Chapter Breaks
Use reader psychology to become a better writer.
Fix structural issues in your novel without overwhelm.
Discover how chapter breaks create a novel's architecture.
The Psychology of Writing
As writers, we often memorize the rules (show don't tell, make your protagonist likable) and try to implement them without ever taking a moment to consider there’s actually some solid cognitive science behind why it all works.
When you understand why the tried-and-true techniques work, when you realize how these rules actually align with the ways in which readers process new information or form visual images or emotionally connect with a text, everything changes. You stop merely following the rules and start making choices with intention.
Take something as simple as chapter breaks. Most writers think they’re just convenient stopping points. A place to take a breath. But once you understand how readers process narrative flow and manage cognitive load, you realize chapter breaks are actually powerful tools for controlling pacing, building tension, and guiding attention.
That's what this course offers:
Not just the rules.
The why.
A First-Step Revision Tool
Often, you can workshop a manuscript with a critique group or get feedback from a beta reader that’s something along the lines of, “It drags.” Or, “I couldn’t keep your POV switches straight. I lost track of who was narrating the chapter.”
It’s natural to assume this is a content issue. And it can be. But it can also be something as simple as a chapter break problem.
I always like to approach a revision like a doctor. Say a patient comes in with a foot that’s swollen and infected. The doctor doesn’t immediately start in saying, “We’ve got to cut this foot off,” they say, “Let’s look for a splinter that might need to be removed.” Think of this revision technique as getting in the habit of looking for a splinter before you start amputating.
Before you do a deep dive and rip a manuscript apart, thinking you have to completely replot an entire novel or turn your main characters inside-out, you can absolutely start with chapter breaks, which can be a simple solution to what often sound like much more complex problems.
Course Curriculum
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1Introduction
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2The Psychology and Purpose of Chapter Breaks
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3Genre Considerations
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4Problematic Chapter Breaks
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5Feedback and Revision
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6Additional Considerations (Difficult Scenes and Formatting)
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7Conclusion