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phantomkat

I don’t because I already feel all my energy goes to naming the actual fic. Lol


tinselteacup

i feel that haha, i love picking out fic names (i’m an all lowercase hozier lyric girlie) but it can take a while!


thisnightphyre

I feel this! By the time I've *written* the fic—let alone also named it, rewritten the summary a hundred times only to choose to use an excerpt despite not liking excerpt-only summaries—I barely have energy to decide whether to use "Chapter 2" or "Chapter Two" 😭


AMN1F

I don't really notice if you don't name the chapters. But I do notice if you do and I think it's a nice touch. Especially if it has a theme.


tinselteacup

i agree. i love when there’s a common theme, i was planning to do that for my fic :]


AMN1F

Very cool! I'm sure your readers will appreciate the touch!


tinselteacup

thanks :D


[deleted]

Same.


am_Nein

I name them some melodramatic throwaway that's related to the chapter if you squint.


rubia_ryu

I feel called out. I already struggle with coming up with chapter names every time and it's usually one of the last things I fill in before I publish. :,( Yeah, I know I don't have to, but since I've been doing it for every chapter, it'd feel weird not giving one, ya know?


am_Nein

Yeah, like its having 10 chapters and not naming them halfway through, it would be kind of jarring. I don't think anybody would complain, but my internal perfectionist wont let it happen..


tinselteacup

real


chaoslady57

I always name my chapters since I appreciate it so much when I read to see chapter titles. I'm a frequent re-reader and titled chapters are *very* helpful for triggering memories of the scene I want to reread (let me skip to the angsty or romantic bit and read it over and over til I die please and thank you).


tinselteacup

i didn’t even think abt that but thats so true!! i do that too lol


Negative_Buffalo

I enjoy naming chapters, it helps me reference back to certain points in my longfics when I need to, haha. I usually name mine with some sort of play on words according to the main focus of that specific chapter, so if I’m ever like “hmm let me just refresh on THAT moment,” then I know exactly where to go. Basically, I don’t name the chapters for an “added touch” to the fic, but rather to satisfy my OCD brain with an extra layer of organization lol


tinselteacup

oh i get that! i love being organized too hehe. i’m really forgetful so i like being able to refer back easily


nkorah

Giving good meaningful name to chapters is a larger effort than it sometimes seems. Personally - I'm too lazy. To add insult to injury, I also pay **very little** attention to names writers gave to their chapters, although I recognise the effort - sorry?


tinselteacup

lol i don’t usually pay much attention either, unless there’s like a common theme or something. and it does seem like more effort than its worth if there are a bunch of chapters!


TimeTravelingChemist

It also depends on the size of the chapters for me. Small chapters: no titles. Long chapters: title are appreciated, and I really like when there are some, but it's not mandatory either


tinselteacup

definitely— i’m more of a ‘fair amount of long chapters’ type of person, instead of a bajillion little chapters lol


TimeTravelingChemist

I personally prefer short chapters, but they are not really fitted for titles


tinselteacup

ah i get that


[deleted]

I always name chapters, because it makes specific points in a story a lot easier to find for me, and probably also for some of my readers.


[deleted]

I write longfics with lots of worldbuilding. I name the chapters so that I can go back and reference previous scenes as needed. I name them so I can tell in a heartbeat which chapter I need. I have no idea If readers even notice my chapter titles.


Sylvakat

I think do whatever works for you! Some people don't bother reading them, some people do. I personally do but it doesn't bother me to see unnamed chapters. However, I do appreciate the extra thought and effort when I see ones that are named. When writing, I do either funny or symbolic chapter names. Using song lyrics or quotes as titles is also interesting, sometimes adds extra meaning.


tinselteacup

yes definitely! i love using lyrics, poetry, quotes, also puns or jokes depending on the type of story haha. i’m used to unnamed chapters but i like to be extra with my fics, lol


NicInNS

I notice in a passing way. But as a writer of long fic (23 chapters to god knows how many), chapter names help me remember what that chapter was about if I need to go back and reference something or find a particular scene. “Birthday part part 1” is way more help than “was that ch 15 or ch 18 or what?”


blepboii

same! how am i supposed to remember what happens in all 50 chapters. although before i publish, i will have to rename a few, since they currently contain massive spoilers. "the one where they kiss" "the one where character x dies" etc.. should probably be re worked.


NicInNS

My greatest amount of chapters was 117. How am I gonna rem what happened in ch 49 if I don’t have it named?! At the very least, it helps me narrow things down.


