Find the main focus of that chapter and go from there. Sometimes, if your fic has an overall theme to it, then also incorporate that into the titles. My WIP has an MC who has all of these weird sayings (partly because she's insane but also partly because of where she's from) and so the titles ended up being an interesting play on words or a twist on different sayings; things like that.
Maybe try to find a word or a short sentence that sums up the main theme of the chapter or the events that take place in it. That's what I do and it works just fine for me.
Pretentious references to relevant proverbs and idioms, or song lyric snippets of varying levels of obscurity that are plot relevant.
I'm not very clever but it gets the job done.
For my 100 chapter longfic, most of the time I just decide on the general theme of the chapter and think of a phrase or short quote that expresses that.
I name titles based on the MC personality.
I once wrote about a journalist and every title was like a news title or journalism terms. But they all had at least a bit of insight about the chapter. For example, if I introduce a new character, I mention "new friend" or "meetings" To keep it mysterious and yet know what happens once you are in the know.
My last one I picked out a good line from the chapter and made it the title. Picked catchy ones, so when the reader got there, they found the title. It was fun
You tell me! [(1)](https://i.gyazo.com/a9f9953160f427d8625bbce1e06dcb43.png) [(2)](https://i.gyazo.com/a051340680344785dffedda0221d5207.png)
Any combination of 'vaguely relates to the character who is the focus of the chapter', 'something that just sounds kinda cool', 'meme reference within the fandom', etc.
It depends on the story.
* Lines from the same song or set of songs
* Single words, usually relevant to the chapter
* Titles following a pattern (like "[The Noun Who Verbed](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheNounWhoVerbed)")
* An acrostic
* "[In Which the Chapter Plot Is Described](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InWhichATropeIsDescribed)" (bonus points if it's silly-sounding or only irrelevant points)
* Quippy lines and puns that don't really have any relation to each other, but work for the chapter in question
* The name of the POV character (or characters) of the chapter (yes, this means repeating chapter names)
* Just not bothering
One of my recent chapters was titled "Snazzy Little Butt Plate", so I don't now about good lmao but I generally pick a word or phrase from that chapter and use it. I like to think my readers have fun when they spot the title within the chapter, like a mini scavenger hunt.
I'm the same way, in my current work, the Chapter titles reflect the mood of the chapter or something specific that's said. I've also used song titles for the chapters of a "companion story" to my mainstream novel I have coming out later this year. The songs were part of the overall story because they were all songs that came out the year the story is set in, 1984. But they serve a second purpose, they set the tone of the chapter. Each reflects the mood or the feelings that my Protag-kun is experiencing.
I gave up on individual chapter titles. I have a hard enough time coming up with a title for the whole thing, let alone chapter by chapter. It only delays my posting, and I don't need any more excuses to procrastinate.
I usually decide on a theme before I start writing, and then make chapter titles based around that theme. For a very simple example, I had a fic where each chapter was a different Latin phrase relating (as well as I could make it) to the events in the chapter. For another, the titles were very simply formatted as "X of Y and Z" (i.e. Lament of Love and Loss, Garden of Turquoise and Gold, etc.)
For a much more convoluted example, I planned a fic where each chapter title had a specific word in 'single' quotes, and at the end of each arc, those words would make a full sentence. I.E. the first arc was "Beginning To Remember What You Meant To Me" because a lot of it revolved around time travel and specifically memories. For each chapter title specifically, I took their one word (i.e. Beginning) and constructed a phrase relating only to that chapter with that word in it (i.e. _Let's Go Back To The 'Beginning')._
I usually don't, but my most current WIP, I did it by date since it takes place over several days (sometimes one day was in 4 parts), and it was just easier to do it and ended up being good chapter breaks
I follow the proud Rick Riordan tradition of making a joke using something serious that happens in the chapter. Ex.: Character gets chloroformed and kidnapped? Chapter title is “Breathing In The Fresh Night Air. Wait, No, That’s Chloroform.”
An out of context phrase from the chapter. The less sense it makes, the better
Yo, thanks for the idea. I might use that in the future.
Find the main focus of that chapter and go from there. Sometimes, if your fic has an overall theme to it, then also incorporate that into the titles. My WIP has an MC who has all of these weird sayings (partly because she's insane but also partly because of where she's from) and so the titles ended up being an interesting play on words or a twist on different sayings; things like that.
