Chapter Titles

[Puddle Jumper]

Do you give titles to individual chapters or do you just number them? I've seen both done and I was wondering if there was any rhyme or reason behind having chapter titles or not having chapter titles. And does the author title chapters or would that be the agent or editor?

[Adam_Atlantian]

First i have to say i love your user name.

I title my chapters. I'm not sure if the author does it or if it is the agent or editor. I do because it helps me stay focused on the events in the chapter. Maybe when i get published they publisher will want the chapter titles deleted.

[veinglory]

I've done it either ways. I use titles if titles come to me--and numbers if they don't. No particular rhyme or reason other than that.

[Perks]

Personally, I prefer just numbers. The chapter titles can be terribly clever, but therein lies the downfall. If it's rolling, I don't want anything pulling me out of the story waving a "Isn't This An Intriguing Snippet."

Of course, exceptions abound. I just can't think of any right now. Obviously, I don't use them.

[Linda Adams]

Mostly where I see chapter titles seem to be in young adult books. I think in general they can be problematic. If you have a 45 chapter book, you'd have to come up with 45 chapter titles that are both interesting and don't give the story away. I've seen some chapter titles that probably would have been better off if they were omitted (not interesting) or give away something important in the story.

[Anya Smith]

I use chapter titles while I'm writing the story, and then usually delete them when I'm finished. I save a copy with the titles, though. As of yet, I'm not published, so I don't know whether the publisher or agent would delete them or not. It's difficult at times to come up with good titles, especially when there are two or more scenes in a chapter. The only reason I'm using them is that they help me focus, then find certain parts in the story if I need to.

[Jamesaritchie]

Chapter titles don't usually both me, but I never use them, and seldom pay any attention to them in otehr novels. They too often give away the key events of the chapter, and that's teh last thing I want to know in advance.

[Sage]

I just deleted all my chapter titles in one of my novels I'm editing, because I knew I couldn't think of good titles for all of those chapters. But I'm thinking of adding them back, at least temporarily, so that I can navigate my novel w/ Document Map easily. My other novel has great chapter titles, but I can't use the same trick w/ this one.

[Linda Adams]

I just deleted all my chapter titles in one of my novels I'm editing, because I knew I couldn't think of good titles for all of those chapters. But I'm thinking of adding them back, at least temporarily, so that I can navigate my novel w/ Document Map easily. My other novel has great chapter titles, but I can't use the same trick w/ this one.

Give it something that's meaningful to you and take them out later on. I save my chapters in individual, and each of those files has a name that's a very short summary. It helps me find a chapter faster when I need to go find one. Just a word of warning--if you plan to submit it to a critique group, make sure anything like this that helps you comes out before you submit it. We have to rename our files before sending them out because they do give away huge spoilers.

[loquax]

I don't like them when reading - especially when the chapter names are listed in the front, and you accidentally spot chapter 50 is called "Billy's Decapitation" or some such spoiler.

[Julie Worth]

Can’t make up your mind? Then do it all: use numbers and headings. Use subheadings too. Terence Mckenna did that in True Hallucinations:

Chapter One
The Call of the Secret
In which our cast of characters, including a mushroom,
are introduced, and their peculiar interests sketched.
The Amazon jungle is invoked and the descent of
one of its rivers undertaken.


Tip: If you use a different heading style for each of these, then you can set them to white so they don’t print. You can have them and not have them.

[citymouse]

While I was writing my first novel it struck me what a keen idea it would be to add little titles to a few (not all) as I went along. My thought was to tee-off with some pithy quote from Shakespeare or Mdm de Pompadour who said "Champagne is the only wine that leaves a woman beautiful after drinking it."
I asked a writer friend what she thought. I remember her words verbatum. "You'd better make sure what you write is better than the quote." I just use numbers.

Michael

[janetbellinger]

Chapters? What are chapters? Just kidding. lol. But seriously, I don't even t hink about chapters, until I'm finished writing the book, then I grudgingly figure it all out. Just numbers, for me.

[CaroGirl]

I prefer just numbers when I read and when I write. That said, my WIP is largely in 1st person POV, but the several chapters that are in other characters' POV are titled "Chapter # - Helen", or whichever name applies.

[victoria.goddard]

I find this an interesting discussion. I use chapter titles (and numbers) at the moment (eg. Chapter One, The Rose and Phoenix), which help me to orient myself. At the moment my plan is to leave them in, because I think of them as acting to the chapter as the title acts to the whole book--both a manner of organisation, and a way of subtly pointing out the theme of the chapter, or underlying symbolic associations. They come out from within the chapters, though, and often from previous ones, or help to link to later themes or ideas.

The Rose and Phoenix of chapter one is, in chapter one, the name of a very famous pub where most of the action is set (and which is frequently refered to in the rest of the story). The two objects, however, are heradically associated with the MC and his world, and also end up being important symbolically for the story as a whole, which is a retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth.

