# Do You Title Your Chapters or Just Number Them?



## Queengilda (Oct 23, 2011)

I'm wondering whether you title your chapters or just number them.  Some writers also include quotes from either other writers, usually non-copyrighted authors, or quotes from earlier chapters as a teaser at the head of a chapter.  I title my chapters, but I was thinking for my new work, I might choose quotes from earlier writers as teasers.

I'd be interested in what other writers do.


----------



## Johnny Cosmo (Oct 23, 2011)

I've not decided yet. I like the idea of naming them, but I think it would get tricky after a while. For my main story, I might name them for the POV characters, since there are a few.


----------



## Shadoe (Oct 23, 2011)

I have a hard enough time coming up with titles for the story. Chapter titles are totally not gonna happen. I don't think anyone bothers reading them anyway.


----------



## Devor (Oct 23, 2011)

I'm still trying to decide.  I think in a lengthy work the chapter headers become cluttered and confusing.  You have to remember that if you include them, they may well be just about the first thing your reader sees if they go page by page through the Table of Contents.  If your reader doesn't yet know what to expect, and if there are a lot of chapters, you're only making them confused, you're not piquing their interest.  But if there's only a few chapters (20 or less) and they're well done, you might use them to build interest.

As an aside I would add, I think a big part of it is, how much is actually happening in a chapter?  If most your chapters are short or linear, then your headings might have to be hurtfully vague to avoid giving things away.  I can think several times where the thrust of a chapter was spoiled by the chapter headings, including one book which I felt did so repeatedly.

I'm brainstorming three writing projects.  In one most of the chapters are going to be short and highly vivid scenes, and I think chapter headings would spoil them.  In another, where there are only twelve chapters, I've put together chapter headings which I hope are dramatic and quotable.  In the third, in a fantasy world which should be more character driven than the other two, I'm still debating how long and complex the chapters need to be.


----------



## Kelise (Oct 23, 2011)

I love titling my chapters, but I know that most readers won't even look at them.

I really don't like it when chapter titles give away what's going to happen next, though.


----------



## mythique890 (Oct 23, 2011)

I didn't in my last project because it was easier.  My friend suggested finding mythological/historical quotes to go along with them, though, and I've thought about that.  Not as names, just as little blurbs at the beginnings of each chapter.


----------



## Benjamin Clayborne (Oct 23, 2011)

I'm ambivalent about what to do in my novel. Right now there's a prologue, 32 chapters, and epilogue. They are named "Prologue", "Chapter 1", ..., "Chapter 32", and "Epilogue."

I've considered naming the chapters, and I might do that if I feel up to it, but I don't know if it's necessary. However, each chapter is from the POV of a single character, a la _A Song of Ice and Fire_. One thing that's always annoyed me about those books, much as I love them, is that the chapters aren't numbered, so referring to chapters when talking to friends who are reading the books is hard.



> "I just read an Eddard chapter..."
> 
> "Which one? There's nine in the first book."
> 
> ...



I just read "Rule 34" by Charles Stross, and the chapters are all named "[Character]: [Subtitle]", e.g. "ANWAR: TOYMAKER". They're not numbered, though. So here's what I'm considering for my chapters (I won't even consider not numbering the chapters):

*Just a number:* "Chapter 1", "Chapter 15", "Epilogue" - A little plain.

*Number plus title:* "Chapter 1: Headaches" - I like chapter titles but it's a fair amount of work.

*Number plus POV character:* "Chapter 1: Amira" - This helps ease a reader into the chapter's POV. One thing that was always a little jarring about the Wheel of Time is that though each chapter is numbered and titled, you don't know who the POV character is until you've read a paragraph or two, which means you're spending those first few sentences figuring out who you're reading. I _really_ like that George R. R. Martin puts the name of each POV character as the title of the chapter. (I just wish he numbered them, too.) I'm currently leaning most toward this system.

*Number plus POV character plus title:* "Chapter 1: Amira - Headaches", or perhaps something like this:

Chapter 1: Headaches
_Amira_​
That's a bit excessive, and it still means I have to come up with a title for every chapter. Since I'm expecting this to be a trilogy, that means I'm stuck coming up with chapter names for two more books.


