Numbered or titled chapters?

Lidiya · Aug 4, 2012

Do you prefer giving your chapters a name or just numbering them?

In older books I've noticed that authors tend to name their chapters, but these days we get a lot more numbered ones.

I prefer to number them, so the name doesn't give the chapter away.

Kerosene · Aug 4, 2012

Numbered.

But, a single word or two of the chapter doesn't hurt. Like "Leavings" for when you know the characters are leaving a city or something.

Al Stevens · Aug 4, 2012

I give them names in the draft. It helps me find one among the chapter files to review or change. It also facilitates discussions with beta readers, because my latest version might have chapters inserted, deleted, split, merged, which changes the numbers.

I might remove the chapter names when the ms is completed. Not always. Without names, a TOC is kind of meaningless. Non-fiction works, reference books and tutorials, for example, usually need a TOC.

pandaponies · Aug 4, 2012

Numbers for me, but I do enjoy reading chapter titles. I'm always amused by the ones that spoof the old "in which" construction (ex. In Which Harry Gets a Letter, In Which The First-Years Arrive at Hogwarts) in a quirky way. Those are fun if the tone is right for them.

Lidiya · Aug 4, 2012

Numbers for me, but I do enjoy reading chapter titles. I'm always amused by the ones that spoof the old "in which" construction (ex. In Which Harry Gets a Letter, In Which The First-Years Arrive at Hogwarts) in a quirky way. Those are fun if the tone is right for them.

Same here! I love reading chapter titles!

Non-fiction works, reference books and tutorials, for example, usually need a TOC.

I agree with this a lot. It's more non-fiction works that need chapter titles.

kkbe · Aug 4, 2012

An author told me he neither titles nor numbers his chapters because doing so reminds the reader that he's reading a book. The goal, he said, is to keep the reader immersed in the story and do nothing to pull him/her away from that. . .

Lidiya · Aug 4, 2012

kkbe said:
An author told me he neither titles nor numbers his chapters because doing so reminds the reader that he's reading a book. The goal, he said, is to keep the reader immersed in the story and do nothing to pull him/her away from that. . .

So what does he do? Not include chapters? Or maybe just leave a blank space where the number's supposed to be?

ArachnePhobia · Aug 4, 2012

Check out the horror novel The Ruins for an example of no-chapter-breaks. It works for that novel.

Me? I like chapter titles that intrigue me. When I glanced through the index of my current Best Book In The Universe, Deep Into the Heart of a Rose by G.T. Denny, I saw a chapter titled "A Cup of Cold Sick" and my interest was immediately piqued.

Fallen · Aug 4, 2012

I like chapter titles. But I've read loads that use varying techniques. Whatever you (or the publisher) think will work

xC0000005 · Aug 4, 2012

Adults stuff I use numbers, but have a soft spot for chapter titles. I don't see them often in newer books. For my MG stuff I used chapter titles.

Lidiya · Aug 4, 2012

ArachnePhobia said:
Check out the horror novel The Ruins for an example of no-chapter-breaks. It works for that novel.

Me? I like chapter titles that intrigue me. When I glanced through the index of my current Best Book In The Universe, Deep Into the Heart of a Rose by G.T. Denny, I saw a chapter titled "A Cup of Cold Sick" and my interest was immediately piqued.

A Cup of Cold Sick? I'd love to know what that chapter was about.

CatchingADragon · Aug 4, 2012

In my current WIP, a MG fantasy, I enjoy using chapter titles in an effort to excite the reader about what's coming. Or at least to excite myself as I write it.

Looking at most of the books on my bookshelf that I've read, I don't remember which ones used chapter titles and which ones didn't. I think they're usually invisible for me. I've certainly never been distracted by any chapter titles.

Konfettii · Aug 4, 2012

I started out with numbered chapters and switched to titles during editing. I love chapter titles when I read, especially when they are a singular word. When done right, the chapter titles can lend excitement to the reading experience and create anticipation in what is to come.
In all honesty, I started out with numbers because I wanted to be what I thought was 'traditional' and wanted my writing to stand alone without any extraneous frills and effects. But, I decided to include them because it's something I enjoy as a reader. I found it was great fun, picking out little words and phrases for each title. I'm very pleased with the change.

Lidiya · Aug 4, 2012

Konfettii said:
I started out with numbered chapters and switched to titles during editing. I love chapter titles when I read, especially when they are a singular word. When done right, the chapter titles can lend excitement to the reading experience and create anticipation in what is to come.
In all honesty, I started out with numbers because I wanted to be what I thought was 'traditional' and wanted my writing to stand alone without any extraneous frills and effects. But, I decided to include them because it's something I enjoy as a reader. I found it was great fun, picking out little words and phrases for each title. I'm very pleased with the change.

