Chapter titles?

Rarri · Feb 2, 2009

Another musing

Do you give your chapters titles, or do you just number them?

nevada · Feb 2, 2009

It's whatever you want to do, what works best for your story.

tehuti88 · Feb 2, 2009

I almost always title my chapters. I always do with my serials; I find it makes them more interesting. I titled chapters in three of my novels. With one of them I didn't; still not sure why. Maybe when I rewrite it I'll title them. *shrug*

I find that titles can really spice up a chapter and spark interest, but that might be just me. (And no, I am not indicating that chapter titles are a crutch for boring writing. They're more like a seasoning.)

gothicangel · Feb 2, 2009

selkn.asrai · Feb 2, 2009

I just number them, e.g. Chapter Seven.

I figure if anyone important ever wants my chapters to have titles, then I will gladly alter them to fit their desires. Otherwise I may have agonized over that right, great title for no real reason. I'd rather agonize over the story instead.

The Rav · Feb 2, 2009

I don't. Just put the chapter number. I'm not opposed to it, I just don't normally see the need. If a certain work ever calls for it, though, my chapters will have titles!

Samantha's_Song · Feb 2, 2009

Whilst writing and editing, yes, I have chapter titles, they tell me what's where until I've finished it. I then just number the chapters when it's all done and dusted.

Danthia · Feb 2, 2009

I number them. And I use the word chapter: CHAPTER ONE

I have two writer friends who name them. Another just uses the numbers: 23.

scarletpeaches · Feb 2, 2009

I number them. But often, on the first draft, I write in one long wordspew and don't divvy up until the rewrites.

quickWit · Feb 2, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
I number them. But often, on the first draft, I write in one long wordspew and don't divvy up until the rewrites.

What scarlet said.

Horserider · Feb 2, 2009

Depends on the story. Black Diamond and Andra are both just numbered, but Shipwrecked...with a Boy I think the chapters are named. (not sure because that WIP is on hold until BD is done) Whatever works best for the story.

I've read stories that use one or the other and I really don't think it matters to the reader as long as it works.

Mad Queen · Feb 2, 2009

Samantha's_Song said:
Whilst writing and editing, yes, I have chapter titles, they tell me what's where until I've finished it. I then just number the chapters when it's all done and dusted.

What she said, and I name every scene as well. I often choose utterly ridiculous titles.

Laura Lond · Feb 2, 2009

I do not title them. I remember reading some books where chapters were titled when I was a kid, and it was nice, in a way, but sometimes the title would give away what was going to happen in the next chapter. That would spoil the fun for me.

kaitlin008 · Feb 2, 2009

I just number them. I'm the worst title writer ever, so I don't even bother to try. I never pay attention to chapter titles when I'm reading books, anyhow, though I guess some people do!

gothicangel · Feb 2, 2009

Yeah, I would think that a book with titles was a bit pretentious for me (and I'm an academic!)

KTC · Feb 2, 2009

My last two, I gave chapter titles. I never even considered it before these two. One's a middle grade and it just seemed right. I think to each his/her own. If your book gets accepted they will either be used or completely ignored.

donroc · Feb 2, 2009

I pretentiously number and title. If the publisher changes to numbers only, it is okay with me. Mine did not.

MumblingSage · Feb 2, 2009

In most of my stories I do not use chapter titles. For one WIP, I used chapter titles to develop a theme, and in another, I used chapter titles...I'm not sure why. Possibly as some sort of starting point. In the second WIP, I wind up putting the chapters in different orders often as I wonder what would work best (there are several plots going on at once), and having chapter titles rather than just numbers helps me keep track of them.

Telstar · Feb 2, 2009

Rarri said:
Do you give your chapters titles, or do you just number them?

I title them. It satisfies me and give some foreshadow to the reader.
I like it also in the books I read.

KTC · Feb 2, 2009

donroc said:
I pretentiously number and title. If the publisher changes to numbers only, it is okay with me. Mine did not.

I for one don't see it as pretentious and don't understand why some would? When I started doing it, it was out of playfulness. If my book ever gets picked up (which would be a stretch), those playful chapter headings may get lost in the shuffle. But for me, it was fun just coming up with them. No harm, no foul.

The Chapter Where Arbour Spots Dubious and Gives Chase on the Bike That Outbikes All Bikes, Otherwise Known as 1.

I see nothing pretentious in that.

A.L. Wright · Feb 2, 2009

I used to title my chapters all the time. When I started my most recent project though, I found myself not naming them. When I noticed and went back, I had a hard time thinking of words or phrases to describe the chapters, so I just left them. I guess it just depends on the novel. Some work better with chapter titles, some don't.

donroc · Feb 2, 2009

I like using titles for chapters for many reasons, foreshadowing as mentioned above, or playfulness.

In my HF, one of my characters complains about the new sumptuary laws that included replacing elaborate ruffs for something less expense and showy, and I titled the chapter, Ruff Trade.

dawinsor · Feb 2, 2009

I like to title my chapters because it helps me remember where various parts of the story are when I revise.

SirOtter · Feb 2, 2009

In my novels of Harvey Drago, Intangible Private eye, the plan is that the bulk of the action takes a week, with one chapter for each day. In Howling in the Park, I used the old nursery rhyme 'Monday's Child', with the final chapter, Sunday, the night of the full moon, when the werewolf Harv is hunting shows up in all his bestial glory called 'And the child born on the Sabbath Day is feral and wild and shaggy and gray'.

I've got something similar planned for what will be the fourth or fifth or maybe sixth book, Male and Female Made He Them, in which the client is the Frankenstein Monster. I'll use the Solomon Grundy rhyme for chapter titles in that.

My problem is that I settled on song titles mentioning the days of the week for the second book, Dead Women in Love. The difficulty is that there are damn few song titles about Wednesday and virtually no good ones about Thursday. I may call the Thursday chapter, 'Nobody Writes Songs About Thursday'.

Elvish Has Left the Building, about a group of elves imitating dead rock & rollers, will probably have chapter titles taken from songs by the imitatees, Elvis Presley (Elvish), Janis Joplin (Janis Goblin), Roy Orbison (Roy Ogreson) and Jimi Hendrix (Jimi Hendragon), with no regard for days of the week. Since the title of Experienced Corruption is from Paul's letter to the Romans in the New Testament, I expect I'll use Bible verses for those chapter titles.

I have no idea what to do about All the Damn Vampires or Speak Not Ill of the Undead. I'm open to suggestions.

tailstrike · Feb 2, 2009

I have read a lot of Wilbur Smith and he doesnt even use Chapters in most of his work that ive read...he just uses the 'whole big space with a couple of dots in the middle' separation thing when he changes POV and i dont mind it and i dont mind chapters it just depends on what you want...

Chapter titles?

Mackinac Island Fanatic

Toughen up.

Rawr.

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Danthia

Totally Ninja!

Ever onward

California Mountain Snake

Seeing newness all the time

Toughen up.

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Historicals and Horror rule

Inarticulate Herb

I create people

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Historicals and Horror rule

Dorothy A. Winsor

Il Cavaliere Marino

Thinking, always thinking!