In Fiction, how long is too long for a chapter?

[The Backlash Cometh]

I've been trying to keep the chapters short, but I have one chapter of quick reading dialogue that covers 16 pages. I can't imagine cutting it down, because the information has to be provided, somehow, and if I don't do it this way, I may have to use exposition.

[Orrex]

1. I don't know that there's any real guideline, but...

Sixteen pages is definitely not too long!

For example, Umberto Eco has a very dense narrative style, and he frequently has chapters of thirty and forty pages.

Sixteen pages, especially including dialogue, is fine!

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. My only qualifiier for this would be ... sixteen pages for final print

or not, and what genre. My usual mark is not pages, but words.

After all 16 pages can be too short or too long in final print depending on the font, spacing and point

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. It's less condensed, per page, than the other chapters,

because it's primarily dialogue. Well, maybe the first three paragraphs are exposition.

Genre? Not sure. It's a fiction about Contemporary suburban life in Florida.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. On edit:

Times New Roman, 12 pt. font.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Thanks, Orrex.

That's reassuring.

[petgoat]

9. Can't you summarize part of it?

Seems like 16 pages of "he saids" and "she saids"
could get pretty boring.

What is the point of the scene--what does it do,
what's it for?

Does every line serve that point?

[valerief]

6. I like between 2500 and 3500 words for a chapter.

That works out to about nine pages, give or take.

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. The majority of the chapters are less than nine.

I'm hoping if I can keep all the others short, one runaway chapter won't matter?

[valerief]

8. No, it shouldn't matter at all. nt