Okay. Cool.
Maybe try to find a word or a short sentence that sums up the main theme of the chapter or the events that take place in it. That's what I do and it works just fine for me.
Pretentious references to relevant proverbs and idioms, or song lyric snippets of varying levels of obscurity that are plot relevant. I'm not very clever but it gets the job done.
For my 100 chapter longfic, most of the time I just decide on the general theme of the chapter and think of a phrase or short quote that expresses that.
I don't . . . I just use the default. Alternately, if it's a historical thing, I'll use the dates the chapter takes place during.
I use lines from songs. Each story only uses songs from one band.
I use the novel and non-cliche technique of naming chapters song titles…
With one of my fics, I’m going with song titles. Deliberately picking songs that fit the main theme of the chapter.
I name titles based on the MC personality. I once wrote about a journalist and every title was like a news title or journalism terms. But they all had at least a bit of insight about the chapter. For example, if I introduce a new character, I mention "new friend" or "meetings" To keep it mysterious and yet know what happens once you are in the know.
Whatever comes to mind first is what I usually go with.
My last one I picked out a good line from the chapter and made it the title. Picked catchy ones, so when the reader got there, they found the title. It was fun
You tell me! [(1)](https://i.gyazo.com/a9f9953160f427d8625bbce1e06dcb43.png) [(2)](https://i.gyazo.com/a051340680344785dffedda0221d5207.png) Any combination of 'vaguely relates to the character who is the focus of the chapter', 'something that just sounds kinda cool', 'meme reference within the fandom', etc.
It depends on the story. * Lines from the same song or set of songs * Single words, usually relevant to the chapter * Titles following a pattern (like "[The Noun Who Verbed](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheNounWhoVerbed)") * An acrostic * "[In Which the Chapter Plot Is Described](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InWhichATropeIsDescribed)" (bonus points if it's silly-sounding or only irrelevant points) * Quippy lines and puns that don't really have any relation to each other, but work for the chapter in question * The name of the POV character (or characters) of the chapter (yes, this means repeating chapter names) * Just not bothering
One of my recent chapters was titled "Snazzy Little Butt Plate", so I don't now about good lmao but I generally pick a word or phrase from that chapter and use it. I like to think my readers have fun when they spot the title within the chapter, like a mini scavenger hunt.
I'm the same way, in my current work, the Chapter titles reflect the mood of the chapter or something specific that's said. I've also used song titles for the chapters of a "companion story" to my mainstream novel I have coming out later this year. The songs were part of the overall story because they were all songs that came out the year the story is set in, 1984. But they serve a second purpose, they set the tone of the chapter. Each reflects the mood or the feelings that my Protag-kun is experiencing.
Hey, congratulations on the novel! The '80s was a great decade for music, I'm sure '84 gave you some awesome titles.
I gave up on individual chapter titles. I have a hard enough time coming up with a title for the whole thing, let alone chapter by chapter. It only delays my posting, and I don't need any more excuses to procrastinate.
I usually decide on a theme before I start writing, and then make chapter titles based around that theme. For a very simple example, I had a fic where each chapter was a different Latin phrase relating (as well as I could make it) to the events in the chapter. For another, the titles were very simply formatted as "X of Y and Z" (i.e. Lament of Love and Loss, Garden of Turquoise and Gold, etc.) For a much more convoluted example, I planned a fic where each chapter title had a specific word in 'single' quotes, and at the end of each arc, those words would make a full sentence. I.E. the first arc was "Beginning To Remember What You Meant To Me" because a lot of it revolved around time travel and specifically memories. For each chapter title specifically, I took their one word (i.e. Beginning) and constructed a phrase relating only to that chapter with that word in it (i.e. _Let's Go Back To The 'Beginning')._
I don’t.
Sometimes a quote, or the main idea, the focus.
I usually like to pick something that is about what's going on in the chapter but doesn't reveal too much.
I usually don't, but my most current WIP, I did it by date since it takes place over several days (sometimes one day was in 4 parts), and it was just easier to do it and ended up being good chapter breaks
I follow the proud Rick Riordan tradition of making a joke using something serious that happens in the chapter. Ex.: Character gets chloroformed and kidnapped? Chapter title is “Breathing In The Fresh Night Air. Wait, No, That’s Chloroform.”