Sadly, that is very, very true.
The problem with this is,
keeping the Readers' interest long enough to get to the next chapter, then the next, and the next -- until the story is Complete.
Think:
- How much story can you tell in 1500 words, seriously?
- Can you make that chapter so fascinating that the reader absolutely must read the next one?
- Now, can you make that happen in Every Single Chapter that follows?
To put this another way --
There's a reason why the shortest TV shows in the USA run for half an hour segments (plus commercials,) and No Shorter. This reason is also why half-hour family shows tell a Complete Story in
each episode. For this same reason, drama programs, soap operas, and evening adventure programs tend to run for an entire hour (plus commercials,) with the occasional two-hour programs.
Audience Attention Span & Memory
Add to that:
Fierce Competition for that same Audience.
A TV program has a time lag of a week or longer, very like a story posted chapter by chapter. These TV producers need to not only Grab the audience's attention, they need to make
each episode so memorable that it KEEPS that attention long enough to get those viewers to skip other programs in the
same Time-slot.
Consider this:
- How much story can You read in one TV program Chapter; half an hour to an hour?
- How long does it take to read 1500 words?
Now consider this:
- Do you have the writing skills to make every 1500 word chapter compelling enough to make your readers satisfied enough to wait a week or longer for the next spoonful of story?
- What parts of the story will you need to sacrifice (chop-out) )to make each spoonful compelling?
Yes, I am arguing for longer chapters.
I am sick and tired of all these teeny-tiny chapters being dribbled out by the spoonful, and I REFUSE to read stories done this way anymore. Too many of these short-chapter stories cut out description and character development to add in action scenes, or fluff scenes, or sex scenes that Do Nothing for the story but add chapters.
Please don't be yet another one of them.