As you write your novel, you will definitely break them into chapters.
On top of the usual dilemma of where to break your chapters, there are also times when I face this problem of not knowing how to name the chapter title.
But before I share some chapter title tips, let’s discuss the purposes of a chapter title.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. I will earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase through these links. Your support encourages me to continue blogging and help with the costs of hosting this site. Thank you!
Purposes Of Chapter Titles
A book is broken into easy-to-digest chapters so readers are
- given a short break to pause and digest what happened in the story
- made aware of transitions in the story (eg. change in setting or story arc)
Therefore, your chapter titles will then
- summarize what happened in that specific chapter
- intrigue readers and build anticipation of what will happen in this chapter
And of course, the ultimate goal is to compel your readers to continue reading your story. Each chapter title then becomes encouraging words to push your readers to keep flipping the pages.
Now that we know the purposes of chapter titles, let’s move on to some tips on how to name your chapter titles.

Photo by Caio on Pexels
1. Chapters Don’t Need To Have A Title, They Can Be A Number
You can always keep things simple by just naming your chapters as “Chapter 1”. Just a simple number is enough to signal to your readers that this is a new chapter.
However, do remember to keep them consistent. If you use Hindu-Arabic numerals (eg. 1, 2, 3), stick to them throughout your story.
You can also choose to switch this to Roman numerals (eg. III, V, X) or any other languages, especially if your novel is set in a certain country.
In addition, you can remove the word “Chapter” and simply name the chapters as “3” or “V”.

Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels
2. Not Just Any Number But A Significant One
Besides naming your chapters chronologically, you can also name them after significant numbers.
For instance, you might name a chapter “1978” because the events that occurred in that chapter took place in the year 1978. You could also have “27” as your chapter title, depicting an important event in your protagonist’s life when he or she is 27 years old.
3. Feel Free To Begin With Something Else, Other Than “Chapter”
There’s no hard rule that we need to start chapter titles with “Chapter”.
You can always change this to “Letter 1” or “Lesson 1”. Whatever seems more relevant to your story.
Hence, do take a step back and think out of the box. You might come up with another word or phrase that’s more interesting and appropriate.

Photo by Pezibear on Pixabay
4. Include Your Characters In The Chapter Titles
If your book is written from multiple points of view (POV) where you alternate chapters with different character’s perspective, do consider including your characters in the chapter titles.
This way, head-hopping will be less confusing for your readers because they know right at the start of the chapter which character’s POV they are reading from.
You can also choose to combine this with the above techniques so that your chapter titles become “Letter From Jane” or “Jane, 1953”.

Photo by Lysons_editions on Pixabay
5. Include Your Setting In The Chapter Titles
Similar to the technique of adding specific years, you can also choose to include setting in the chapter titles.
This can include
- location
- time of the day
- historical period
- season
- weather
Examples include “Spring in Paris” and “Late Brunch in the Woods”.

Photo by Ibrahim Asad on Pexels
6. Add A Spark Of Magic To Your Chapter Titles
If you’ve done exhaustive worldbuilding for your fiction novel, you probably created new names for the places, creatures or items in your story. Or better yet, you might have created a whole new language.
So why not tap into this? Include all these special words and phrases in your chapter titles.
By adding these unfamiliar names from your fictional world, you’ll spark readers’ curiosity and build anticipation.
But of course, you should only add them in the titles if these objects, creatures and locations are playing an important role in this specific chapter.

Photo by peter_pyw on Pixabay
7. Go Back To The Basics: What Exactly Is Happening In This Chapter?
The most common way to name your chapters is based on the event that occurs in that specific chapter.
If your protagonists meet for the first time, you might name your chapter as “Encounter”. If your protagonist confesses his love, you can name your chapter as “Confession” or “Escaping The Friend Zone” (if they’re moving from friends to lovers).

Photo by fauxels on Pexels
8. Resonate With Your Readers By Including Something Familiar
What this means is actually pretty simple.
You could name your chapter titles after something your character said. This could be an important dialogue or monologue. For instance, your protagonist might think or even say “I really regret getting married!” which leads to a major crisis in her relationship with her husband.
By using the exact words spoken by your characters in the chapter titles, you close the distance between your characters and readers. They can then connect and perhaps even identify themselves with them.
There are also other options like including idioms, wise sayings or famous quotations. Such phrases might be suitable if they aptly describe the situation in your chapter or they’re lessons that will be learned in this chapter.
I tried this while writing my fanfiction. But instead of using famous quotations for chapter titles, I use them as subtitles.
I wouldn’t recommend adding song lyrics because you might encounter copyright issues.
Also, let your creativity run free! You could try adding mathematical formulas such as “E=mc²” or criminology jargon such as “modus operandi” if you’re writing crime fiction.

