Chapter Titles: Part 2, Naming

     On Friday I posted a blog about chapter numbering, with the promise that I would later bring you chapter naming.  Well never fear, my SpiderReaders, I am here to deliver on said promise!  Today's post is all about what kinds of chapter naming conventions you might use to your advantage.

1.  Before the Name

    Before you even name the chapter itself, ask yourself--is it even a chapter?  Or is it, perhaps, a Stave?  

     For those of you who don't recognize the reference right off the bat, one of the most famous classical English writers was a man by the name of Charles Dickens, and one of his most famous stories is a little number by the name of A Christmas Carol.  

     A Christmas Carol is divided into Staves instead of chapters, because a Stave is the song equivalent of a stanza (which is the poem equivalent of a paragraph) and Charles Dickens was a clever little shit back in the day.

     I ONE HUNDRED PERCENT approve of any efforts you may have to improve upon this model; do you want to have staves?  Verses?  A chorus?  Is your story modeled after a Greek Tragedy?  Why not have a fucking Stasima, Strophe and Anti-Strophe and all!  Does poetry feature heavily in your work?  Divide it into stanzas!  Does theatre feature heavily in your novel?  Divide it into Acts and Scenes!

     Or, if that seems too gimicky or just doesn't fit with your story?  Stick with chapters.  No one will fault you; chapters are the default for a reason.

2.  POV/Place Shifts

     One simple way to name chapters is as a way to announce POV shifts.  Neal Shusterman does this in his series Unwind by naming each chapter after whichever character's head we're in.  It's simple, it doesn't require much energy, and it automatically lets you know whose hands are on the wheel, so you're not fumbling around in the dark or left with POV whiplash.  As a writer, it can also help keep you from sliding into omniscient third person if you're trying to write in limited third.

     If you tend more toward omniscient third and dealing with a large cast, you can do this with groups, too--in my WIP Captive Stars, I use the name of the packs that the characters belong to, which narrows the focus of the chapter and keeps POV switch whiplash to a minimum.

     Or, if your POV is more stable (or less), you could name each chapter using the area in which it takes place (useful for travel stories) or the time/date.  Or you can combine the methods.

     Again; short, simple, straight-forward.

3.  Suit The Mood

     In a light-hearted book, or for light-hearted chapters, sometimes a play on words is in order; in one of my WIPs, I introduced the protagonist, Ben Desdon, in a chapter called "Ben There, Desdon That," because I'm a fucking loser and Ben is the kind of loveable dork-ass that would not only make that pun, but giggle uncontrollably all the while.

     Because I'm an unforgivable swarm of linguistic humor, I take advantage of every opportunity I can to make the chapter titles into jokes; I have lots of fun with it.

     But I'm just as eager to turn a poetic phrase when the chapter is more serious; "Of Mortal Concerns," for instance, is a great title name for a chapter concerning death, or if your books is about immortals, the literal concerns of mortals as compared to those of the Gods.  This technique is great for foreshadowing events to come without being heavy-handed, too.

     Basically, using witty one-liners or quick poetic quips as your chapter heading can help set the mood and get the audience into the mindset you want them in.

4.  Hyper-Descriptive

     And sometimes, much like a textbook chapter heading, you just want a chapter title that'll tell it how it is; Mark Twain was fond of this one, and used it in Tom Sawyer.  It lets the audience know what we're in for, and has the secondary use of letting kids who didn't read the assignment save the tiniest bit of face because at least they can check the chapter heading for a clue!

     This type of chapter heading has pretty much completely gone out of style, but it's an option if you wanted to revive it.  I think it could be of particular use in a first-person narrative, where the protagonist can be assumed to be the one writing the chapter names, or if the narrator is established to be heavily descriptive or overly technical in their writing.

     What's your favorite method for naming chapters?  Are you particularly attached to any one method, or does it depend on the project?  Are there any other methods you like the use?

