Chapter Length

[Lavenderdays]

O.K this thread has probably been done before but can I ask all the novel writers out there whether their chapters are about the same length?
A chapter should be only as long as it needs to be right? However, if I have a chapter that is shorter than my other chapters, I feel that something isn't quite right...that I've not included enough content or something. I'm not talking massively shorter but perhaps a couple of pages shorter than the average. Is this an issue? I'm not sure why it matters so much in my head...maybe I'm worried my novel won't hit a decent word target...there is a definite plot so I do ideally want it to be novel length (70,000-80,000 words) which I think it probably will be looking at the completed first draft but I'm not into writing waffling scene settings/back stories etc. - I prefer to focus on the action/main point of the chapter and moving the story forward.

[MyBrilliantDisguise]

Don't worry about it.

First of all, consider whether it needs to be a separate chapter or whether a section break would do.

Secondly, nobody counts the length of a chapter. If you went from very short to very long randomly, people would notice but otherwise don't worry.

Also, shorter chapters are often used to increase tension (shorter chapters, shorter paragraphs, shorter sentences and shorter words - they all speed up reading and increase pace and tension.)

[Lavenderdays]

Thanks MyBrilliantDisguise

I guess I have slightly more happening in some chapters than in others and I have asked myself about section breaks but I think that what I have written so far does warrant a new chapter where I have started one.

Perhaps once I have edited it, I will then go back and look at structure. This is all new to me, I never intended to write a novel it just sort of evolved into one. My main aim is to tell the story, I'm not sure why I have become so fixated on chapter length.

[MyBrilliantDisguise]

Just write the story. Get it all down and then you can start to shape it. You can't edit a blank page!