----------



## Elder the Dwarf (Oct 23, 2011)

Just had to mention this, sorry.  Benjamin, that quote about the Eddard chapters had me rolling around laughing.  I'm just recovering now.  So true.


----------



## Johnny Cosmo (Oct 24, 2011)

@Benjamin: I guess numbering is convenient, but I like that the name alone looks really clean and simple.


----------



## Digital_Fey (Oct 24, 2011)

My reaction was similar to Elder's. Epic quote 

Firstly, I can't be bothered with chapter titles because choosing them takes me longer than writing the actual chapter. Secondly, I'm not a big fan of them anyway - they tend to be either overly-descriptive, totally dull or embarrassingly pretentious. I make an exception for the Harry Potter books though; in general, the chapter titles are short but mysterious enough to make you want to read further. 

Quotes at the beginning of each chapter should be handled with care, IMO. If they're relevant and genuinely add to the depth of the book, fine. Anything else is just showing off.


----------



## Dragonie (Oct 24, 2011)

I just number them. I have enough of a hard time figuring out a title for my books, though, so I don't want to have to think of chapter titles as well!


----------



## Queengilda (Oct 24, 2011)

Thanks for all the input here.  I see many of you are very decided on what you are doing or will be doing on your next stories.  Digital_Fey, I couldn't agree more, that quotes at the beginnings of each chapter which aren't relevant and don't genuinely add to the depth of the book are just showing off.  I just hate it if an author starts quoting someone from antiquity who I've never heard of at the beginning of each chapter, and after reading the chapter, I just can't figure out why the quote was included.  Worst still is if the quote is in Latin or some language that I can't understand.


----------



## SeverinR (Oct 24, 2011)

I think of all the books I have written I only wrote one without chapter titles.

At most I forshadow.

The last chapter title I named:
the final cost (It is the final fight scene) 

They don't have to be earth shattering or unique,

"Chapter one, the beginning"

Chapter titles: 
the new life, returning home, first flight, fleeing, the academy

I have used all of the above, I think they are in three different books so they aren't all linked.


----------



## The Grey Sage (Oct 24, 2011)

I personally use titles, I don't usually find it difficult to name chapters, characters or stories. I will number them too like:
Chapter Six
The Fallen Hero


----------



## ScipioSmith (Oct 24, 2011)

I use numbers (for ease of reference for myself as much as anything else) and title them with dialogue taken from the chapter. Mostly this is because I thought it would be fun to have chapters titled things like "'I'm Back.' Is That All You Have to Say?", or my personal favourite "Alright Let's Go! Everybody Let Your Fighting Spirit Blaze!!"


----------



## Gryffin (Oct 24, 2011)

I'm not sure yet. I think that titling them makes them unique and is a neat idea, but I have always wondered how much readers care about them. I think a number can sometimes be boring but it also is simple and doesn't give too much away. I have mixed feelings.


----------



## Ghost (Oct 24, 2011)

I title chapters to keep track of things while I'm writing. It's easier for me to remember them that way. If/when I publish, I'll most likely switch them to numbers. Most of the books I read go by number, and I never felt like something was missing because of it. A few authors do titles well, but most offer boring chapter titles. They might as well do numbers instead. (Kristen Britain, I'm looking at you!) It's worse when they give away who the MC meets, where the MC goes, or what twist occurs in that chapter. I gloss over chapter titles and quotes in most novels. They're rarely worth it.

I'd rather not risk doing that. Most of my stories are in the first person pov anyway. I feel chapter titles make less sense in that pov.

The only time it's useful is when the book is very long and there's an index of the chapters. It's easier to find where you're at, which is helpful in a big book like _Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell_.


----------



## MichaelSullivan (Oct 25, 2011)

I always title chapters - I love looking at the table of context and seeing the flow of the story through the titles.


----------



## CicadaGrrl (Oct 25, 2011)

I grew up titling short chapters as in, Chapter 1:  A Heart of Flames.  I used the kernel of truth in the chapter I want to stay focused on.  They didn't give anything away, but were the sort of often pithy, slides of association that by the time the reader finished the chapter, they knew why I'd named it that way.  The only problem was that every now and then I would run into a chapter that didn't give me that kernel at the start, or end.  I actually had one working title that was, for years, "I *HATE* this ****ing chapter!"  Which I did.  It was an exposition bomb of the kind I despise but hadn't learned to leave out and still work the pertinent info.  Then I got to a book that didn't tell me chapter names almost at all.  So I just went back and made everything just numbered.  I also condensed multiple scenes into longer chapters with breaks ( * * * *) with.  

