Do You Title Your Chapters or Just Number Them?

[Taytortots]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[zizban]

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]

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]

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]

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 Ämting]

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]

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