Titling Chapters; Method or Madness?

I don't title my chapters, but I recently read a book that did and the titles didn't do much to reflect the chapter contents. I started paying attention to them more and more because they didn't seem to fit. It was awkward and, in my opinion, a weakness that made it more difficult to overlook other things that bugged me while I read. However you approach chapter titling, if you're going to do it, be consistent and relevant!

My $0.02.

I take the most interesting word or phrase in that chapter and use it as a the chapter title. If the chapter lacks anything that shines enough for a standout title, I revise it until something shiny appears.

They may be a little cryptic (they don't give away what happens) but they're always relevant.

I pay very little attention to chapter titles. I'm too anxious to get to the writing and continuing the story. Besides, if a title turns out to be a foreshadowing of something that happens in that chapter, it pisses me off because it takes away the joy of discovery through reading THE STORY.

In some cases, the titles seem to be there just to make the writer appear clever. They do nothing for the reader that the chapter doesn't do.

I haven't used any chapter titles over at least the last six books. That's not to say I wouldn't ever use them. It's just my stuff from the last few years hasn't needed them. Numbered chapters have been fine for those stories.

I have a hard enough time with the NOVEL'S title. Trying to come up with an additional 20 or 30 titles? Forget it.

Devil Ledbetter said:

I take the most interesting word or phrase in that chapter and use it as a the chapter title. If the chapter lacks anything that shines enough for a standout title, I revise it until something shiny appears.

They may be a little cryptic (they don't give away what happens) but they're always relevant.

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I've done this, too. Point being, that if you're going to title chapters, the titles need to be both interesting and relevant.

caw

CHAPTER 1 - WHAT'S ALL THIS ABOUT CHAPTER TITLES?

NeuroFizz said:

Besides, if a title turns out to be a foreshadowing of something that happens in that chapter, it pisses me off because it takes away the joy of discovery through reading THE STORY.

In some cases, the titles seem to be there just to make the writer appear clever. They do nothing for the reader that the chapter doesn't do.

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I agree with Neuro that if the chapter title hints too much about what's to come this could be distracting. But I completely disagree that they do nothing for the reader that the chapter doesn't do. For some writers they add a sense of flare or a focal point for the upcoming chapter....doesn't mean they are trying to be clever: smart or intelligent might be better words to use there. I think chapter titles can be used to great advantage, if it fits the story.

I think what David Ledbetter said was a really nice take on the idea.

I'm not a fan of chapter titles. Or quotations which start each chapter, for that matter. In my experience, they often don't do anything to enhance the chapter itself, or illuminate anything about it, so I start skipping over them.

But if it means something to you, then use them unless and until an agent or commercial publisher says not to. It takes all kinds, right?

Maryn, unable to recall a book which used them effectively

I rarely ever notice chapters that are titled. When i do notice, I don't want them telling me what's in the chapter. It's like a mini-spoiler.

My method: I call mine Chapter One, Chapter Two, etc...

I don't bother with chapter numbers/chapters. I just put a few astricks to symbolize a scene change or a break when it feels logical - whether it's 1 page in or 10.

I could have the wrong attitude on it, but it's the one thing I'd tell my agent or my editor "however you wanna do it, just let me know and I'll make it happen." I'm positive, my lack of catchy chapter titles, opening quotes, or bold "2s" "5s" and "38s" aren't going to make the agent throw my manuscript in the trash.

Something I've seen and might end up doing is identifying POV shifts by naming the character in the chapter title. It could also be a major change in setting or time. It would be where the chapter starts, not ends up (no spoilers). My novel-length WIP is a series of related short stories and vignettes, so the chapter titles will be important.

I like when I find interesting chapter titles and quotes, but I wouldn't bother doing it myself just to be interesting.

Maryn said:

I'm not a fan of chapter titles. Or quotations which start each chapter, for that matter. In my experience, they often don't do anything to enhance the chapter itself, or illuminate anything about it, so I start skipping over them.

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I am a disliker of beginning chapters with quotes. I'd rather the writer write her own stuff than serve up someone else's, even if it does fit.

DiloKeith said:

Something I've seen and might end up doing is identifying POV shifts by naming the character in the chapter title.

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I think that's done a lot (though I don't mean overdone). I would say if there are multiple POVs and a name at the beginning of each chapter is needed, then the POV voices may not be sufficiently differentiated.

Lol @ algorithm. Sorry, the nerd in me snickered.

I've never used chapter titles in any of my novels... except my most recent one. But I only used it on the first chapter - the rest of the chapters are numbered. Instead of calling it Chapter 1, I called it 1975 because I thought it set the stage well for the era.

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One Broken Wing

Chapter One: In which the efficacies and intricacies of chapter titles are discussed, though no real consensus is reached

Shadow_Ferret said:

I have a hard enough time with the NOVEL'S title. Trying to come up with an additional 20 or 30 titles? Forget it.