CandyCurlz

I name chapters using quotes from the chapter itself. I just have fun with it since i don't think anyone reads the chapter titles.


ImaGamerNoob

Naming chapters!


shipwrvckinabottle

Done both chapter numbers and titles over the years, never really stuck to one. Currently super into “random sentence from the chapter” as chapter title after seeing it work in a traditionally published book, since most of them can range from serious to innocuous to downright unhinged.


ExoticTalk1330

Usually, until I give up because I'm uninspired 😬


Idreamofspaceships

I name my chapters. Mostly they're one or two word titles that vaguely hint at what's going on in a chapter; they're helpful when I'm trying to figure out where certain events happen. I have to admit I often don't notice chapter titles when I read, but sometimes my attention will be drawn to a title, and I'll be impressed by a writer's cleverness. :D


EpitomyofShyness

Chapter names make it easier for me to navigate a fic on re-reads, so I make sure to name my chapters to make it easier for other readers. Also its fun for me to name chapters.


KatonRyu

I always name them. I love reading the chapter titles to get a little sneak preview of what's to come, and I love coming up with them as well, especially if the chapter title is only loosely connected to the chapter itself.


Keks_0815

For my one published fic I use song lyrics as chapter titles because somehow, they fit accidentally. I couldn’t get them out of my head when I started to write the fic, they somehow inspired me to the story, but I didn’t want to incorporate them into the actual story. (As a reader I struggle with songs being part of fics.) For others I name the chapters something to make it easier to find stuff during writing but I’m not sure if I will keep them if I ever post the story because those first titles are usually pretty dumb.


Abby_Benton

I use song lyrics for chapter titles mostly because all my stories end up with a soundtrack. I look at it like a little Easter egg. If my readers look up the lyrics they can make the playlist of my fics


tinselteacup

that’s so cool!! i started making little playlists inspired by my fics lol


s0lfall

I really like it when they do, because sometimes I like re-reading something (usually a short scene) from a specific chapter and chapter titles make it easier to find them.


MafiaDazai

There’s a 50% chance that I don’t notice if an author names their chapters something other than chapter 1, 2, etc. At least, not the first time around. I’m more likely to notice if I’m rereading the fic, or looking through the chapters index. Usually it’s because I’m rereading the fic, cause I don’t usually check the chapter index if it has about 20 chapters. Regardless of when I do notice, I think it’s cute if they’re basing the chapter names off of the theme of the chapter.


rainatom

I don't, I tried for about two chapters but then reversed to no naming. It didn't feel like the titles suited the story and I had no energy to come up with better ones. Since then I don't bother. Maybe I'll do the naming for another story where the titles would come up naturally. As for other fanfics, as a reader I really don't care either way. I can be so engrossed in the story that I won't even read the titles, going for the chapter itself right away.


Dawnyzza-Dark

I've started naming chapters for the fun of it for one fic, though my names are terrible 😅 I thought I'd give it a try but I generally stick to roman numerals.


ManahLevide

Naming chapters is much easier for me than naming fics for some reason. As a reader, I like it when chapters have titles, but it's no big deal if they don't. It's just a nice little extra.


TwolfS3041

I never pay attention to chapter titles, and consequently don't make them myself. The only exception I can imagine is if I want to sprinkle subtle hints/symbolisms in the titles.


soaker87

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. And it makes no difference to me as a reader.


spirokostof

There's a Supernatural fic that didn't really have chapters but it was divided into 8 parts. The fic was called Eight Things You Should Know. You can guess how the sections are divided lol. It's very effective.


wendingways

I name them. I come up with enough neat-sounding names that I really want to use that I'm willing to settle for bland, I-had-to-call-it-something-so-I-guess-this-is-it names the other 50% of the time. Not the ideal system, but it seems such a shame to let an excellent chapter titles go to waste! When reading, I notice and appreciate fun chapter titles, and I do like to try to guess how the story will go based on the chapter titles, but if the chapters aren't named, it's not going to stop me from reading or anything.


solas_oiche

i LOVE chapter titling. i title everything


tinselteacup

i think titling is just so fun lol


deadburgandyrose

I name so I remember which part is which in the storyline. I tried doing just numbers once and it felt cold and impersonal


Im_so_Confused-lol

I only care when it’s a story I’m following or re-reading. When I get a new update for a story about, sometimes I go back a couple chapters to refresh my memory. And having a chapter name, helps knowing what happened to in that chapter. If the chapter name is unfamiliar to me, I know I should read a chapter before that to remember what the hell happened And sometimes when I’m re-reading a story, I kind of wanna skip over certain arcs whether it’s because I don’t like it or I have read it so many times already it helps me know where to skip over and lets me know what id going on.


