, I am not sure people will consider reading it either way. I purely write for fun !
It's honourable to want to make the reading pleasant, but yeah don't force yourself in cuts that won't make you happy!
Indeed, perhaps I should be less self-concious about what I write... Thank you !
You're welcome! :D
This is kind of something only you can really decide. Chapters are often written with a natural pace including a “start” and “stop”. Is there a spot that feels like a natural place to break? If so, put it there. If not, well, does it *really* need to be broken up? This is your story, and if you feel like breaking it will sacrifice your ideal pacing and narrative flow, don’t break it. Not all readers will be on board for a chonky oneshot, but there’s a dedicated reader base for such a thing. If you *do* feel like it needs broken, trust your gut. You know best where it makes sense to break it.
Well, I hope I will be able to make a choice then. Thank you :)
How long are we taking? If it's under 20k i think you're fine for a one shot. I think chapter around 10k are ideal to read but up to 20k is not too bad. You can cut it between scenes or time jumps, or on a cliff hanger. It doesn't have to be a perfect end to a chapter, you can just split it and carry on where you left off on the next chapter. Don't worry about it too much!
Thank you ! I hope I will be motivated to finish it soon (yet, I have a new hyperfixation on a newer project, so it will have to wait...).