Chapters and titles

Del · Mar 2, 2007

One

The darkened room played nervously on her psyche. Every noise, every imagined motion...

Shadows From the Id

The darkened room played nervously on her psyche. Every noise, every imagined motion...

One: Shadows From the Id

The darkened room played nervously on her psyche. Every noise, every imagined motion...

Do you have a preference to how a chapter should be titled? Does it matter to you at all?

jpsorrow · Mar 2, 2007

I don't think it really matters. If you have a title for each chapter, you should include that of course, but your editor is going to make the decision on how your chapters are going to look when they publish the book. So the final decision on how they look is not up to you.

For submitting the novel to a publisher though, you should make the chapter headers very clear. If you have a title for the chapter, as you do, I'd suggest just doing:

Chapter One: Shadows From The Id

katrinka · Mar 2, 2007

To be honest, I don't pay attention to chapter titles in fiction.

scribbler1382 · Mar 2, 2007

In manuscript, it doesn't matter. Personally, I'd put the following centered:

Chapter One
Shadows From The Id

But it really makes no difference.

katrinka · Mar 2, 2007

I like that.
How does everyone feel about naming sections of a novel. For example:
Book One
or
Brenda and Eddie
??

Will Lavender · Mar 2, 2007

I don't like titled chapters.

Titled sections, either.

For some reason I'm always trying to figure out the meaning of the title if I read it right up front. I don't want to do that; I want to get right into the action of the narrative.

Another problem: it reminds me of literary fiction, where a lot of the chapters were likely published in journals or magazines -- and, erroneously, called "short stories" -- before they came to the novel.

I've also seen novels that, of course, have a main title; section one has a title; chapter one has a title; and the sub-chapter of chapter one has a title.

Too much noise.

I prefer just a simple number.

In fact, I've always been impressed with writers who can just write unbroken prose for 300 pages without any chapter breaks at all. (That's rare, but I have seen it.)

scarletpeaches · Mar 2, 2007

I've never named my chapters; I have enough of a problem naming my characters.

I don't mind titles sections of a book though. I'm tinkering with the thought of dividing one of my books into three sections with a quotation on each section's 'cover' page. I might, I might not.

I read chapter titles when I come across them, and try to work out what they mean. They don't annoy me at all; I've just never seen the need to use them myself.

Anya Smith · Mar 2, 2007

I use chapter titles in my WIP, because it's easier to handle a 100K ms, but I delete them once the novel is finished. I've found that I seldom pay attention to chapter titles.

Gillhoughly · Mar 2, 2007

As I learned it, the naming of chapters began with the ol' penny dreadfuls.

Back in the day, newspapers would run a chapter a week of (hopefully) a popular serial story. An interesting chapter title at the end of each segment was supposed to compel readers to buy the next issue. The writers were paid a penny a word, and if they spun the story out enough, it could mean 2-3 years of steady income. Now you know why guys like Dickens and Bulwar-Lytton wrote such long books with 50-100 chapters!

This was repeated in the heyday of the Saturday morning movie serials like the Perils of Pauline, etc. Each had a cliffhanger ending, and on the screen would flash "Don't miss next week's adventure, The Cliffs of Carnage!" or something like that.

These days you really don't need to title chapters unless you feel it will enrich your book in some way. The writers I edit (and I do this when I write) just use "Chapter One" etc., to separate things.

Some writers don't even bother with chapters now, and just separate things with a space. One of my buds will finish a novel, then put in the chapter breaks afterward.

As it worked so well for the old serials, I do make a habit of ending each chapter on a cliffhanger so the readers are compelled to turn just one more page. Your good writing will sell the book, not cool chapter descriptives.

roach · Mar 2, 2007

If you name your chapters I'd suggest going with Chapter One: Chapter the First for ease of keeping track of where one is should one's book fall from a height (great or otherwise) and one lose one's place. FWIW.

CheshireCat · Mar 2, 2007

I go with the generic Chapter 1 or, more commonly, just One.

The problem with a chapter "name" or subtitle, I think, is that it sets up expectations in the reader before they've even begun to read the story.

Just my opinion, of course.

PeeDee · Mar 2, 2007

As with all things, I use it if I need it and it works. I've had named chapters, I've not named them, I've had no chapters at all. You don't hafta.

Cassiopeia · Mar 3, 2007

My son is a fantasy writer...he gives each chapter a name as well as numbered. When I asked him why he said his favorite author does and is a HUGE success so he just did it that way.

I have a hard time right now designating chapters let alone naming them.

swvaughn · Mar 3, 2007

I name my chapters "One", "Two", "Three", and so forth.

Chapter naming seems to be acceptable for fantasy, but not elsewhere. They don't bother me, but I don't pay attention to them either.

Yeah, I know. I'm being so helpful here, aren't I?

PeeDee · Mar 3, 2007

swvaughn said:
Chapter naming seems to be acceptable for fantasy, but not elsewhere. They don't bother me, but I don't pay attention to them either.

Actually, I see them outside of fantasy too. CHapters have names in sci-fi books, romance novels, thrillers, Stephen King names some of his chapters, and so on....

It's just a matter of preference like having chapters in the first place is. You don't have to have chapters, if you don't want to.

johnzakour · Mar 3, 2007

I don't mind chapter titles from a reader's point of view, but from a writer's point a view I usually find them more trouble then they are worth.

For some reason I only use chapter titles when I write fantasy and YA.

PeeDee · Mar 3, 2007

johnzakour said:
I don't mind chapter titles from a reader's point of view, but from a writer's point a view I usually find them more trouble then they are worth.

For some reason I only use chapter titles when I write fantasy and YA.

When I use chapter titles, as a writer, I'm usually envisioning the song titles on a CD list. Which is a fun attitude to take, really.

Carrie in PA · Mar 3, 2007

I haven't even come up with a good name for my book, let alone each chapter. In reading, I generally ignore them because I like to get right to the story.

moblues · Mar 3, 2007

I use the naming of each chapter as a foreshadowing of the events to follow. Nothing obvious, mind you. Something that upon the second read, the reader will smile.

Mike

scribbler1382 · Mar 3, 2007

I name all my chapters "Dave".

James D. Macdonald · Mar 3, 2007

It doesn't matter. The publisher is going to put your chapters in house style.

Whether you use titles or not, the rules are: Don't confuse the readers, and keep the format consistent to make it easy for the editor.

Del · Mar 4, 2007

I'm reading The Shining. (Yes, still) I Just noticed King has used Chapter titles/headers. I also noticed I hadn't read any of them.

I used One, Two...in my novel. I suppose I'll do the same in my WIP. One thing I noticed I do is take a significant event from each chapter and list them as sort of a quickie outline. I suppose if anyone wanted to change my method that those would work.

My wife is reading a book that uses significant famous quotes as chapter headers. I kind of like that but I don't know enough quotes.

Chapters and titles

Del

Sky isn't falling, ground is rising

jpsorrow

katrinka

scribbler1382

Write For You, Edit For The Reader

katrinka

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

scarletpeaches

Anya Smith

House Dragon

Gillhoughly

Grumpy writer and editor

roach

annoyed and annoying

CheshireCat

Mostly purring. Mostly.

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

Cassiopeia

Otherwise Occupied

swvaughn

adrift

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

Carrie in PA

Write All The Words!

moblues

scribbler1382

Write For You, Edit For The Reader

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Del

Sky isn't falling, ground is rising