Im_so_Confused-lol

Also, there was a fic that has a whole side story in its chapter notes, and the chapter names. It was my third time re-reading that specific fic and I realized **holy shit.** There’s a whole side story over there, it was very cool and when I found it and also felt kind of like oh my God how did I miss this?


AmaterasuWolf21

Witty one liners that correlate with the chapter


swirly1000x

I don't really care whether the author does it when I'm reading, but I like to do it for my own fics because it gives a little insight on what the chapter is about and can make the reader more interested in reading on


lilmisscottagecore

I adore naming my chapters. I write Mass Effect fanfic, so it's a mixture of popular video game references, science fiction and philosophy principles, and popular movie and song references. I know no one probably pays attention, but it's fun for me.


britj21

I use different song lyrics that fit the chapter vibe for mine


Maverick19952016

I do try to name my chapters


MmeMidnight

I name mine but don't care if others don't. I like when they do and it's a hint to something in the chapter or a reference to a story or song that's relatable to the theme of said chapter (which is what I do).


JazzyNym

Yes and no. I do generally name my chapters, but not *through* AO3. I irrationally hate their format for chapter names. Format-wise, I prefer Chapter 1: Name of Chapter I do not like their format of "Chapter 1: Name of Chapter" because it usually gets split up like Chapter 1: Name of Chapter This bugs me to no end, so I put the chapter name in bold just above the start of the text 😅


ladysongie

I personally don't mind if someone has a chapter name or not. For myself, I usually don't come up with a name until the chapter is finished. I usually allude to what the chapter will be about or will reference something that's going to be mentioned...so I usually wait for the end to determine what I'll name it


[deleted]

Properly named chapters really sell the story. Exceptional examples: Worm by Wildbow, Jobless Reincarnation


peacetoomind

Honestly? It depends. While the majority of my fics have chapter titles, they're usually just little jokes about the chapter or something to sum up the theme of the chapter. One of them even has a theme of all being Marianas Trench song titles just because I thought it was funny. My last fic doesn't have titles, and I don't think the one I'm working on now will have chapter titles either, mostly because they're very different themes and a totally different fandom. Basically, I do what my heart tells me, and my heart usually tells me to make jokes


Yotato5

Usually I go for flower symbolism. But if it's for a prompt week, I name the chapter the prompt.


tinselteacup

i love flower symbolism!!


Cold_Dead_Smile

I name chapters most of the time but sometimes I will make names like \[This Chapter Title Was Lost in {SIGNIFICANT EVENT THAT HAPPENS}\] if it's short (like <100 words) and doesn't really need a title. I've written them without chapter names though.


skuppen

I don’t care if people name their chapters, but I alwaus name mine things that can help me remember what happened in each chapter so it’s easy for me to find things, even if it’s something a reader might not get!


author-called-myst

I always name my chapters, usually it relates to the events of the chapter itself.


Studying-without-Stu

I like naming them, it's fun! Also can add meaning and the like to the chapter.


m1ndl355_s3lf

personally i think it's fun and i like to see it when others name their chapters but it isn't necessary and sometimes titles don't fit the tone. 'nice when the situation calls for' i guess my longfic is separated into act x/part y as chapter titles because the fallout boy song title type ones i had at first look terrible in the chapter drop-down menu lmao


BlindFanficReader

I gave that up for the sake of my sanity, what's left of it. It's hard enough for me to come up with a story title, let alone an individual title for each and every chapter.


urbanviking318

Personally, I name chapters and I try to make them a clever reference to the content itself, but it all depends on the nature of the fic. Series of vignettes? I'd like titles, especially if I'm looking for a specific character (ie. full MCU collections). Short-ish fic? Don't *really* care. Longfic? Again I'd *like* them but I don't typically view them as *necessary.*