Photo by rawpixel on Pixabay
9. Punctuate Your Chapter Titles For Impact
Just like how you end your chapter with a cliffhanger, consider doing it to your chapter titles too.
You could punctuate your chapter titles with
- Exclamation mark (!): signals strong feelings, high volume (such as someone shouting) or to emphasize something
- Question mark (?): makes your readers think about the answer for a question
- Ellipsis (…): intrigues your readers with an unfinished sentence or phrase
Of course, you can also choose to not include any punctuation. For instance, you might not punctuate your one- or two-word chapter titles.
Another tip: try not to punctuate your chapter title with a period. Why? Because a period (.) signals the end of a sentence and evokes a sense of finality. By including a period in your chapter title, you direct your readers’ attention to stop there too. And I’m sure this is something you don’t want. You’d rather them go past the chapter title and begin reading the story itself, right?

Photo by Anemone123 on Pixabay
10. Reinforce Your Novel’s Theme By Relating Back To Your Book Title
To be honest, you can’t really do this for every book. It depends on your book title and whether your chapter titles make sense.
Take for example, I included a time-related number, phrase or word in all the chapter titles of my Countdowner trilogy. Luckily, these chapter titles make sense and also aptly describe what happens in those specific chapters.
On the other hand, I can’t do this for my Asphodelus trilogy. I try to include some words or phrases that have a special meaning in this ghostly world. But I can’t do it for all chapter titles. Only some of them.
Thus, it really depends if you can come up with appropriate chapter titles that tie back to your book title and whether you can do this consistently throughout your book and entire series.
You can try but don’t force yourself. Ultimately, your chapter titles should compel readers to continue reading your story.

Photo by Free-Photos on Pixabay
Bonus Tip: Consistency Is Key. Be Consistent When Naming Your Chapter Titles.
Whichever technique you use to name your chapters, do remember to keep it consistent. There should be a pattern behind your chapter titles.
For instance, if you decide to use Roman numerals, do use them throughout your entire book. The same applies to formatting as well. Whether you decide on title or sentence case, stick to it throughout your novel.

Photo by Katrina_S on Pixabay
Now It’s Your Turn
How do you name your chapters? Do you have any chapter title tips to share with fellow writers?
Also, do check out the Beginner’s Guide To Formatting & Breaking Chapters In Your Fiction Novel!
Do consider getting novel planning worksheets. Etsy has many such printables, including word count trackers, novel outlines, character profiles, worldbuilding basics and more.
For more book publishing and marketing tips, consider joining classes like How To Write And Publish An eBook and Sell Your First 1000 Books. Or watch streaming broadcasts of free online classes at CreativeLive! You can also join online courses at Fiverr Learn~
Thanks for your incite into chapter titles. I’m writing my very first either a memoir or knowledge share i’ve been working on for 8 years. I’m not exactly sure which which i’m told is extremely important especially for sales. I am using a story approach ie similar to brandilyn collins and jane clelland whom i am using as mentors who give insights into writing compelling, suspenseful, edge of your seat story telling ideas. i don’t see these fitting into a knowledge share as much as a memoir. Everyone loves a story is why i’m leaning toward a memoir vs teaching someone about something in a knowledge share. To be sure my memoir or knowledge share has how to information concerning a pain reversal theory i have with lots of illustrations i’ve gathered about posture and bones and muscles that relate to my pain reversal theory but not exactly to my theme which is a quest to learn how and why in just seconds on my “miracle night” in august 1997 an excruciatingly painful abdominal muscle spasm attack disappeared that usually took hours to subside.
If i use knowledge share then i can’t write an intriguing story with antagonists creating suspense. It would be a more boring “how to” book. Your
comments/suggestions are very appreciated
thanks
rudy ferrara
Hi Rudy, I don’t have much experience with non-fiction. But I think it’s still possible to weave a story while sharing knowledge. For knowledge share, the focus is about solving a problem and informing readers. So stories are probably used as examples while chapter titles are like subtopics. Memoir, on the other hand, is where an author tells his or her story. It’s about sharing your insights and knowledge. And it’s more intimate. I guess the bigger question is whether the story or knowledge is the focus of your book. From there, you might find your answer 🙂
Could you address whether chapter headings are in all caps or just initial caps? Thanks.
Hi, there’s no fixed letter case for chapter headings. It really depends on how you want to style them. You can choose either one that you prefer. Then, ensure that it’s consistent throughout your book 🙂
When you use idioms, wise sayings or famous quotations as chapter titles or subtitles, how do you punctuate them? And do you cite the author of the famous statements?
Thanks!
For idioms, wise sayings or famous quotations, I would use them as subtitles and punctuate them with quotation marks. And yes, I agree with citing the author to give them credit. If you want to put more focus on these quotations, you can simply name the chapter titles as “Chapter One” or “01” followed by the quotation subtitle. Hope this helps~!