In other people's works, I don't much care. I've seen a lot of different things and they've usually worked well. For myself, I usually just have numbers because I can't think of chapter titles. Number and title is what I used for my most recent NaNo, and probably what I'm most likely to use if I can think of names for the chapters.

I like quotes and verses, as long as they are short and interesting. It gives it an old fashioned touch that I really enjoy. And I appreciate it when the chapter number is marked on each page, so I can find it easily.

Personally, I love naming chapters ^.^ and almost never put chapter numbers. Sometimes, when I'm outlining chapters, I'll end up making a pattern (i.e. The Passing, The Pretender, The Escape, The Quest) I came up with around 36 chapters titled like this

I think punctuation is fine in chapter titles. I don't think I've seen it much, but when I read through your list, those didn't stand out as strange. So I think it works.


Hehe, the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede uses "In Which" chapter names, and they're usually fun without really giving away too much. It probably depends on what you want, because it does tell you a bit about what will happen, even if you don't know how it will happen.

I think with most titled chapters you're giving away something (usually something small) but it's like giving a hint of what's to come... I think that's why I like making them

No matter what, I want chapter numbers....

I love how in Inkheart there are quotes about books in the chapter headings. It's almost worth flipping ahead to each chapter beginning to read the awesome quote. XD

Titles are nice when done right -- not too many spoilers! I like the 'in which' option too.

LadyE, you're gonna make me drool over your title list.... <grin>

I usually only use chapter numbers either this form "Chapter1" or this form "Chapter One." Mainly because 1.) I'm terrible at coming up with chapter names and 2.) I don't want to give anything away. (I have a habit of doing that with my stories.)

Like Melody though, I like the quotes idea that has been used in the Inkheart series. I plan on doing that with my books too just because I'm a quote collector, so why not use them?

Mostly I stick to just numbers. I do try to add titles sometimes, but they're impossible to come up with sometimes.

I love reading quotes in books; and that's what I'm doing with City of Lies. It's cool.

I mainly just use numbers. However, I do enjoy reading quotes at the beginning of chapters, including quotes from a fantasy novel's own world rather than quotes from our world.

The Myst reader does that.

And I do that in Return of the Fireborn. I quote Rolph's journal from later explorations during the book that precedes the actual writing of the journal. Which is cool.
* begins to wonder about finishing that book *

On the subject of chapters, does anyone separate their story by the chapter numbers/titles/quotes as they work on the rough draft of do you usually do that on the second/typed draft?

~Calen

I always write my stories around the chapters. That way I can end them at appropriate times, and build up suspense at the end of each chapter. (Writing chapters in at the beginning also helps to keep chapters more of equal length, sometimes.

That being said, my chapters are only numbered, and are basically just stopping places. Which might be why I have rearranged them so many times.

Out of curiosity, how long are everyone's chapters, generally? Mine average ~4000 words.

eru

I tend to just put them in if I feel it's a good time for a chapter. This results in very different chapter lengths at times.

For those who use titles and chapter quotes and such, do you decide what they are after the book is finished or do you have an idea of what you want when writing the chapter?

I like using numbers only, chapter names can sometimes destroy suspense and give away some of the future plot. Plus I would have trouble thinking of a title for each chapter... Making a name for the book is hard enough; you shouldn't have to do it nineteen more times!

That's what I'm doing.
I love your chapters, E! It reminds me how much I want to read your book.

I always liked reading the chapter names in an unknown book at the bookstore because they told me that the book wasn't boring and that is what would inspire me to look up the book at the library. I find that books that do have chapter names inspire me to read them more than books that just have numbered chapters without names.
That's mainly why I do number and name for the chapter.
The books where the chapters have "In which", there are a lot of books that do that. Mostly old books did that, like Pilgrims Progress and Oliver Twist. At least, my copies of the books have that.
For the book "Princess Academy", the author wrote a different poem to put at the beginning of each chapter instead of putting a name for each chapter. She calls them songs because she has melodies for them but didn't put the music in the books sadly.

When I started my novel, I didn't even think of using titles. I just used numbers. I haven't added any titles in, and am not sure if I will. I find it quite hard thinking up titles.

I sometimes like reading books with chapter titles, but I've never been able to come up with suitable titles myself (or and I've never even thought of doing so). I have enough trouble coming up with titles for stories ...

But there's yet another issue that I don't think has come up yet: if you give your chapters numbers, what form of number? "Chapter One"? "Chapter 1"? "One"? "1"? "Chapter the First"? "Chapter First"? I usually use "One" nowadays, though in one story (and probably the others with that narrator) I use "Chapter the First" to hep evoke a particular voice for the reader.

And if you put quotes or poetry at the beginning of each chapter, where do they (actually and supposedly) come from? There have been some authors whose in-universe chapter headings I really admire (Asimov is the one who leaps to mind, and Carol Kendall's in The Gammage Cup), but others whose poetry (for example) is not nearly as good as their prose. (Anne McCaffrey's Harper Hall trilogy is the one I think of; it began each chapter with a bit of one of the protagonist's songs ... which were supposedly very good, but actually usually drivel at best.)

At the moment mine are 'Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc. That might change yet, though.

I use Roman Numerals, at present.

I use a Number, such as "Chapter IV" or "Chapter 4", and then "Crazy People in Forests?", etc. I was thinking about getting some legends and poetry from my world for a quote at each chapter. I've never done that type before though...

I have a fantastic variety of stories, but I usually just number them, although a few stories have chapter titles, but it's normally either: Chapter 1 or Chapter I or just I. For several stories I also include a location and a time for clarification (specifically fantasies).

In my own writing I just number chapters, "Chapter One" ect., "Chapter 1" seems a little informal, and honestly roman numerals are too much work.

I love it when books use good chapter titles that draw your attention and ties in with the chapter but doesn't give anything away.

I also love when books use quotes, if the quotes are interesting and tie into the chapter in some awesomely cool way, if they don't then I get bored and skip most of them, especially if they're long.