Have you ever took thought in what you have in mind for the chapter that your writing and wondered what fitting Title your going to give it?
I have…
I spend too long (in my own opinion) wondering just how to portray such a meaningful Chapter Title for what I have either “In mind” or “what is written”…
It mostly gets to me in a way that I feel and think “Will the title stay the reader, and put them off reading more?” Which really bugs me to no end, and I spend too much time worrying about it… But on the flipside I sometimes think “That will do for what it is, and it will convey what I feel is happening in that chapter.”
Then the dark nights close in, and my mind does wander into the “Worry Realm”… And I doubt myself and my choices too…
Does this happen to you? Do you have something that assists you?
Honestly, this is a personal thing, but NOT naming a chapter feels very off to me. Like not titling the story BEFORE starting it feels off to me. That often screws me up in various ways. That’s how it has always been for me writing. I do remember a time when I would not title them, but I don’t know what even happened to cause that shift. I am thinking it might’ve started around the time of my first completed novel, when I made chapters into parts and parts into chapters a thing for me.
I need to call it something, it’ll feel too empty. I can’t explain it. Even temporary titles work and that is probably what messes me up story wise. I fell into a trap and can’t get out apparently.
When I got no idea, I just use “chapter one” or “01” to name a chapter, but then if I want to properly nae it, I’d use something relevant to the chapter (e.g. if there was a gun/ someone got shot, it would be something related to ‘bang, bang’ or 'bullets for example).
I never really think about if someone likes the chapter or not because the actual contents of the chapter matter more to me than the title. If you’re stuck, just use the numerical system and go back and think about it later.
I’ve sometimes thought about using chapter titles myself, but never have yet. I just use numbered chapters. It seems like a lot of extra work to come up with titles that don’t give away what’s going to happen in the chapter. But if you can do it, then good on you! ( ˆ◡ˆ)۶ ٩(˘◡˘ )
It’s definitely a rabbit hole of thoughts I’ve gone down as well, but then I remember what I do when reading a book that has chapter titles: barely look at them. Sometimes they’re clever, and sometimes not, and I don’t really care either way.
I started to see the chapter titles as just the fun for the author. The chapter titles aren’t going to play a part in the plot. Readers want to know what happens next. They want details. So, you can do whatever you want.
I remember A Man Called Ove had very literal chapter titles. If the chapter was about an old man going to the store to get an iPad, that was what the chapter title was. Nothing clever or ground-breaking. Just to the point. Half the time I wasn’t even looking at the title because I wanted to know the story.
Anyway, I would say just do whatever you want to do for your own personal fun satisfaction. That’s what I do. And if readers find some chapter titles as funny or clever, well, that’s a plus
Thanks all… I guess it’s a me thing then. I just feel like a chapter needs a title, but I also feel that it has to be coherent to what will happen (spoilers or not)…
Chapter titles are so hard tbh. Out of all my works, I have one series I’d like to try and do chapter titles for. Most of them are pop-culture references, sarcasm, bad puns, or the narrator being generally done with everything that’s happening. No deep meaning at all. This is why I wait until after writing the chapter to even consider naming it unless something goes through my brain and I go OMG THAT’S BRILLIANT which almost never happens
I put titles on all my chapters. The only time I don’t is if I think roman numerals are more the vibe for my 1850s USA-inspired world.
About chapter titles themselves, usually it’s a summary of what happened or it’s some big key moment hinted at (almost a spoiler), or it’s something the character said which is a big moment, or it’s the theme of the chapter.
I have a chapter titled “Maybe, Maybe, Maybe…” (something a character said) and another “When Smokish Fog is Cannoned” (a key incident) neither are particularly ground-breaking in my opinion, but they’re in reference to a key moment in the chapter.
Sometimes, it’s the theme or topic of the chapter. I have a chapter in another story that’s just “Rise” which is one boring old word, but the chapter is about a revolution. I couldn’t think of anything clever, so I just went with that and sometimes simple is best.
Maybe this gives you a sense of how you can give a chapter a title while making sure it’s coherent to what will happen?
I have a chapter called Acoss Burns… In itself is seems quite dull. What happens in the chapter is that The City of Acoss is attacked by the Drakes of Undermount and utterly destroyed. It is told by Ossel, son of the King Odedra in recollection of his struggle to survive the onslaught.
I had thought of such titles as “The Day They Came”, “The Rage of Undermount”, “Four Thousand Years of Smouldering Hate”, and “The Dance of the Dragons”.
Each has it’s own connection within what happens, what is said, and answers why they destroyed Acoss… Yet I just did not seem to go with any of them for some unknown reason… And I just went for Acoss Burns. It seemed simple, yet appealing to me…
Though now I don’t know… The Rage of Undermount is calling to me now, but I’m still unsure…
Saw this and immediately thought, “Oh I like that”. If I had been reading the story, I would think, “wait, it burns? what happened? why does it burn? who did it?” and immediately want to read on.
