Chapter Titles?

[The Dark One]

I love chapter titles and have taken a slightly different approach in all of my books. My first book (which I rarely talk about, even though it was published by a small publisher who has gone out of business) featured a corporate bible called The Way, and every chapter was named after an aphorism from The Way.

My second book (third published book) was, among other things, a parody of The Sacred Quest and every second chapter title was a (creatively used) chapter title from LOTR. For example, the last chapter of part one is called Flight to the Ford, and when our hero almost gets to bonk the femme fatale, the chapter is called The Black Gate is Closed.

My third book (and most successful so far) has chapter titles reiterating things said by characters or the narrative voice in that chapter.

The book I'm about to publish (and I think, by miles, my best) has chapter titles inspired by things said in other chapters - which are somehow apposite and illustrate how tightly conceived and written is the whole.

 

[Jamber]

My first book (which I rarely talk about, even though it was published by a small publisher who has gone out of business) featured a corporate bible called The Way, and every chapter was named after an aphorism from The Way.

I really love it when chapters do things like this (using an internal image or principle as a structuring device). It makes the reader feel clever, an in-joke or witticism, and adds to the read.

I have to say I'd be groaning at the closed gate jest, but you're Australian and therefore cool.

cheers
Jennie

 

[kayd_mon]

After thinking about it a lot, I think that I like chapter titles, but I am afraid of sounding cheesy. Ah, the struggles of a writer.