forum How do you make a chapter longer?

Started November 12, 2018 by @CW-BornConfuzzledLeftILoveYa

tune

I can't think of anything else to put it. I need ways to make it longer.

Well, you could always combine chapters.

I could, but each of my chapters presents a different character's POV.

How long are each of your chapters currently? Also, chapter length, like most 'rules' of writing, isn't rigid. Books can have very long chapters or very short ones; I'm currently reading a novel where each chapter is about 3-5 pages long and it still works.

Beware switching POVs too much, it can confuse the reader. If all of your characters are in one place, then up to 3 POVs is best or if there are groups of characters in different places at a time, then it is better to have one POV per group. Again, this is not completely rigid, but it becomes harder for the reader to understand the more POVs there are and the faster they switch.

I have about 500 wpc at the moment. I have 2 POVs, each at back-to-back times.

I have read books where the chapters are 2 pages long

(Apologies for taking a while, I was busy)

I have about 500 wpc at the moment. I have 2 POVs, each at back-to-back times

That word count is pretty short. It might seem monotonous for the reader if each and every chapter is the same length. For instance, I have already mentioned the average page count of chapters for the novel I'm currently reading. However, some chapters are about 20 pages long and the most important parts (like the moment of death for a particular character) are only one page long etc.
It creates a theme of variety, and I don't know what's going to happen next, while your readers may guess or assume that the next part will be short - the same also applies to how your POVs are back-to-back.

Like @WhimsicalWaterBuffalos said, you could merge the chapters. You could then rewrite the rest of a particular merged chapter in only one of the character's POV.
E.g.
[Chapter - POV (Page count)]

Before
Chapter 4 - Alice (5)
Chapter 5 - Bob (5)
Chapter 6 - Alice (5)
Chapter 7 - Bob (5)
Chapter 8 - Alice (5)

After
Chapter 4 - Alice (15)
Chapter 5 - Bob (5)
Chapter 6 - Bob (5)