What should each novel chapter, or scene, do?

[RedMage]

Novel chapters (or individual scenes) all need to advance the story in some way. Main plot. Character development. Secondary storyline/s. Develop the world in some way. More, maybe?

My favorite scenes/chapters that I've written are those that do 3 or more of those things. My question is, do they all need to advance each of those elements? Or, say, could a single scene/chapter simply develop a character? There's lots of books that have flashbacks to some event in the MC's past, and that's a single, independent scene and/or chapter. But what are others' thoughts?

 

[N. E. White]

To me, this is one of those questions with endless answers--and they are all right.

I agree that a scene/chapter *should* try to do several things, but I'm sure there are examples in the broad expanse of literature where a novel works without doing anything.

So, I guess, it really just depends on the writing and the reader. If the text connects, then great. If it doesn't, try something else?

Though I agree. In the end, I don't want to bore anyone, so if that means I have to juggle five things, I will.