Writing How do you choose/find titles for your chapter?

[DismaiNaim]

I don't know

 

[Joyager2]

I try to pick something central to the chapter that is different from what the chapter's actually about. In my most recent chapters, The Campfire and The Fallow Petals, both the fire and the petals are important in their chapters, but are ultimately just devices for what is actually important in each--the conversation between my characters and the terrible things that happen in the flower field. That's not always the case, though. The opening chapter of the novel I'm working on now is called The Dream, and that chapter is primarily about the dream my characters suffer and what it's a harbinger of. I guess, then, that the titles come from what my characters are most occupied with in any given chapter or scene.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Oh, sometimes I use puns. Well, maybe not SOMETIMES but too often... Such as calling a chapter about the pursuit of a spy named Wilde leading a group made up of fragmented bandit teams "The Wilde Hunt Begins" and stuff like that.
Also kind of had a discussion in the chapter titles of one story:
"Was Carol Right?"
"Is Magic Real?"
and "Magic Is Real!"
(though those had to be edited for PocketFM as it doesn't allow "?" or "!" in chapter titles)

 

[Tabula_Rasa]

I conjured it using the the power of creativity.

 

[MFontana]

I already have my way of doing it, but I'm always interested and intrigued on how others do it (it never hurts to get a fresh perspective of things from others).

ie. I like to skim through the chapter that I just wrote and find key words or themes and find words that relate to said theme or word. Sometimes thinking ahead on the upcoming chapters or what is happening in the arc.

But surely there are more efficient or different ways to do this, right?

I'll generally use a short phrase or sometimes just a single word, that is symbolic of the chapter's heart and tonally fitting to the story in question.
For example:
Aestelle Nocte has sci-fi elements, and the following chapter titles:
Chapter 1: Starfall
Chapter 2: Welcome to Earth

The Elarian Chronicles, by contrast, is a Dark-Fantasy series with the following:
Chapter 1: The Legend Begins...
Chapter 2: A Rose Amongst the Thorns
Chapter 3: Remnants of the Past (Unreleased - Release will be in March 2026)
Chapter 4: Birth of the Vanguard (Unreleased - Release will be in April 2026)

 

[Jaymi]

I already have my way of doing it, but I'm always interested and intrigued on how others do it (it never hurts to get a fresh perspective of things from others).

ie. I like to skim through the chapter that I just wrote and find key words or themes and find words that relate to said theme or word. Sometimes thinking ahead on the upcoming chapters or what is happening in the arc.

But surely there are more efficient or different ways to do this, right?

“Oh i forgot to add a chapter title.”
*random title that has little to nothing to do with the chapter comes to mind*
“Ehh, good enough.”

 

[LightCosmos]

I already have my way of doing it, but I'm always interested and intrigued on how others do it (it never hurts to get a fresh perspective of things from others).

ie. I like to skim through the chapter that I just wrote and find key words or themes and find words that relate to said theme or word. Sometimes thinking ahead on the upcoming chapters or what is happening in the arc.

But surely there are more efficient or different ways to do this, right?

I usually just pull my titles directly from the sentences or words I've already written.
For example:
Chapter 24: Since when do we stock Guava?
Chapter 25: I am just a cat

 

[LastMinami]

I just say something that relates or something that happens, although sometimes I say something that sounds good, but doesn't rhyme? Oh well, they'll have to understand whether they like it or not.

 

[ElijahRyne]

I already have my way of doing it, but I'm always interested and intrigued on how others do it (it never hurts to get a fresh perspective of things from others).

ie. I like to skim through the chapter that I just wrote and find key words or themes and find words that relate to said theme or word. Sometimes thinking ahead on the upcoming chapters or what is happening in the arc.

But surely there are more efficient or different ways to do this, right?

Usually with a phrase or question that plays with something present in the chapter being named, assuming that I ain’t just dryly numbering them.

 

[Playerkartik]

This title on each chapter differs from for each kindof story
If it's an isekai or fantasy type novel - You chapter title must tell you what happens in that chapter in an extremely short way( This way people get more attracted and want to read what happens actually in it)
If it's a Romance - A small and cute title is good or the one like isekai telling what happened
If it's a thriller - smaller and lesser the clues aout what is happening in the chapter is better
and so on
in sense the more you read about the genre you are writing you will automatically have an idea of what the title should be

 

[Cookiez_N_Potionz]

It takes me an hour, but I try to look for words that stand out.

 

[Dashio_Sumeragi]

Some episode titles came naturally and pretty quick, they either reflect a key moment or the general topic of the episode, but I try to be as figurative as possible, sometimes turning things on its head. For example:
Episode 5: Enter Maya - Maya is the centerpoint of the episode, makes sence
but then I have Episode 15: Tunnel at the end of the light - figurative, but pretty much sets the tone of the episode, then for example Episode 32: A new dawn promises another night - also pretty much sets the tone, or Episode 37: Fang academy of chaos - this predicts an easygoing episode. And I have only two episodes with a questionmark - the first and the very last.

But if you wanna find out more, please check my dark urban story Black Fang, every day 1 or 2 episodes will be added.

Black Fang

A group of girls from the world of shadows, with past darker that the darkest night, are trying to live a normal life. But their past will catch up with them soon enough and they must once again fight, but this time not just for survival. Michelle, a young high...

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