Chapters title - which is the best

[MarekSusicky]

As in title. Do you care about Chapter title? I personally do, so that's why I try to make title for every chapter that perfectly fits it. Today I spent like fifteen minutes wondering how to name one chapter. Waste of time? Kinda of. I could have written half a page of the next chapter

So... do you bother or just slap "Chapter 69" and that's it?

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Whatever fits. I personally prefer at least a number (partly because upload order is not always accurate).
Some stories lend themselves to detailed chapter titles, some to single-word ones or just numbers.

I had one story (sadly lost after multiple computer issues) where each chapter had the name of the narrator (as each was in first person, from a different character's view point) and a number.

Another, for a different site, only has text terms because they prefer their own auto-numbering system.

And one I have on Royal Road has chapters numbered as "Case File #-#: Descriptor" as each "story" in the book is a separate case file for the character, so the first # is the current case file (at the moment "stalled" at the second due to other stories taking over my time, so either 1 or 2) and the second the chapter within that story.

So - whatever feels right for the story.

Note that some sites (like HoneyFeed, the one that prefers to autonumber, or PocketFM, which does not like you to title chapters at all per their guidelines, just to make sure there are clear chapter breaks) have specific requirements in place as well.

 

[PancakesWitch]

sometimes its hard, but you have to make the title both what represents the chapter but without spoiling it

 

[Deleted member 172779]

For starters, it need to be easy to remember. It cannot exceed more than 5 words.

If it is for your story in context, try to oversimplify and summarize them with up to five words that you can taught off (three and two is highly recommended).

Hope this helps ?.

 

[Corty]

I'm a firm believer in having chapter titles that somewhat elude to what the chapter is about. It also helps that when I want to look up something, I can have a pointer to which chapter I may have mentioned it.

 

[LilRora]

My favorite are titles that vagues reference the events of the chapter, without actually spoiling them (this is extremely easy to do even by accident). It's ideal if they all stay on theme as well, though that can often be a challenge.

I pulled a few jokes when coming up with mine, and I know of an author BottledChaos who named all chapters of a book using various names related to computer security and programming (and on point, that was a sort of VR story with a twist).

It's also important to stay consistent with the naming.

 

[MarekSusicky]

For starters, it need to be easy to remember. It cannot exceed more than 5 words.

Hey, that is a great rule! I just looked and I have ... 5 chapters with 5 words, but no more! Yay!

I'm a firm believer in having chapter titles that somewhat elude to what the chapter is about. It also helps that when I want to look up something, I can have a pointer to which chapter I may have mentioned it.

Yes, exactly. In my head I have like "okay in One Sip Before the Storm there is this cool moment" and it helps me to remeber it better than "in chapter XX"

My favorite are titles that vagues reference the events of the chapter, without actually spoiling them

I second that and I also try haha. I really like it, for me it almost feels like it sets the mood for the chapter.

 

[Lysander_Works]

I use chapter numbers that also feature chapter titles, so that there is a bit of both.

 

[HiroXV]

Formula:

Number + description that is less than 5-6 words.

I usually follow this, always, I don't like putting "chapter" before the number, I don't know why. Still, this is the way I do it. I like seeing numerical chapters because it doesn't confuse me when I have to re-search a chapter without knowing the title but only the number of the chapter.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

It depends on the story. In my silly witch story, the chapter names are equally silly.

None of them are really spoiler titles. But I had a system for naming 15 chapters. I would change what precedes "witch". This witch, miss witch, best witch...

 

[MarekSusicky]

It depends on the story. In my silly witch story, the chapter names are equally silly.
View attachment 34016
None of them are really spoiler titles. But I had a system for naming 15 chapters. I would change what precedes "witch". This witch, miss witch, best witch...

Woah I love it, that's actually quite amazing, good job coming up with something like this

 

[Tatsuo]

How about instead of coming up with new titles for each chapter you just decide on one title for 5 chapters?
Something like Shadows beneath the Stars part one