I have just finished the seventh chapter in my first story and have noticed that as my story progresses each chapter becomes longer than the previous one. If this continues, the final chapter itself will be novel-length. I guess I am having a little trouble with bringing a scene to a close as easily as I would like.

Does anyone have any tips for regulating chapter length? Do you think this even needs to be considered? Can a chapter be as long as the author wishes it to be or should there really be a logical breaking point.

I find that maybe there was a point where I could stop the chapter but there are other things I wish to occur that are either a natural progression or occur in the same setting with the same characters and feel if I stopped the action midchapter and started a new one it would simply be disconcerting to the reader.

Bearing in mind I am posting this story as I write it so I do at least try to make the chapters substantial so that the reader does not feel shortchanged when a new chapter takes only five minutes to read (hardly long enough to immerse yourself in the story again).

Am I worrying needlessly?

Jason

ps To those of you who have been following my story I apologise for the time it has taken me to get this chapter written. A new job has taken up way too much of my time of late. I have tried to write replies to all of the emails asking about updates but if I missed you I apologise for that as well.