Charlie Stross on Nostr: #WritersCoffeeClub Dec7. What do you think is the most critical element in ...
#WritersCoffeeClub Dec7. What do you think is the most critical element in storytelling?
Reader attention.
A reasonable bar for a habitual reader is 300 words per minute, or 180wpm for audiobooks. Normal human focussed attention span is <= 40 minutes. So your story needs beats/scene breaks/plot punctuation every 12,000 words at most (ideally 7,200 words) or you risk your readers losing track/getting bored.
(There's a lot more … but calibrate your chapter length to be no more than this!)
Reader attention.
A reasonable bar for a habitual reader is 300 words per minute, or 180wpm for audiobooks. Normal human focussed attention span is <= 40 minutes. So your story needs beats/scene breaks/plot punctuation every 12,000 words at most (ideally 7,200 words) or you risk your readers losing track/getting bored.
(There's a lot more … but calibrate your chapter length to be no more than this!)