So for me, having the reader know the chapter names in advance is not a problem (indeed, I want it to be an important tool). I sometimes use tags from a quotation--eg, "The Still Point of the Turning World" from TS Eliot, but it's the name of a chapter that comes AFTER the one where the MC quotes that line and mulls over it. I hadn't thought about therefore necessarily needing to write as well as the person I've just quoted to avoid seeming ridiculous ...

Perhaps I should reconsider whether this is hammering home the point too much . . . I shall have to ask my readers whether they like having the chapter titles or not. Hmm.

[Maryn]

I agree with Jamesaritchie on this--titles or quotations at the start of chapters pull me right out of what I'm reading, regardless of how clever, wonderful, apt, etc. they might be.

I have seen such devices used to good effect in YA novels, each name or description serving not as a clear indication of content but as a teaser. "Trouble in Music Class," or "In which David receives a most unexpected guest" may intrigue the young reader enough to begin the next chapter. (Doesn't do much for us jaded older types, though.)

I never use chapter names, quotes, or descriptions myself. I'd skip the chapter numbers if I could get away with it. A symbol and a fresh page would do it.

Maryn, minimalist

[RGame]

It seems from the books I've read that most of the ones that use chapter titles are usually humorous books, or more likely to have humor in them.

[victoria.goddard]

It seems from the books I've read that most of the ones that use chapter titles are usually humorous books, or more likely to have humor in them.

Hmm. I think you may be right. Mine is not intended to humorous, exactly, though it is a comedy; the MC in fact develops a sense of humour over the course of the book, under the influence of the protagonist. I wonder if chapter titles are a good or a bad idea in that case?

(Victoria goes to put her thinking cap on...)

[maestrowork]

Chapter titles work better if you have an episodic novel. You know, kind of like in Babe, where each "chapter" is a new scenario/episode of something at at the barn... as the mice sang, "A Very Sad Day..." It tells the audience what's to come.

[blacbird]

I think this is a "six of one . . ." issue. I've seen it done in either fashion, many times, and, like anything else, if it's appropriate for the novel, and is done well, it works. As a reader, it doesn't bother me one way or the other.

caw.

[Shadow_Ferret]

I'm anti-Chapter Title, but that's because I'm just awful at titling anyway, even the novel itself. Add the stress of having to title each chapter and man, I'm become this quivering mass of anxiety.

My current WIP I have what day it is listed for each Chapter (Chapter 1, Monday, Chapter 2 Tuesday), but this is just a reference so I know what day it is.

[Cheryll]

Personally, I prefer just numbers. The chapter titles can be terribly clever, but therein lies the downfall. If it's rolling, I don't want anything pulling me out of the story waving a "Isn't This An Intriguing Snippet."

I agree. I've read a few novels written that way and I thought the titles were distracting. But that's just me.

Cheryll

[TrickyFiction]

My first two novels had numbered chapters only. Then, I found that naming them helped me flip back to find references from the past more easily. You'd think I would learn from that, but no. My newest project has no chapters at all. It just seemed to happen that way.

Whatever works for the book you're writing is what you should do.
I was never turned off to a novel by chapter titles or a lack of them.

[Phouka]

In the right context, chapter titles and subtitles ("wherein our young hero discovers a heinous plot...") can be charming and fit in with the style of the story. I've read a few novels with such titles and when it's done well, it can be part of the enjoyment. Done badly, and it's really annoying.

I just use numbers, if I use anything at all -- but I think I'm going to use the suggestion of several people here and try to use temporary titles as a way of identifying the chapter (e.g., 'Chapter 3: Earth Explodes') so I can organize things, then removing them afterwards. I'm trying to develop a bit more organization around my writing, and this sounds like a useful thing to try.

[Sage]

Give it something that's meaningful to you and take them out later on. I save my chapters in individual, and each of those files has a name that's a very short summary. It helps me find a chapter faster when I need to go find one. Just a word of warning--if you plan to submit it to a critique group, make sure anything like this that helps you comes out before you submit it. We have to rename our files before sending them out because they do give away huge spoilers.I realized I had a really effective way to title my chapters (at least temporarily), w/out giving much away & so that I know exactly what was going on. You see, I've make up soundtracks for my novels, so that each important scene has a song corresponding to it. Most of these songs have been on the playlist for this WIP for almost a year, & the newer ones are just as recognizable to me for their respective scene because anything I found this late in the game is probably replacing another song & therefore I was probably ecstatic to find the "perfect" song. Anyway, by using these song titles as my chapter titles, I will know exactly where to find everything.

[Idkwiaowiw]

Sorry I'm so late on this conversation. I find it better not to use chapter titles. I did for my first two books, but I realized it was too much of a distraction. It also sounded very YA-ish. I definitely feel like there are those who can make great chapter titles and those who can't. You just have to know which one you are.