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This. I still can't decide on the title to query with, even though I know there is a good chance it might change if I sell it anyway. My husband and I had another long discussion about it last night. I would go into a cold sweat if I had to come up with 25 more names!

I'm not really too keen on chapter titles anyway--they seem contrived to me often, or at least unnecessary.

Mharvey said:

I don't bother with chapter numbers/chapters. I just put a few astricks to symbolize a scene change or a break when it feels logical - whether it's 1 page in or 10.

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There's nothing wrong with scene breaks, I use plenty of them, but personally, I would HATE to read a book that didn't have chapter breaks. Trying to read it would be exhausting, like there's nowhere to catch my breath, nowhere to stick a bookmark and take a pause. Really excellent books will have chapters that end on such an exciting note that you don't want to stop reading there, you turn the page and keep going. But to not have chapters at all? I couldn't deal with that.

As for the original topic, I gave two of my novels chapter titles while I was writing them, just to help me keep track of the convoluted plot, but I will delete them before submitting the manuscripts to agents. The first one had old-fashioned long titles that summed up the chapter, like, "Chapter One: In Which Cera Meets Jorn and Wonders if the War-Plague Will Ever End." The second novel had short titles, generally one or two words that summed up the essence of that chapter, like, "Chapter One: Buried Alive".

Like others have said, I don't want the content of the chapter to be spoiled by the title. That's why I plan to delete the chapter titles before subbing the manuscripts. I'll just number my chapters and leave it at that--with one exception. If I'm switching POV from chapter to chapter, then I might title each chapter with the name of the character whose POV it is, just so readers don't get confused.

Now, if there's a quote at the beginning of every chapter, that always annoys me and I don't bother reading it. A quote at the beginning of the novel, or at the beginning of each "book" or "part" within the novel--those I'll read (if they're brief), because if the quote is well-chosen, it can enhance the story. But sometimes the significance isn't obvious until after you've finished reading, and who wants to flip back and re-read the quote, just so you can say, "Ah! That works"?

I don't usually pay attention to whether a novel has titles or numbers for chapters. The only one I can remember well is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. For some reason it made an impression on me, maybe because the chapter titles were summarized under the Part breaks.

Only one of my novels has anything like chapter titles but that one hasn't sold anyway. Most of the time I use chapter numbers.

MoxieMoth said:

I don't know why chapter titles mean so much to me. They just do. I've read books where there are no titles, where the chapter titles are literal events, and where the titles equivocally correspond to a plot device.

I feel like chapter titles do a lot. Other than previous context and momentum, they provide the first real structure to the ambiguity of a chapter.

How do y'all title your chapters? Do you have methods? Patterns? Algorithms? What do you like to see in how other people do it? Does this even matter?

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I'm big on chapter titles, myself. I think they're just as important. The novel I'm working on right now (for publishing) is my first one where there are no real chapter titles, except for my MCs' name for narration. But I'm considering providing a quote from the chapter that I think defines the section, as the title. Usually, songs inspire my chapter titles.

My pet peeve is when an author uses the chapter titles as a crutch because they couldn't work an idea into the chapter itself...

It's like the book title. I see the chapter title, then I spend the whole time trying to connect it to something in the chapter. If it makes sense, cool. If it doesn't make sense, I feel kind of cheated and misled. So no, I don't like chapter titles.

Orianna2000 said:

There's nothing wrong with scene breaks, I use plenty of them, but personally, I would HATE to read a book that didn't have chapter breaks. Trying to read it would be exhausting, like there's nowhere to catch my breath, nowhere to stick a bookmark and take a pause. Really excellent books will have chapters that end on such an exciting note that you don't want to stop reading there, you turn the page and keep going. But to not have chapters at all? I couldn't deal with that.

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Yes, exactly! Sunshine by Robin McKinley didn't have any chapters and carthaginian hell, it drove me crazy. I didn't realize how satisfying it is as a reader to reach the end of a chapter and be done for the moment/day/whatever until I read that book. I learned that chapters are not for writers or editors, they're there for the readers.

As for whether to title or not to title, I like books that either have no titles, or titles like Devil Ledbetter's because then you're reading and you're like hey snappy words, I recognize you! But those with quotes or spoilers in the title are just annoying.

I did it recently, out of the blue. just seemed appropriate - mind you it was for an MG and 'twas a bit of fun.
Cant imagine doing ti for a more serious piece and for reasons other than fun

JSDR said:

It's like the book title. I see the chapter title, then I spend the whole time trying to connect it to something in the chapter. If it makes sense, cool. If it doesn't make sense, I feel kind of cheated and misled. So no, I don't like chapter titles.

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Ouch. mine would prob drive you nuts. I title the chapter on a whim, sometimes it summarizes the action, other times, not. and other times it's kind of a joke. and then other times....

Other than MG fiction, I doubt one novel in five hundred that I read has chapter titles. I usually pay no attention to the ones that do. I'd rather just read the chapter.