So, didn't really feel like writing up more of my latest chapter tonight (exam study tiring me out and all), so I went for the more relaxed option and cycled through my planned chapters which still needed naming. I really like coming up with the names for them, and finding one that will fit perfectly feels awesome! But then I thought: "Are there some cliché titles that I really shouldn't be using?" Usually I use one of 4 conventions to name my chapter, basing them on one of the following:
1) A famous quote I like
2) A play on words or re-invention of a famous quote I like
3) The title of a piece of mythology, religious story, or historical event
4) A vague outline of what will happen in the chapter

In short, my question is this: Are there any chapter titles (or to phrase it better, chapter naming conventions) that I should avoid, either due to overuse or simply something I should steer clear of?

As always, thanks for taking the time to read through this, and any feedback would be much appreciated.

I hate it when one-shot stories have "The Only Chapter" or some variant on that as the chapter title. It's just a personal thing, but to me it's really irritating

967379

I dislike chapter titles that are misleading. If a chapter is called something like 'Funeral' there had better be a damn funeral, not some quick reference to one that means nothing to the plot.

967379
Chapter Eleven: Bankruptcy The Rainbow Factory

967382 I have to very much agree with CG, I think people should be as creative as they can with story titles, not so much with chapter titles because sometimes it's hard to come up with good names, still it should be far better then 'Chapter one'

I don't think there's any that need to be specifically avoided. As a personal preference, I usually prefer something to do with the chapter. In a story I'm close to finishing, I've stuck with some reference of "night" in the chapter due to Luna's involvement, and it's worked. But whatever works.

967379

In my opinion, any title is fine as long as it's not vulgar.

Human in Equestria: "Arrival"

967401
oh god I'm so going to use that

967402 Agree with you there actually, I see 'Chapter One' on a one-shot and do this.

When doing chapter titles, I try to mix it up and think what I want to use. I agree with the notion to do something other than, "Chapter 1:" it kind of makes it boring and not as interesting.

967398
Don't read Death Note.

I like making mine on point number four, vague, even ominous. So that when I look through all my chapters I can know really easily what happened in the chapter.
For example, if I want to know which chapters involve the main character traveling through a cave I see the chapters pretty easily:
- The Weight of a Mountain
- A Voice of Rock and Stone
- Gems in the Darkness
- The Chill of Metal and Stone
- Echoing Whispers

Followed by the chapter outside the cave:
- Fresh Air

It means I can jump in right where I want to, should I decide I need to for whatever reason. It also give the reader an thematic feel for the chapter without actually giving stuff away.

I think a chapter should be named based on what is going on in the chapter. I dislike chapter names where I can't draw a correlation between what happened in the chapter and why it was named what it was.

Cliche titles are fine. People remember them better, and it makes the chapter more recognizable. Just try to make it applicable to the chapter itself so readers can use it to remember what happened there. As long as you keep the cliches out of your story itself you'll be fine.

967424 I freaking lost it and died laughing

967379

I personally dislike the first two conventions you listed. I've seen the title 'Calm Before the Storm' enough for it to annoy me, for example. I'd go for something simple, maybe a two word phrase that catches the eye on its own, rather than try to represent the chapter it's naming. Off the top of my head, Cowboy Bebop is one of my favorites when it comes to naming chapters (episodes). Actually, some of its episodes go off the two conventions you listed, but they're still pretty distinct. It's all up to you what you wanna do Just make the names catch the eye, because they're the first thing the reader will see, along with the title of the story.

967409

+1000 points to you, sir. Hot damn, you've probably called out 50% of all HiE fics in one fell swoop.

967379
There's really no wrong way to go with chapter titles.
Personally, I name all of them after rock songs, one band per story, but that's just my thing. Do whatever you want.

Personally I don't really care about the names of chapters. The only thing I don't like is when the name is way too long, or when a one-shot is called "The One and Only Chapter" or some crap like that. It's entirely overused.

967379

#3· 13w, 2d ago ·2 · · The Silver Stout Shako

one second.

FLAAAAMUUUS!

yeah bro?fluttershy needs to be restored by airel?

press the button.

OOOOOOOOH!

*flamus pressus button*

*a thousand giant green daleks come out of nowhere yelling extermintate size turning fluttershy into a tiny pony instead of giant*

EXTERMINATE MY BALLS!

fuck.

indeed.

its airel.

^I have no idea what any of this means and it confuses me to this day. No explanation was given...

