Chapter #s or Chapter Titles?

[frahse]

Let me be specific. I am only recommending what I like best. I don't always adhere to titles and pithy statements and the like at chapter beginnings. It varies. My best books have them. I write in 5 categories.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by gmw

Which presents the problem of how you "show" a new chapter when the previous one happens to end at the bottom of the previous page. (Sort of the reverse of the trying to avoid orphaned lines at the end of a chapter.)

I do a page break, and I use a little bigger font/spacing around the chapter header. Looks obvious when your flipping through the pages on the Nook at least.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

You have said this before, and I respect your opinion, but I have to wonder what genera are you thinking of? I ask because it is rare that I see well established or independent authors using titles. But that is primarily fiction. In non-fiction I see more chapter titles then not.

I skipped over this comment earlier. Had to think about it. I take "care" not to leave trails, bread crumbs or other.

First realize that "frahse" does not transpose directly into "the author." I take "care" in that regard. If an author can't produce a different persona, who can?

Now as to your statement about what you read or "see." I would assume you don't read "the author." That doesn't hurt my feelings. As popular as the Harry Potter series is, I have never read a single book, and though I downloaded "Hunger Games" onto my eReader, I didn't get through the first page or so. The cat turned me off. Never even considered the "Girl with the Dragon.." or "50 Shades..."

There are always different bites for different likes, but still maybe one day you will say, "Ahh..."

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by frahse

Let me be specific. I am only recommending what I like best. I don't always adhere to titles and pithy statements and the like at chapter beginnings. It varies. My best books have them. I write in 5 categories.

Which of those 5 do you think they work best in?

[frahse]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Which of those 5 do you think they work best in?

That would be too close my inquisitive friend. Too close.
I try to only let my characters dance on the razors edge.

[AlexBell]

Originally Posted by gmw

Which presents the problem of how you "show" a new chapter when the previous one happens to end at the bottom of the previous page. (Sort of the reverse of the trying to avoid orphaned lines at the end of a chapter.)

I have all or very nearly all the Flashman books in print, and don't remember ever having that problem. The new chapter starts with a big top margin, not at the top of the page.

Perhaps more important to the original poster is that I did not remember that there are no chapter numbers or chapter titles. It just didn't make a scrap of difference to my reading enjoyment.

Some at least of Lois McMaster Bujold's books have the chapters numbered, but instead of a chapter title the first few words of the chapter form the 'title' both at the start of the chapter and in the table of contents. That stayed in my memory, but didn't make the slightest difference to my reading enjoyment.

So, as a reader, I just don't care whether there is a chapter title or not. What does set my teeth on edge is to have numbered but untitled chapters, and and then have a vertical list of numbers in the table of contents - especially if they are Roman numerals.

Chacun son goût as the French say.

[bmcox]

Sorry. I kinda abandoned this thread, holidays and all that. I went with frahse's advice and used chapter titles. I wrote my next two e-books with section/chapter titles anyway. The two after that do not, but I will probably add titles to the longer one to break it up some.

Thanks again everyone. Happy New Year.

[Dr. Drib]

Check out some of horror writer Douglas Clegg's early work.

He uses chapter numbers AND chapter titles, along with Section Titles, in addition to 'pre-chapter' material to set the the theme for each section.



Don

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by frahse

That would be too close my inquisitive friend. Too close.
I try to only let my characters dance on the razors edge.

Unfortunately that severely hampers the usefulness of your answer, but you are entitled to keep out of the public forum what you wish.

[sarahdalton]

I tend to write short chapters, in fact, my book has around 50 chapters, so chapter titles would get tedious.

I am planning to write a book with long chapters and the idea is to have a theme per chapter with a heading to accompany the theme. I like chapter titles so want to have a go at it. They can work very well. Part of the charm of Harry Potter is down to the chapter titles, IMO.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by bmcox

Sorry. I kinda abandoned this thread, holidays and all that. I went with frahse's advice and used chapter titles. I wrote my next two e-books with section/chapter titles anyway. The two after that do not, but I will probably add titles to the longer one to break it up some.

Thanks again everyone. Happy New Year.

I will summarize.

Think about every square inch of every page, cover, blurb, etc., as a artist's canvas. You want it to be attractive visually and mentally. It should be "chock" full of "good" stuff like a box of chocolates stimulating your attention.

But realize "space" can be as important in art as "fill."

On the other hand, sometimes you may want to produce a drier, sparer style. Choose your format for your audience and your intent.

[Alecia Stone]

I think it's all to do with personal preference really. When I wrote my book, I had chapter titles right from the get-go. If I had completed the book without the chapter titles, I honestly don't think I would add it. I tend to read many young adult and children books, many of which use chapter headings, and I quite like them. I find coming up with chapter titles an enjoyable experience. It's also an effective exercise in learning how to summarise information.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Alecia Stone

I think it's all to do with personal preference really. When I wrote my book, I had chapter titles right from the get-go. If I had completed the book without the chapter titles, I honestly don't think I would add it. I tend to read many young adult and children books, many of which use chapter headings, and I quite like them. I find coming up with chapter titles an enjoyable experience. It's also an effective exercise in learning how to summarise information.

I agree. I also think it is a matter of preference. And such can foreshadow what is to come as well. I mean take Dickens 'A Christmas Carol' as an example:

Stave I: Marley's Ghost
Stave II: The First of the Three Spirits
Stave III: The Second of the Three Spirits
Stave IV: The Last of the Spirits
Stave V: The end of it

With chapter headings like that you know something about what will happen but not in great detail.

[J. Garrett]

I generally don't use chapter titles. Which is not to say that I'm against the practice, as there are situation where it can enhance the tension/drama/anticipation, but I kinda feel like it's tends to get dangerously close to "giving away the plot in advance," which would be served as coming through in the natural flow of the story rather than having a chapter title tell me about what I'm getting ready to read.

Just my own thoughts on it, feel free to completely disregard what I think!

[gmw]

Originally Posted by J. Garrett

I generally don't use chapter titles. Which is not to say that I'm against the practice, as there are situation where it can enhance the tension/drama/anticipation, but I kinda feel like it's tends to get dangerously close to "giving away the plot in advance," which would be served as coming through in the natural flow of the story rather than having a chapter title tell me about what I'm getting ready to read.

Just my own thoughts on it, feel free to completely disregard what I think!

One of my early-readers warned that a particular chapter title was giving away too much, but another told me the title was wrong because it wasn't what happened (it was, just not in the way they expected). You can't please everyone.