Welcome to Tuesday Book Chat. This is where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week.
Today’s question is:
What’s your view on chapter titles in fiction?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation by commenting on this post or on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.
Let’s chat!
Can’t say I really have view. I think it really depends on the book as some a chapter title works well probably more in mystery. But in straight fiction I don’t think its needed. I do know some authors like to start each chapter with a quote but again it has to fit the book. Many books each chapter follows on or is a different POV and chapter titles pulls me out of the book.
Your turn.
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I didn’t think I had an opinion about Chapter Titles until recently. The book I was reading had both a Chapter Title and a sub-heading that gave me the POV character’s name. There were subtle twists and turns in the plot and I sometimes went back to check the Chapter Title when something unexpected turned up, to confirm the changes this brought to my projected outcome for the scene. That author used Chapter Titles with great skill.
I also use Chapter Titles in the current series I am writing, but these are added just before copyediting. They accompany a Bible verse, which God gives me long before the manuscript is written. I thought this was a help for me when I wrote my first book. An encouragement to remind me of the prayer that went into each chapter. But then my sister, a practical girl who was an infrequent reader of fiction, re-read the book Chapter Titles alone, to revise her reading experience. She said it added another layer to the story. She then went back again and used the Chapter Titles and the verses as a devotion.
With her encouragement, I have continued adding Chapter Titles to that Romantic Suspense series. The themes are deep and my readers need time to breathe between chapters.
However. I didn’t have any for my zippy little fantasy novella. I didn’t want my readers to stop and meditate in the middle of the drama.
I think they work much better in a romantic suspense and like your sisters thoughts. they go well in children’s books too. I think in many romance where often a chapter goes right into another chapter often with only a change of POV or because they need a stop but often flow it can pull you out of the story. (Depends on the story). Where the chapter had a defined end and the new one starts that makes it more useful.
Hi Chrissy – I can see how the chapter titles would be very helpful for your kind of book. However, I’ve read some that haven’t been as well done and they’ve contained spoilers for the plot. I’m not so keen on those.
I don’t really have a preference. I just love that authors write the books 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and I agree
I’m happy for each chapter to start with a quote or the POV character’s name, if there are multiple POV characters. But I don’t like it if each chapter is given a title that summarises the content, as that sometimes gives spoilers. There’s no point reading Chapter 16 if it’s called ‘Uncle Jed Confesses’. I’ve read some books where the chapter headings spoiled the plot for me. I’d rather let each chapter be a surprise, especially as I read a lot of mystery and suspense novels.
Thats so true. I have read some that have a quote or bible verse. Darlene Franklin uses lines from a song in a historical for each chapter. I think in children’s it works well but as you said when it tells the story its not the best. (When its giving a location like back at the base or later at the diner its not so bad).
It really does depend on the book. I agree with Nola that it shouldn’t contain chapter spoilers. Sometimes they really distract from the story, while other times they enhance it. Using the character’s name when there are multiple points of view is helpful – I had that in the last book I finished.
I do think it is really a better tool for non-fiction.
Again I agree. I remember a book which had several POV and even with the name I got confused but could look and see who it was.