Chapter Length

Discussing: Chapter Length

Anglachel
Message: 134
31 Oct 02 9:10 AM
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A few of you have received notices from the HASA admin staff before - your chapter is too long, we're going to have to break it up.

Why do we have to do this? There is a problem with pulling more than a certain amount of data at one time out of the SQL database. We can store about a hundred pages of text in a single chapter text field, but the database only wishes to hand us about twenty pages at a time through a web interface.

Why can you post larger blocks of text on other archive sites? Well, they use a different technology than we do. Most other sites store stories as files rather than as database records, and then they point to the files. This does allow them to pull up larger chunks of information. It also makes for a more complicated system, a slower system (because opening and closing files all the time), and one that is less flexible.

Here is something to think about - long chapters are difficult to read on screen in a single sitting. Fifteen pages is about as much as you want to inflict on your readers at one time. If you have an extra long chapter, consider breaking it up. Your readers will thank you.

Anglachel

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