As for pov switches, I can have up to four characters in the air, but I never put the name in a title-like way.  I make a point of putting the name up front in the first paragraph, but after that I assume if I can write for shit (gulp?) and the reader isn't a total moron, the pov will be obvious due to the writing.


----------



## CicadaGrrl (Oct 25, 2011)

Wow.  The site left my shit but edited out my ****.  Weird.


----------



## Johnny Cosmo (Oct 25, 2011)

CicadaGrrl: I'm sure cursing is discouraged in the guidelines. I might be wrong, but I'm certain there are a lot of younger writers here!


----------



## Meg the Healer (Nov 4, 2011)

I haven't decided if in the finished product whether or not I would want chapter titles or just numbers. However, I do find that when I'm writing I have definite things I want to accomplish and since I have a tendency to skip around a lot when I'm writing, it helps me remember.

In the version where I'm writing 3rd person POV, I currently have chapter titles like The Querent, Judgement, New Beginnings, Willow Brook, Glow, Dreamscape, Viewing Panes, Tabula Rosa, Illusion, and Knight of Cups. I've titled them so that I primarily can tell *myself* where I am in the story. I don't know if necessarily I would tell my reader (again in the finished work). As you can see some of my titles are pretty specific about what they're going to be talking about - other like Glow, Tabula Rosa, and Knight of Cups aren't exactly point specific.

When I was writing 1st person POV, I headed the chapter as which character was speaking and allowed each of them to have their own voice. In that case I would definitely have a chapter title - even though it would be a character title.


----------



## Black Gate of Mordor (Nov 6, 2011)

I usually title my chapters, but I almost always give them an extremely generic name (such as "The Girl"). I do it so that potential readers won't be able to tell what the chapter is about, but reflecting back they'll work out why I named it such. I occasionally change the generic names to something less generic and a bit more mysterious, but I always make sure that I have titles.


----------



## The Blue Lotus (Nov 6, 2011)

Johnny Cosmo said:


> CicadaGrrl: I'm sure cursing is discouraged in the guidelines. I might be wrong, but I'm certain there are a lot of younger writers here!


Yeah well I have heard much worse come out of mouths that are decades younger than I am... 
 Thats saying a lot since I cuss like a salior on leave! 
However the F word is extreamly functional in our language as is Sh*t 
Don't think so? Watch here ROFL it is way funny... OSHO: Strange Consequences - YouTube
After you watch that consider this:
There is a bit of debate about which word is the most important here. This the other teams argument for the Word Sh*t

You can get sh*t-faced, be sh*t-out-of-luck, or have sh*t for brains. With a little effort, you can get your sh*t together, find a place for your sh*t, or be asked to sh*t or get off the pot.

You can smoke sh*t, buy sh*t, sell sh*t, lose sh*t, find sh*t, forget sh*t, and tell others to eat sh*t.

Some people know their sh*t, while others can't tell the difference between sh*t and Shine-O-La.

There are lucky sh*ts, dumb sh*ts, and crazy sh*ts. There is bull sh*t, horse sh*t, and chicken sh*t.

You can throw sh*t, sling sh*t, catch sh*t, shoot the sh*t, or duck when the sh*t hits the fan.  

You can give a sh*t or serve sh*t on a shingle. You can find yourself in deep sh*t or be happier than a pig in sh*t.

Some days are colder than sh*t, some days are hotter than sh*t, and some days are just plain sh*tty.

Some music sounds like sh*t, things can look like sh*t, and there are times when you feel like sh*t.

You can have too much sh*t, not enough sh*t, the right sh*t, the wrong sh*t or a lot of weird sh*t.

You can carry sh*t, have a mountain of sh*t, or find yourself up sh*t creek without a paddle.

Sometimes everything you touch turns to sh*t and other times you fall in a bucket of sh*t and come out smelling like a rose.

Once in a while you have to wear boots because the sh*t is getting too deep.

