chapter titles

[wicker]

What do you prefer?

 

[Zeebop]

While there is a benefit in brevity, there are some considerations:

1) Short, generic titles like "Yes" and "No" tell you nothing about the contents of the chapter and tend to get repetitive;

2) As a story grows in chapters/branches, it helps tremendously to have unique chapter titles;

3) Descriptive chapter titles seem to help readers find the branches they want.

I'm not generally in favor of super-long chapter titles (although I've been guilty of some of those), but the chapter title should be unique and descriptive of the contents.

 

[huginn]

Unique, recognizable titles, or, in big enough story, titles with route codes are essential to finding where I want to go in the story map. Though, I like often fun and creative titles even if they sacrifice some of the clarity.

 

[RicoLouis]

I tend to prefer long ones that I can tell right away in the notifications what story it is from.

 

[ToniDaring]

Usually I don't title, I number.

Story format here, with decisions and replys, has made me more playful. But I try to keep them brief.

My most flippant so far, "Round Two: Fuck!" *ding!*

 

[raziel83]

The lenght is not what matters to me.



If inspiration strikes, I will use a lot of effort in making a cool or punny chapter title. ...if not I can do with something generic.

 

[TheLowKing]

Rule 1: clickbait!
Rule 2: there is no rule 2.

 

[gene.sis]

It depends on the type of story.

If it is mostly linear, I like obscure titles, so you might only realize that the title actually describes the chapter after you read it.

If it describes the decision of the main character, I like them to convey what (exactly) the character does but not the effects of their actions.

If it describes different events, it should rather describe what is about to happen.

Length should be as long as necessary but as short as possible.

 

[Zeebop]

To give some examples of chapter titles:

- "I've Wanted You To Choke On My Dick So Long"
- Futazilla vs. Biollantitties
- Batbreeder V: Bred Men Tell No Tales
- Lois Lane Cannot Take A Piss In Peace
- Strip Down And Step In The Probulator
- Lois Has Absorbed The Sperm's Power
- Shrink Down And Fight The Creature in Lois Lane's Womb!
- That Wasn't A Birth Control Pill
- If At First You Don't Succeed, Fuck and Fuck Again
- Like God Subcontracted The Job To H. R. Giger
- We Can Rebuild Her Asshole. We Have The Technology.
- Swear Off Crime...And Let Me Fuck Your Ass
- Batman Doesn't Wear Condoms
- Suck My Cock And I'll Let You Give Birth
- Serious Questions About When & Where The Eggs Are Coming Out
- Bitch, If You Don't Fuck My Ass Right Now I'll Find Someone Who Will
- Every Good Date Should End With Sex In An 80's Supercar As The Sun Rises
- A Reporter Is Never Late, Or Early, But Cums Right When She Is Supposed To
- Lois Lane Has To Choke A Bitch
- Superwoman Arrives To Save...No, She's Here To Fuck Lois Too
- Lois Wants To Be Fucked In The Ass...And The Truth
- Clear The Table; Lois Lane Is The Meat In The Sandwich
- A Contractually-Obligated Orgasm Per Encounter
- Lois Gets Impr-egg-nated!
- Lois Is Impr-egg-nable!
- Kick Her In The Balls!
- The Rabbit Dies Twice
- The Patented Clitoral Nose Rub
- Amazons Mate For Life
- I'm A Doctor, Not A Veterinarian
- It's Hard To Plan When You're Orgasming Non-Stop While Being Impregnated
- The Rape of Star Sapphire (With Audience Participation)
- A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Delivery Room
- One Thousand Pregnancies Later

Most of these manage to be 4-5 words, which I think is fairly acceptable.

 

[TheLowKing]

Most of these manage to be 4-5 words

You're a great writer, but promise me you'll never go into math.

 

[Gatsha]

I'm definitely in a tug of war between two metrics on chapter titles:

On one hand, I want descriptive chapter titles that catch the eye on the story map and are easy to look back up.

On the other, I personally have a strong aversion to spoiling events in the chapter title. So while I'd like the title to clearly reflect what choice is being made, I don't want to write exactly what happens in that chapter.

I think this can be a weakness for me because sometimes the potentially appealing outcomes of certain choices won't lure people in from the story map. But it's one of those situations where you weigh your preferred reader experience against potential exposure, I guess.

I know some people are the opposite way and want what it says on the tin, without any surprises. No way to please everyone, so might as well do it the way that appeals to you personally.

The one type of chapter title I see all the time that I'd consider a mistake is "Yes" or "No." Even if that's literally the choice being made, you can add a little flavor or descriptive language to lay out some implications or give it some presence on the story map.

 

[ToniDaring]

Honestly, I am not yet strategizing to that extent. I need to keep momentum, so I tend to throw out whatever comes into my head to fill in the blank.

I am not afraid to keep it light - especially as my stuff isn't super-serious anyway.

So far, my best end-of-chapter prompt / new chapter heading has been: "How Fucked Are You? / You Are So Fucked."

If I get drawn into starting my own full story-chain (and I may - getting that itch) I'll probably think about approaching things differently.

 

[raziel83]

I mean, in Choose Your Own Adventure fashion, the titles should be, if not a spoiler of what happens, at least a description of what the POV character tries to do.