Pacing is the glue that holds chapter books together. You only have ~2000-10,000 words to get the job done, so you’d better move fast. Knowing when and how to move on is key. Let’s talk about how to get that done.

Actually, let’s just look at a bunch of examples of how other writers get that done.

The Power of Chapter Breaks

A clean way to change days and scenes. Also a great way for comedy and drama. I’ll use an arrow (>) to show chapter breaks:

(Captain Awesome 7)
“The only way to do that is to get the high score on Ms. Beasley’s spelling test tomorrow,” Charlie said.

Eugene nodded. “Score,” he said. “S-c-o …” he stopped. Wait, what was that next letter?
>
“Are you ready to fail, Flunk-gene?” Meredith stood in the doorway of Ms. Beasley’s classroom, filling it with her rosy awfulness.

(Captain Underpants 3)
Then somebody poured in the vinegar…
>
Chapter 6: What Happened Next
(Note: Please shake this book back and forth uncontrollably when you read the following word. Also, shout it out as loud as you can. Don’t worry, you won’t get in trouble.)
“KA-BLOOOOOSH!”

(Ivy+Bean 11)
(11) “We need to beg the gods for a baby!”
>
Begging the gods for a baby turned out to be complicated.

(Astronaut Girl 2)
Chapter 4 ends in the middle of a countdown that finishes at the start of chapter 5.
But the computer was still counting:
“…six…five…four…”
>
“…three…two…one!”
BOOM! Suddenly a huge force pressed me against the back of my seat. The probe shook, and the windows showed only darkness.

The Power of Scene Breaks

A rare, but powerful tool. Use wisely. I’m talking about the three asterixes (***). Usually used to indicate a time skip or scene change mid-chapter:

(Rachel Friedman 3)
The show is about to begin.
***
I may not have many lines in the play. But I do a stupendous job with every single one of them. If I do say so myself.

(Star Friends 1)
She ended the call and, taking one last look, she left the clearing.
***
Her mom and dad were locking up the house when Mia got back.

(Isadora Moon 1)
She took Samantha’s hand and led her into the kitchen
***
When all my friends had arrived, we went into the great hall.

The Power of Summary

When you need to get to the point, just do that. If a scene isn’t super important, cut to the chase:

(Purrmaids 1)
The three purrmaids swam off. Soon they arrived at Tortoiseshell Reef.

(Tuck and Tina 2)
The robbers drove to Booneville. They grabbed the bag with me in it, and soon we were on the roof of a fancy department store.

(Mia Mayhem 5)
“It’s my fault,” I said. Then I took a deep breath and told them everything.
I waited quietly. I knew they would be mad.
But Allie broke into a huge smile.

(Lily the Elf 4)
In the evening after dinner, everyone practices their concert act. Dad plays and elf tune on his fiddle. Lily and Granny clap for him. Granny sings a very old song about forgotten elf magic. Lily and Dad clap for her. Then it is Lily’s turn. Lily reads her poem. Dad and Granny listen carefully. Then they both clap for a long time.

The Power of Belief

Anything is possible if the reader believes it is. You don’t always need to see something play out:

(Pets Rule! 2)
The music started playing. Lucy smiled and turned forward, and began to do her dance. It was the dance created by Lucy and Poh Poh. It was all about magma and volcanoes.
The dance ended, and the auditorium CHEERED.

(Melowy 2)
Then the young actresses took their places and the curtains went up.
Electra and Cora were great in the first scene. Cleo and Maya danced perfectly and were the funniest parts in the show. They made the audience laugh and clap.

Conclusion

There are many ways to keep your chapter book moving along. Way more examples than I showed here, too! Next time you’re reading a chapter book, keep an eye out for these techniques.