When you stop to consider all the facts, it's the basic building block of the English language.

And remember, once you know your sh*t, you don't need to know anything else!!

So really when you consider all the facts there are reasons to not ban these two words... 
Also the word Pr*ck It is a multi use word you can pr*ck your finger, but one can also be/have a pr*ck.

As for chapters I Number and name mine in my RD but on final drafts I leave it all naked like.

So after much to do, which team are you? That is assuming you give a Fing Sh*T. 
Team F or team S


----------



## Devor (Nov 6, 2011)

The Blue Lotus said:


> Yeah well I have heard much worse come out of mouths that are decades younger than I am...
> Thats saying a lot since I cuss like a salior on leave!



So . . . is cursing discouraged or not?  Does anybody know?


----------



## Legendary Sidekick (Nov 6, 2011)

On-topic: I named my chapters.

On cursing: one of my chapters contains the S-word.

Back on chapter names: I named my chapters because I number the main character's journeys. That said, I wonder if, as a result of naming chapters, I ended up making my chapters too long. Which brings me to a question...


----------



## Elder the Dwarf (Nov 6, 2011)

Blue Lotus, I'm pretty surprised you would have a bad mouth.  Especially because you don't like rap because of bad language.  And on the decades younger thing: yeah, a lot of kids are cussing in elementary school it kinda sucks.  Probably the worst language is in middle school and it gets just slightly better in high school.  

Devor, I believe it is.  At least it is in the rules.  

I don't name my chapters, mainly because coming up with a name for the novel my WIP will hopefully be will probably take me months, so I don't need any more naming trouble.


----------



## Johnny Cosmo (Nov 6, 2011)

> However the F word is extreamly functional in our language as is Sh*t



I don't know why this is directed at me. I'm of the opinion that those words are very functional, and I'm all for their proper use. Swearing really doesn't bother me, but I didn't write the guidelines here...


----------



## The Blue Lotus (Nov 6, 2011)

Johnny Cosmo said:


> I don't know why this is directed at me. I'm of the opinion that those words are very functional, and I'm all for their proper use. Swearing really doesn't bother me, but I didn't write the guidelines here...



You misunderstood why I quoted you dear. 
I was not directing at you but rather using your post as my talking point. So sorry if you felt offended. Hugs.

Elder I cuss like a sailor mainly because I was a sailor, the whole when in Rome thing.... I guess... 
But the words only have power if you let them. I never say these words around young kids, and my own kids have been taught that there is a time and place for these words. Like when you smash your finger with a hammer... 

There are some words I simply won't use, 
the F bomb does not bother me, neither does the s word. the Pri word depending on how it is used can be offensive. ( don't call people that! ) The words that really bother me are the ones that you find in music a lot the B word or other derivatives of it like the W word or the H word.  there is never a good reason to say that to a lady! Well... unless she just ran over your puppy or something like that. Perhaps than I could understand it, but other than that NO. 

I don't want to listen to derogatory lyrics that objectify ladies and reduce decent men to horney, slavating, dogs, that have turds for brains. >_> 

So yes I totaly understand why some words are banned, and yes I also have the understanding that the rules here prohibit these words from finding there way to the boards where the younger kiddies can see them. However... I believe that is a bit like closing the barn door after the horse has run away. 
If we teach the kids the uses for them you take their power away. IMHO

lol Elder for the longest time (years) I called my first novel "book" Now it has a proper title.  It will come to you.


----------



## Johnny Cosmo (Nov 6, 2011)

> So sorry if you felt offended.



I'm not. You quoted me and then used 'you', so it was fair to assume you were talking to me (or else you should have specified otherwise). It doesn't matter either way, since it's not me who is asking for censorship of swearing. I don't get a say in the matter, it's just in the guidelines.


----------



## The Blue Lotus (Nov 6, 2011)

Oh rofl the post I put up is a combo of jokes... So sorry. 
I think they used you as a generlization rather than saying the reader... or something like that.


----------



## Johnny Cosmo (Nov 6, 2011)

Well, I was the only person opposed to cursing (not that I am usually, again, just because we are asked not to). 

