I am getting ready to send in a full and am 'iffy' about naming my chapters. What is the general opinion about naming versus putting a chapter number?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Do you name your chapters?
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I think it's just personal preference. I don't use chapter names myself, but I don't really mind when other authors do. As long as they're relevant and interesting chapters, I wouldn't see a problem.
I like numbers myself. I think children's books, young adult and fantasy tend to lean towards chapter names.
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Mine are numbered, but I've been flirting with the idea of naming them for a while now. If I do, I'll wait until draft two is finished, then come up with something clever and thematic.
Then I'll probably chuck them and go back to numbers.
Then I'll probably chuck them and go back to numbers.
LOL.
Yes, at least for my currently finished or in-progress unpublishable stuff, though not by conscious plan. And depending on the nature of any further unpublishable stuff I write, I might well use just numbers.
caw
caw
I don't even number or form chapters until the second draft is completed. Then I see where a good chapter break could/should be. Then I number them. I don't bother with naming them.
I did an interior story of a main work and named the chapters to further the differentiation. Some liked it while others didn't because they felt the technique gave up part of what they were about to read, which was certainly a justifiable contention.
I've thought about this a great deal, and I think it relates as much to genre and voice as anything else. You might want to consider:
A children's story could be ideally suited for a chapter title (voice cetainly would allow it), where a thriller, such as I write, might not. As I say, I've only done this once and the verdict is still out on whether I'm going to ultimately retain the chapter titles in the interior element. For me, it's a very interesting subject.
I've thought about this a great deal, and I think it relates as much to genre and voice as anything else. You might want to consider:
A children's story could be ideally suited for a chapter title (voice cetainly would allow it), where a thriller, such as I write, might not. As I say, I've only done this once and the verdict is still out on whether I'm going to ultimately retain the chapter titles in the interior element. For me, it's a very interesting subject.
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I name them Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three... 
The first book I wrote I fully intended on using chapter titles but I didn't want to bog myself down with thinking up titles before I began writing so I shelved it for later. Once later actually came I decided I really didn't need chapter titles and, since then, haven't bothered with it.
The first book I wrote I fully intended on using chapter titles but I didn't want to bog myself down with thinking up titles before I began writing so I shelved it for later. Once later actually came I decided I really didn't need chapter titles and, since then, haven't bothered with it.
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I have named chapters in the past, but I tend to simply stick to numbers. However, if I ended up feeling like I wanted to name chapters again in the future -- and there's no real reason except that names occurred to me, so they might again -- I'd go back to it. I think it's fine.
And speaking of "in which" -- E.M. Forster worked them like a master, so even that can be done!
And speaking of "in which" -- E.M. Forster worked them like a master, so even that can be done!
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Yes and No. As of right now, they're named but only for my sanity. I use the names to remind what the chapter is about in case I need to fix something in chapter 3 that is relevant in chapter 10. As soon, and if, someone asks for a full, I'll remove them.
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I usually have short chapter names, such as:
Earth
Ocean
Captured
Escape
Fun with Gravity
The End
Or is it?
Real chapter names. In the same book too. Fun with Gravity is a my favored chapter.
Earth
Ocean
Captured
Escape
Fun with Gravity
The End
Or is it?
Real chapter names. In the same book too. Fun with Gravity is a my favored chapter.
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I generally number them, but after looking back, I see that one might be 12 pages, the next 6 pages, and the next 3 pages. So, rather than going through the whole thing after balancing the chapters (yes, I know it's not necessary) I figure I should just name them all xx until I decide where my breaks should be.
In a current WIP I've put aside, I'm considering naming the chapters.
In a current WIP I've put aside, I'm considering naming the chapters.
JBI
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I put the time and date and an In Which. Picked that up off of Umberto Eco, and I must say, I like it.
Actually, it's true, "In Whiches" can be fun.
I settle for numbers, though if it's essential to making the story understandable, I put in a note right below the number ("Two months later"). (That was because the viewpoint character in that chapter was not tracking well; there was no way I could have her reflect that two months had passed, because she didn't know. But I needed the reader to know.)
I settle for numbers, though if it's essential to making the story understandable, I put in a note right below the number ("Two months later"). (That was because the viewpoint character in that chapter was not tracking well; there was no way I could have her reflect that two months had passed, because she didn't know. But I needed the reader to know.)
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Let's not diss the "in which".
Simply because I use them and to be honest, now I am feeling a bit concerned.
Simply because I use them and to be honest, now I am feeling a bit concerned.
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