Writing 101: What's in a Name? // Naming Your Chapters // Episode 3

Hey there and welcome back to another Writer post! This time it’s all about Chapter Names. I may have mentioned this before, but one of my pet peeves is a book without Chapter titles! Don’t get me wrong, I still read books without them, but if you want to make me super happy 😉, TITLE YOUR CHAPTERS! But, I understand, this isn’t always easy. So today, I’m taking my book, The Land of Cotton and explaining how I came up with the titles for the chapters. (Ones marked Original are the titles I came up with in my first draft!) I hope this is helpful!

1.)    “How’d This All Get Started?”- Michael asks this question, and it is the focus of the chapter, explaining the Southern Cause in simple terms. This is the very first title I ever came up with for this book. Old Faithful!

2.)   The Move- Again, this is what the chapter focused around, a family moving to a new location.

3.)   Agree to Disagree- This is a common enough phrase and fits perfectly with the story of this chapter. Sometimes, you’re just not going to agree with people, but try to do it peacefully. An Original Title.

4.)  God Has a Plan- This was taken from a conversation in the chapter. Even when it doesn’t make sense, God has a plan for your life!

5.)  Lighting the Fire- Before the War Between the States, people that were in agreement with secession and spoke out in its favor were labeled “Fire Eaters.” This fact and the fact that the desire to serve one's country is referred to as the Fire of Patriotism provided the perfect title.

6.)  Confederate and Lady- Read the book, and you’ll understand 😉

7.) Something Worth Fighting For- Sometimes it takes time for a Cause’s righteousness to be realized by those it affects. That’s what this chapter explains.

8.)   A Righteous Cause- Ditto 😉

9.)   The First Good-Bye- That one is always the hardest ☹ I think the title is self-explanatory.

10.) The Awakening- This one was a revised title, originally called “The Bull Runners.” Without spoiling it for those who haven’t read that far, in every soldier’s life there is a time when he realizes War isn’t all glory…it isn’t a game; it’s for real.

11.)  Reality of War- Ditto!

12.)  “It Never Gets Easier”- Phrase taken from the story.

13.)  Eternity- Serious topic common to war. Original Title!

14.) Surprised- Sometimes stating a simple fact is the best way to title a chapter…😉 or maybe that’s laziness…you decide.

15.)  More Than One Way To Serve- Without giving you a spoiler, there were many ways to serve your country during war, not just fighting. This chapter covers that.

16.)  Wrapping Up- A wound, a part of the story or both? This title came to me while trying to revamp some lousy titles, including “Moving On.”

17.)  Home At Last- Self-explanatory.

18.) Prayer Works- This is an original. I liked the simplicity of this very true statement.

19.) Hide ‘n Seek and Nicodemus- This mixes two events in the story, with both a fun and serious edge.

20.) A Land of Cotton…and More Cotton- A spin off the title, theme song and the truth of the harvest season. We’re in the South, Y’all! Original title.

21.) Letters- Sometimes I’m too tired to think of something fresh. Old faithful’s are fine 😉

22.) Sharp Encounter- Read the Chapter, and it’ll make sense 😉 I drew the title from the story.

23.) Race Against Time- Another Original. Sometimes you are literally racing against the clock. It fit so well with the story, I couldn’t pass it up!

24.) That Time of Year- Christmas…This title just came to me one day after thinking of the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

25.) Christmas Apart- No one likes being away from loved ones at Christmas. This title expresses the mood for this chapter, a mix of hope and despair.

If this isn’t enough inspiration…refer back to my post on Book Titles…the concept is the same 😉

Have a blessed week!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22