I swear a lot in person, because it's just part of who I am and where I'm from. It's natural for me (and probably for you) but I don't see as much need to swear on forums. We have all the time in the world before submitting responses, so it's not like swearing just slips out. I'm sure that everyone here can elegantly present their opinion without swearing, so there's really no reason to go against the forum guidelines.

On topic: to the people who name their chapters, can I ask why? I've seen a couple of people say they intentionally give their chapters vague titles so that people only know what it means after they've read it, but what is the purpose of this? Would it not be better for them to continue to be engrossed into the story, rather than wondering what something with as little importance as a chapter name meant?

I usually name things for my own self-indulgence (and to a certain extent, peace of mind). Is this similar? Not to say it's a bad reason, just that I doubt it will be as important to the reader as it is to the writer. But, you could say the same about place names (which I spend a long time thinking of names for), so I'm guilty of this sort of thing too.


----------



## Elder the Dwarf (Nov 6, 2011)

to Lotus, I also wasn't offended, just in case it was directed at me.  Just a little surprised.  And I understand you taking offense at some things in rap, but not all rap is like that.


----------



## Johnny Cosmo (Nov 6, 2011)

> And I understand you taking offense at some things in rap, but not all rap is like that.



Oh yeah, I meant to mention this. A lot of people make sweeping generalisations about music they don't like enough to know. It's natural, I guess, but it's not always right.


----------



## The Blue Lotus (Nov 6, 2011)

I know that Elder, I just happen to prefer bubble gum pop   Rap comes in many forms, me personaly I don't like the sounds (music that goes with the words,) they give me a headache.
I tend to run on the softer side of things, It is not unusual to walk into our home and hear Vavaldi, or Chopain, if we are in a funky mood, you might hear walking on sunshine... etc. 
We just are not the harder sounds loving type people over here. Everything should remind us of a soft spring rain, clouds, and open hearts....  

And Johnny, you are right there is no reason to fight the admins... there are more eloquent ways to say exactly what you/we mean.  

I name my chapters to help me keep track of things, Sometimes I will write out a scene for book 3 while working on book 1 other times I write out something that does not have a home at that time. I write as things come to me and than go back and order them as I like. At that time I remove these titles and just let my story flow.


----------



## Nyx (Nov 26, 2011)

I have been playing with this for a while now. My series is in first person, so I will probably go with a number and a characters name so it doesn't get too cluttered. I might experiment with titles in another project though, sounds like a lot of fun.


----------



## Erica (Nov 28, 2011)

Juvenile fiction uses chapter titles more, it seems, than regular fiction. Maybe it's because the publishers/writers think younger readers need some sort of foreshadowing to hook them in?

I've seen writers in fantasy title their chapters simply by naming the place and date where the chapter is taking place. This can be handy if there are multiple places/times where the story is taking place (think a time travel story or a story with flashbacks). This can be a pain though if your chapter covers several days or has multiple scenes taking place in different locations. The other way chapters can be named is simply a brief description of something pivotal that happens there. For instance 'A Turning Point' or "A Terrible Dilemma'. I'm not sure why or when it is appropriate to use the latter form as it often seems needless.

I'm putting dates and locations on my chapters as I write, but I'll probably lose them if I ever try to publish it somewhere and make sure the information that's needed for the reader is in the actual text. The dates/locations are more there to help me keep track of plotting at this point.


----------



## ThalaeaAithusia (Nov 28, 2011)

Depends on the story...my fantasy has titles like "Silence" "Before the Storm" "Voices in the Night" "The Storm Begins" "A Test of strength" and then the chapter after that is "Failure"...so you get the idea that the tes of strangth didn't go too well...

But say, in a western type story... I have it titled like a Ralph Moody book... "I get the right idea" "My horse outsmarts me" etc.

I wrote short story called "There be Dragons"...it was kind of dark, and I just numbered the chapters, using ROman Numerals to kind of set the mood...Roman Numerals just look ominous enough to help in a darker story...

Just my two cents.


