What do you think is the correct word limit for each chapter in a novel?

[Apulu_Imback]

In my current novel 'Where's my date?' , the average word limit for each chapter is 500 - 600 words. Each chapter explains one major incident with more emotional description and those stuff. Do you think this is less and I should add more words?

In my previous novels, the word limits for each chapter were as long as 1000- 1500 words or more! And I ran out of ideas quickly even though I knew what the whole story is supposed to be due to heavy content in each chapter.

What do you think the ideal word limit is which will be comfortable for you as readers?

[SnowedIn]

Please don't add or subtract words for the sake of adding or subtracting or reaching an artificially imposed limit. There is the right number of words when you've told the story you want to tell how you want to tell it. Hemingway did more with less words. E. Lockhart (shout out to @anon1903 ) also does so much with few words. Other novelists use lots of words without distracting from what the reader reads (Amor Towles and Tom Clancy).

Don't give yourself a limit. Just write. Your first chapters have been good, but don't constrain yourself with numbers. Write the story you need/want to write. If someone won't read it because of word lenght, they're not your reader anyway.

[Apulu_Imback]

I was just wondering is 500-600 words a day for a chapter is enough or short since readers usually want to take in more content at once right. And I post like 600 words a day.

[SnowedIn]

I think you're in a very good place for now. If you go on to polish this and publish I'd probably add more words. I'd like more detail and more conversation and more transitions. But what you're doing in this forum is about right.

But, I still maintain don't worry about word limits!

[serious]

I think what you have written and the number of words used is perfectly fine.

[Apulu_Imback]

That's great then

[QuietVerbena]

You will need longer chapters (at least several pages) if you’re gonna write a full length novel.

[QuietVerbena]

Though James Patterson has super short chapters, but he also has a couple hundred chapters in each book

[Apulu_Imback]

Yes I also estimated about 150-200 chapters for this book

[QuietVerbena]

Perfect!

[Jennz6]

Yes, make it short

[Apulu_Imback]

So my current word limit is fine?

[Jennz6]

Yes because I don’t like to read novels