You need to go really bad with chapter names to go bad at all, I think. "Chapter 1 - The Second Chapter" might be one to avoid for non-[Random] fics, though.

967417
It has to specifically be for chapter number 11!

The chapters of my story are all named after phrases contained within them - some literally relevant, some tangentially.

"As Night And Day" - words Celestia uses to describe her rocky relationship with pre-NMM Luna
"From Now 'Til Forever" - again, the words Celestia uses when declaring that no matter what, she will always care about her
"No Place Like Home" - speaking of cliches, this phrase is one; it's used when the OC main character arrives home after an extended period of absence
"Society Girl" - the OC meets his wife-to-be, and one of his friends refers to her as one of these
"The Pursuit of Knowledge" - this has possibly the least of a direct link to the chapter; it's a phrase in the narration used to highlight the OC's motto in life (knowledge is power, and nothing's a mistake if you learn from it), and at best it alludes to a future theme of the his character arc

There's no way to tell if this will be an ongoing quirk of mine, since this is my only story and it gets cumbersome to keep this pattern going forever.

967379
Oh crap, I posted this on the wrong thread. This was supposed to be for the weird comments on stories thread, sorry.

But while we're on the subject of chapter titles, I did something funny in one of my stories. To continue the running gag in Fluttersized, I titled a couple chapters King Sombra Gets Screentime and etc. The gag of course being that despite the chapter, King Sombra did NOT recieve any mentioning in the story and did not appear. I continued this gag to intentionally run it into the ground, finally revealing in the author's notes section of an alternate reality that in fact, King Sombra got screentime. Long, convoluted and wacky, I enjoyed it.

967517 Most of the rest probably start with "How Did I Get Here?" or "Where Am I?"

967708 Hey, I resemble that!

967379 Avoid overly wordy titles in general

boring titles.

Not "Chapter 1" or "part 1" or things like that.
I like to use song lyrics or other nods to things, as long as it makes sense for the chapter.

so, for example:

"New Kids on the Farm": Deals with the five new fillies who are claiming Big Macintosh is their dad.
"Five is Right out": introduces the next six kids who..also claim Big Mac is their dad.

"Places I should be/Ponies I should see": Time Turner going to Ponyville and meeting others.
"Bad Moon Rising": Nightmare Moon shows up, and seals away the heroic Discord.

A chapter title should be one or two words that eludes to the content of the chapter.
Examples:
A chapter that shows an ally was actually an enemy "Cold Friend"
A chapter that has the protagonist being critically injured/killed "Wet Cough"
A chapter that has a plot device introduced "Objectionable Apparatus"
A chapter with an easy sort of calm night "Star Shine"

'The' can also be used, but it should be consistent through the story.
A chapter that has a character break down mentally 'The Cracks'
A chapter where something ancient is revealed to the world 'The Old'
Anything more than two words should be avoided at all costs.

967379
I don't care, I am still going to "A Leaf On The Wind" as a chapter title because Firefly for the win! Besides I made a whole OC with the last name of Leaf just to pull off the reference...So the quote is in context..Kinda.

~Hearn

968564

I agree that the name should always allude to the content of the chapter; generally, make it something witty and/or catchy that doesn't exactly spoil it.

But I don't think more than two words "should be avoided at all costs."

I've never found it to be all that important.

Relevant chapter titles are nice, I guess. Since it means you can far more easily navigate things later, if you're searching for a particular part.

Especially stupid, trollish sounding chapter titles might make me avoid a story altogether, I guess. If I arrive at the story page for the first time and see them.

Thanks for the replies guys, it's been very informative! Oh, and a little gem for all of you: If it wasn't for my pre-readers I would've titled one of my chapters "Dark Side of the Sun". Yes. The dark side. Of the Sun...

I intend to name the finale of my fic "Obligatory Filler Episode"

My chapter titles have come from all over the place. On my oneshot Making Friends, I recall feeling fairly clever after titling the only chapter "Imaginary Ponies Are the Best Ponies", because it takes on a different meaning after you've read the fanfic.

On Just Winging It, I've mostly been keeping to a pattern of titles that either involve flying or music, and also are relevant to the title, though I broke with that on the most recent chapter for one that was just relevant to the chapter. I'm still wondering how many people read my first chapter title, "A Wish For Wings That Work", and thought of Bloom County, though.

And then there was Taking Time, where the four chapter titles are all lines from Twilight's verse in "At The Gala"...