I added chapter titles today, and I'm pleased with the change, too. I love coming up with witty ones!

joeyc · Aug 4, 2012

I'm a fan of using chapter titles myself, but if I feel the work doesn't need them then I probably won't use them.

IAMWRITER · Aug 4, 2012

Personally, I prefer and use numbers.

I'm one of these people who see a title for the chapter and if I can't figure out that title was used, it actually bothers me.

ArachnePhobia · Aug 4, 2012

Lidiya said:
A Cup of Cold Sick? I'd love to know what that chapter was about.

That was my reaction, too, and one of the reasons I bought and read the book (five times, and here recently, I've been thinking about reading it again). What is that chapter about? Spoiler-free version: the hero finds out the hard way he should be suspicious of surprise gifts from strangers.

(Not to derail, but I highly recommend Deep Into the Heart of a Rose, especially to fans of The Princess and the Goblin or the movie Labyrinth.)

Lidiya · Aug 4, 2012

ArachnePhobia said:
That was my reaction, too, and one of the reasons I bought and read the book (five times, and here recently, I've been thinking about reading it again). What is that chapter about? Spoiler-free version: the hero finds out the hard way he should be suspicious of surprise gifts from strangers.

(Not to derail, but I highly recommend Deep Into the Heart of a Rose, especially to fans of The Princess and the Goblin or the movie Labyrinth.)

Haha that sounds interesting! xD

I'll pick it up next time I visit a library or book store.

Coop720 · Aug 4, 2012

I think chapter titles have been chucked out by most authors is because a lot of authors nowadays tend to write chapters that are 2,000-5,000 words and it's quite tedious to name 40 chapters in one book. Whereas, when novels were in their early form, chapters tended to be 7,000-9,000 and take up more of the word count than nowadays.

I love both, but in my two current works, I name the chapters just to ground the reader in what is happening next. I remember being younger and reading titles and being so excited to find out what happens.

In a text like A Game of Thrones which is 350,000 words, there would be a ridiculous amount of chapters to name as each chapter is only about 3,500 words on average haha

I'm currently reading The Brothers Karamazov which is a 19th century text and that is around 430,000 words and the titles of the chapters fully outline what is happening to help excite the reader. In modern texts, most of the anticipation comes from the preceding chapter than the title, I reckon.

miss marisa · Aug 4, 2012

turning it around in my head, i've made this a more complicated question than need be. then again, i've been up for thirty hours. for me, a chapter title can either have me guessing what's going to happen and fill me with anticipation, or ruin the next plotline. sometimes authors aren't crafty enough to veil a plot development in their title, and if it gives away what happens in a chapter, the reader might just get bored and put it down. however, they can also help with leading readers in a different direction when they're expecting something and BAM plot twist, left field, never saw it coming.

me, i prefer numbers. i'm just not good with titles in general.

tko · Aug 4, 2012

chapter titles are fun!

The whole idea is to give out a chapter title that becomes meaningful after the reader has read the chapter, perhaps highlighting something, but meaningless before they've read it.

luxisufeili · Aug 4, 2012

I find chapter titles unnecessary unless they're really interesting.

kkbe · Aug 4, 2012

kkbe: An author told me he neither titles nor numbers his chapters because doing so reminds the reader that he's reading a book. The goal, he said, is to keep the reader immersed in the story and do nothing to pull him. . .away from that.

Lidiya: So what does he do? Not include chapters? Or maybe just leave a blank space where the number's supposed to be?

Just the page number, I think. Chapters begin 1/3 of the way or so down the page. That's it.

Konfettii · Aug 4, 2012

One more thought...

I remember when I was deciding on chapter titles, the process actually assisted me in a strange way.
I was trying to pin down the important elements of each chapter so I could find the right title word. I discovered that one of my chapters really lacked a solid purpose. I ended up rewriting a big chunk and improved things dramatically.
I'd like to think I would've caught the problem anyway, but who knows? In that way, perhaps chapter titles can also be used as an editing tool even if one chooses to ditch them later on in favor of numbers.

rwm4768 · Aug 4, 2012

Sometimes I name them. Sometimes I don't. For my current WIP, they are currently not named, but that is subject to change.

Numbered or titled chapters?

Skimming galaxies

Your Pixie Queen

in ur boardz, correctin ur grammar

Skimming galaxies

Huh.

Skimming galaxies

Stood at the coalface

An exception has occured.

Skimming galaxies

dragon seeker

Skimming galaxies

QWERTY!!!

Skimming galaxies

just thanks fore everything

Aspiring to be non-rejected

Huh.

practical experience, FTW