On Picking A Title

     Choosing a title for your story is a big responsibility.  It's the first thing most people will notice about your book, and, let's face it, when was the last time you picked up a book with a terrible title?  It's hard to sell a thriller novel if it's called "The Wacky Fantastic Journey of Silly Sam and his Funtime Weasels," or a children's novel entitled, "KILLZONE SEVEN:  THE RE-MURDERINATING."
     Titling isn't just as simple as choosing something that sounds nice, either.  You can have a really nice title, and it may not be right for your work, and you can have a very accurately descriptive title, and it might be too clunky--even when you think you've got it all figured out, you might still have some work to do.  It never hurts to take another look!  Here's some of the many, many methods that exist for choosing a title.  (I call it: *Dramatic announcer voice*  LISTICLE 3:  A LIST TO THE LEFT)

I.  Compiling a List

     1.  Isolate the main themes of your story

          What is your story about?  The struggle between good and evil?  The appalling nature of America's treatment of minorities?  The difference between looking both ways before crossing the street and sweet, juicy, death?
          Whatever it is, hunker down and write a list of all the words you can think of that pertain to your theme, even if they're only related tangentially.  Also, write down any symbols that might occur--sometimes great titles can be made of symbolism.  Make the list as long or as short as you want.  Do any words jump out at you?  Any combinations of words?  Write down whatever combinations seem to best describe the story.  Keep those around.  If you're still not sure you like what you have...

     2.  Consider your characters

          If your story is pretty character-driven, you may want to consider using your characters to name it.  You could use a character's name (or several), or you could make another list (it's a list-heavy article.  Strap in, kids, it's gonna be a bullety ride) of words related to your character--traits, triumphs, defeats, arcs, character changes, colors--anything goes!  Then, again, pair things together.  Experiment!  Write your favorites down on your To Seriously Consider List (TSCL).

     3.  Are there any recurring gags or sayings/events that could be used?

          Especially in a humor novel, naming your book after a recurring joke can be a big hit--if you name it after the right one, everyone is going to be associating the line with your book anyway, so why not capitalize on it?  In a more dramatic novel, a particularly striking line from the book, or a common phrase--twisted or played straight (Live and Let Die vs. Catch 22), a certain level of familiarity can catch both the eye and the imagination.  Make another list, then pick your favorites and add them to your TSCL.

     4.  Are there any poems or songs that fit your book?

          I often name my books after fitting song lines or titles--if it fits the book, then most people won't realize, and the ones who do will get a total kick out of it.  Plus sometimes music is the best way to describe a thing.  Throw a few on your TSCL and prepare to examine their worth!

II.  Refining your list

     1.  Take a look at your TSCL.

          You probably have a lot of options left over; first thing's first, go through and divide your titles into the four categories above.  Go down each list and mark them S (strong) M (moderate) and W (weak).  Can you strengthen or save the weaks or moderates?  Get rid of the ones you can't; fix the ones you can.
     Check each list and decide if any of the above methods don't, for whatever reason, fit your story.  Does a song title seem too gimmicky?  Are you adverse to naming a book after a character?  Eliminate categories as you see fit.
          The rest you can eliminate using these criteria:

     2.  Does it fit the tone/genre of your novel?

          I don't go too much off genre conventions myself, but it IS important that you don't confuse your reader--BIG FANTASY NOVEL XXX isn't a title that would grab the attention of a chaste group of sci-fi nerds.
          You also don't want a title that doesn't fit the tone of your novel, and I think this is the big one.  The Grapes of Wrath doesn't sound like a comedy, and Love Story doesn't sound like a book discussing a revolution; if that's what the authors were going for, they would not, by any means, have been as well received as they were.  You may not want the audience to know absolutely everything about your story just from looking at the title, but it's the first step in deciding you want to buy a book, and as such, it should never be a liar.  Rule out anything that doesn't fit.