----------



## August Griffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Never let the reader relax.  So no, the party posts a guard and takes a refreshing nap, chapter breaks.     
     Your basic building block is the scene.  Label them until it is no longer useful.  Eventually you combine the scenes into chapters so the headings become irrelevant.  
   When you are ready to chapter, you narrow your scenes down to, say, the eight to ten most exciting scenes or important moments.  You analyze the structure and choose from the following possibilities, presented in the order of most likely--to least likely, to be chosen as the chapter break.
  End at the moment of disaster ending the scene.  Your party should be worse off than when they started the scene.  You can end in the middle of the conflict, or the thought portion of a sequel.  As in, mid-combat (chapter break) or (the inevitable spider rain has begun, making things look hopeless,) so there was no way out.  (chapter break) Or you can end at the decision (we must carry on without Sir Waterbucket of Yuck) or new action portion (bleeding and bent, he crawled toward the object of the quest--the Chattering Feather Duster of Destiny!)  Provided you have created enough anticipation in the reader.  This is largely a paraphrase of, "Scene and Structure," by Jack M. Bickham.  
     Once you choose your chapter breaks, your structure will either lend itself to titles or not.  The question becomes, do chapter headings add anything to the story?  Only you can answer that.    
Cheers!


----------



## Empathy (Nov 30, 2011)

At the minute I just number them, as I can't really put a name on a chapter without ruining the story. Although I'm hoping before I finish to try and get a mixture.


----------



## Taytortots (Dec 23, 2011)

I have such a difficult time titling chapters. I sit around for weeks attempting to figure out the perfect title to my novel, I'd rather write than do that for each chapter.
However, I have found a middle ground that suits me well enough. In my writing stage, I just number. When I'm finished the writing portion, while I'm editing, I read the chapter, and than title it. It's easier that way and I have the whole essence of the chapter not just the general idea.


----------



## Aidan of the tavern (May 5, 2012)

Hmm, it seems I missed an interesting discussion on chapter titles and swearing.

If I can think of clever stuff I'll title my chapters, or maybe just call them "Archive 11" "Archive 12" etc.


----------



## writeshiek33 (May 5, 2012)

depends on the story i give a working title for the story then either leave the the chapters as numbers or i give them working titles for rough draft


----------



## Steerpike (May 5, 2012)

I titled them for my children's book. I do not title them for works written for adults.


----------



## zizban (May 5, 2012)

I give mine titles that tell me something about what I am about to write in the chapter. I have never given chapters titles in the final drafts.


----------



## Sheilawisz (May 5, 2012)

I always choose carefully the best name for every chapter!! It helps to give them a feel of Life of their own, like each chapter is a little tale and so it means a success for me when I finish it =)


----------



## Erica (May 6, 2012)

I don't think I'll be naming my chapters in the novel I'm working on. Currently, I'm including the location, season and year, but that's more to help me keep track of the timing of things as I skip between characters and locations in different chapters. I'm still trying to decide how I'll handle letting the reader know about the passage of time in the story, since I may have several chapters that occur over a few days' time and then skip a month or so before the next one. I know from novels I've read that it can be confusing for a reader if you start a chapter with a different pov character from the last one AND also have a jump ahead in time.


----------



## The Dark One (May 7, 2012)

I always name chapters, and mostly number them also.

In my first book, there was occasional reference to a corporate bible called The Way and every chapter was subtitled with an aphorism from The Way.

In my third book, I developed a method which I have occasionally used since, whereby I read back over the chapter after writing it and select any partial phrase which takes my fancy but also seems to somehow encapsulate/epitomise the action. Another trick I used in that book was to recycle some chapter titles from LOTR. The book (recently published) was to some extent a parody of the sacred quest and Tolkien came in for a bit of a kicking - and the chapter titles were none the worse for having been used before.

In my recently finished ms (my shortest work at only 74k words) I sometimes use random expressions which somehow seem apposite, and sometimes use the pithy selected half expressions method. But they are always meaningful, on some level or other.

I disagree profoundly with those who think chapter titles don't matter. Every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence, every word...is an opportunity to entertain and get more fans for your work. Use them wisely and well.


----------



## Anders Ã„mting (May 7, 2012)

I usually number and title my chapters - I think it's fun. I actually have a much easier time thinking of titles for chapters that I have titling the story itself, because it's easier to narrow down the theme of individual chapters vs a full lenght book.


----------



## Aidan of the tavern (May 7, 2012)

Yes, TGNewman, if you're here, such is my writer's sleeping pattern breakfast seems to have moved to the afternoon.


----------

