I’m A Fan Of Chapter Titles…
Annotated table of contents. Page 1 by Boston Public Library (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sure, simple numerically labeled chapters are serviceable, but rather spartan. Fine for nonfiction, yet too sparse for a fiction novel in my opinion.
Why chapter titles? To me a titled section of a book is a bit like an episode of a serialized TV show. When I click on the ToC button on my Nook and see the titles pop up, it helps provide me with a sense of what a book is going to be about. Plus, lets face it chapter titles allow authors to be clever.
I find myself even dividing short stories up into chapters, as I think it helps make it easier to consume. Now I do notice mainstream publishing, not so great at building tables of contents. They actually tend to suck at it. Mostly I think because they treat ebooks as if they are hard copy… throwing them together from existing files and barely reformatting a book to be transformed into an e-book.
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I am so torn on the subject of chapter titles. For years I’ve written and debated their usage. I am a fan somewhat, but in a lot of instances it makes it a little cramped and complicated. I love their usage in YA fiction, and now, the more I’m reading on my new Kindle reader, the more I’m thinking they are quite handy for e-books. I’m glad you wrote this post, interesting view point on the topic. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Sometimes chapter headings are lovely – almost poetry. But I have to admit I rarely read them, which can lead to confusion when they contain useful info like the date of a flashback.