     3.  Does your title mean something?

          Titles are often most powerful, and have the most staying power, when they possess a double meaning, and can be viewed one way at the beginning of the novel, and another at the end.  It may mean many things, or, as I suggested above, be a literal symbol that appears in your novel.  Of Mice and Men, for instance, is named after a line in a poem--"the best laid plans of Mice and Men often go awry," which relates strongly to the recurring theme of the death of dreams and failure of plans in the figurative wasteland depression-era America was (the entire story is about two men who plan to get the money together to start a farm, only for one of them to SPOILER ALERT end up dead, the other with no will left to start the farm on his own).  But it can also be seen to refer to the relationship between Lennie and the mice--soft, fragile things, which he loves but always kills--a very important element which foreshadows the death of both a puppy and his employer's wife.  These things you realize only as you get deeper and deeper into the novel, but it works.
     Your title doesn't have to have two meanings, but it can definitely add some depth.  Play around with it, see what you can find!

     4.  Don't be afraid to go simple

          sometimes Simple is Best--capitalized and lowercased for emphasis.  Carrie, The Hunger Games, The Hobbit--all very simple, very successful titles.  The big flashy titles are great, and can do a lot to capture a reader's attention, but sometimes it's best to allow the story to speak for itself.  Name it after a character, an in-world social structure or event, a county, a planet, a species--whatever's best for your book.  Sometimes bigger isn't better.

III.  Test Your Title

     1.  Is your title original?

          Take this new and exciting title and slam dunk it into Google or Amazon--if another book comes up by the same name, this probably isn't the title for you.  While it's perfectly legal to use the same name as another book, it's not a good idea just based on the public aspect of it--if the other book is spectacular and has a large fanbase, you wouldn't want your book to be buried under the avalanche of praise for the other book, and if the other one is terrible you don't want its reputation to bring you down.
     It's impossible to be completely original, but you should still do your very best to try.

     2.  Does it fit your story?

         Be honest with yourself; did you choose this because it fits your plot, your characters, your world, or because it sounds cool?  If it's just because it sounds cool, go back to the drawing board--pick one that's cool but actually pertains to the story being told.  Don't lose hope; your title is out there.
          Look again at the tone of your novel.  Make sure it fits--or, if it doesn't, that it's purposeful.  Sometimes a misleading title can work, but only if it's done with a lot of forethought and not by accident.

     3.  Sit on it

          In writing, we spend a lot of time sitting on things.  Literally and figuratively--there's a lot of sitting involved in writing or typing, but you know what I mean.
          When you have a refined list of titles (or just the one), let them stew a while.  Name files after them, jostle them around in your head, reread the story with that title in mind.  After a week or so, you'll probably know whether or not you like it.  Maybe you'll grow attached!
          Whether you become partial to one or still have it up in the air, don't forget to ask yourself;

     4.  Does it resonate with people?

          Pitch your title to your friends and family members, followers, classmates, even strangers.  Ask them their opinions--would they read a book with that title?  At least check the back cover?  Does it stir up any positive or negative emotions?  Do those emotions fit the tone of your book?
          Explain the plot and ask them if they think the title fits.  Do they have any suggestions?  Don't take their critiques to heart, but do take it to mind, especially if they're critique partners or betas--keep a log of what they say, and analyze it to see if you think it holds water.
          Ultimately, this is your decision--NO ONE knows your book better than you.  But it can definitely help to get a fresh perspective.

     Picking titles can be difficult, especially when we think we know what we're doing.  If you find that you've made a mistake with your working title, don't feel bad--I once called a superhero novel about a villain named Labrynth (spelling intentional) and a hero named The Extraterrestrial The Extraterrestrial In The Labrynth for a year while I wrote it, because until I had finished it, read through it three different times, and given serious thought to the plot, it seemed like a good idea.
     It can take a lot of time and effort, but landing on a good title is worth it--for you, if for no one else.  It can help pull a book together, give it a sense of identity--it's no longer that novel I've been working on--It's The Great Capibara Adventure, The Amazing Trimalchio, Escape From Calcutta! A good title can even be the difference between an agent's desk and the slop pile.
     If you've already spent ten thousand hours putting your book together word by word and edit by rewrite, don't you think it deserves that extra 5-10?  Every story wants to be finished.  Let yours live its dream.