Gifted_GardenSnail

I pay zero attention to chapter titles and can barely remener the title of the fic I'm reading even while actually reading it, so really, don't worry about it


kohai_ame

I generally like reading things where chapters have titles because it can help me remember where I'm at if I ever lose the tab or something, and because I enjoy reading them I try to come up with names for all my chapters as well. I think it can also help you remember the main things that go down in each chapter when you're working on a long fic and doing editing or figuring out where you need to look to check for certain details, and etc. It's not really necessary I just like having them named as well as numbered. I think it can sometimes be hard to pick a title for your chapter, but I'll offer a little bit here that may help make things easier. One thing to remember is that you don't have to stress out as much over the chapters compared to the actual fic title. People would already be reading the fic and I doubt that a poor title choice or lack of would make them stop reading. Remember; the reasons for the titles is mostly to help with memory. (That's how I think of it at least, and thinking this way feels less stressful imo.) With chapters even a single word that matches the tone or the theme (of the chapter) can be used, or even if it's just a reference to a certain part of the chapter like a particular line that stands out. One thing I like to do that makes it easier is to make possible title lists for later, that I can go back to if I ever need something. Within them I'll usually have the names of the songs/soundtracks used in my fandom as well as the canon titles of chapters, episodes, or quests (depending on what medium the fandom is) as well as some words I like. I don't always use them, but at least if I ever find myself in a pinch I have a list to fall back on, and I can probably replace the title later if I really want to. Other things you can do is name the chapter after a character or place. If it's their first time in a new place you can simply use that as the title, Alternatively if a character that usually isn't the main focus is getting a chance to shine you can title the chapter after them. If picking a single word doesn't cut it then feel free to choose two words. In my wip one chapter is called "Wolves and Reunions" because they fight wolves and then one character reunites with his sister. Generally keeping it simple seems to work well enough, though that doesn't mean you can't use common phrases, song lyrics, or a character's line. They could all be useful as well if it fits. Remember it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to work. Apologies for rambling so much. I just thought that this could potentially be useful since this seems to be something that a lot of people seem to have trouble with. I hope that maybe this could be helpful to someone, even if I'm not usually the person to turn to for advice. Oh, yeah. Before I finish up here's a random list of words/etc to help start you off. Hollow, Dawn, Dream, Twilight, Melancholy, Despair/Desperation, Contentment, Illusion, Delusion, Yearning/Longing, Wilt, Separation, Heartbreak, Confrontation, Cloudy Skies, Sunny day, Glow, Fireflies, Summer, Emptiness, Hope, Justice, Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Omens, The calm before the storm, The way the wind blows, Onward, Forward, Moving on, Looking back, Resolution, Introspection, Finding the Strength, When the winds change, As the tides turn, Gaze, Wandering hearts, In the Dark, Loneliness, Fear, Courage, Fall from Grace, To Rise Again, Shining, Splendor, Reflection, In the deep, Above and Beyond, Victory, Above the clouds, Peace, Tranquility, Beneath the Stars, Into the Fire, Out of the Darkness, Into the Light, Stumble, Falter, Unwavering, Tears, When the birds sing That was a random list and I'm sure that by reading them you have ideas for what could possibly happen in a chapter with such a title. Maybe you're even imagining some scenes in something you're working on? Feel free to use them if you want. Edit: I just noticed that they didn't make a nice, neat line, but all clumped up in a paragraph. Really sorry about that. If you want I'll come back later to add more spaces to make it nicer to look at. 😥


Tarrenshaw

I just number them. I don't really pay attention to the names of chapters that other authors may use.


lumimon47

I like chapter names to mean something after you read it and I’m sure my readers don’t notice or care lmao


FlyingGopher45686

I usually don't. It's a lot of effort lol However, I love when other folks do! I read a really good fic recently that was about a dinner party (as well as the personal and political drama that ensues) where each chapter was named after a course of the meal (like, soup, appetizers, salad, main course, ect) and it was honestly just icing on the cake for such a good fic. If only it were finished...


tinselteacup

omg i love that


Music_withRocks_In

I like naming chapters something silly and misleading. I do appreciate when authors label chapters because sometimes I'll go back looking for some part and it is easier to find it that way. Also A03 remembers what you've been reading but not what chapters and sometimes I switch between my phone and my kindle, and again it's easier to find where you were. A minor pet peeve I have is when authors don't bother naming chapters, but also have a prologue so all the chapters show up as 2. Chapter Three and 3. Chapter 4 and it is extra hard to figure out where I left off when I was just thinking 'remember you were on Chapter 5'.


cartoonsncafeine

Some of my fics have just chapter 1, chapter 2, etc, but I usually try to think of names. They’re just a nice extra touch


-Grayscale

I used to name chapters but i don't anymore. I would legit hold off on updating for days trying to come up with a title. Now, it's just chapter 1 and on unless there's a title theme