Are Chapter Titles Spoilers?
One thing I’ve always liked, especially in the realm of fantasy, sci-fi and pulp fiction, is the use of titles for chapters. That’s the reason why I did it myself in Dan the Destructor and plan to use it in everything else that I publish.
Although, over the years, I’ve heard (or read) people that feel like chapter titles are spoilers. I get their point, I guess, but I also disagree with it.
I think that seeing a chapter title as a spoiler is overblown. It’s like saying that a TV spot for a movie is a spoiler. Granted, some full trailers are very spoilery these days, but its also a more modern phenomenon, as Hollywood just wants to do whatever cheap tricks they can to wow you out of your money. Also, big budget movies are dreadfully formulaic and redundant, so showing the most impressive effects shots and spoiling too much of the story is tragically common place. TV spots, however, are typically quick and just flash a few bits and pieces with some vague plot points.
A chapter title is just text that gives you a vague idea of what’s to come over the next few pages. Also, the trick is in how they are worded. You certainly don’t want to see a chapter title like “Randy Dies Via Gunshot”. However, “Randy Faces His Test” lets you know that shit just got serious and it’s put up or shut up time. You don’t know the outcome, you just know what you’re about to walk into and how the stakes are seriously high. It should titillate you to keep on reading or, at the very least, give you some excitement for when you have time to pick up the book again.
When it comes to titling my chapters, I see it like an item on the menu in a really great restaurant with unique dishes. I want the description of what you’re about to indulge in to get you excited. It’s like when you see the ingredients of an interesting dish you’ve never tried and the combination of flavors in your head gives you an idea of what’s instore. Still, it’s only enough to prepare your palate before being overcome by the actual flavors of the dish itself.
I’ve said it before and have no problem saying it again, I am not an expert on anything. This is just how I see it and I find my approach to chapter titles to be pretty spot on, at least in my limited experience. But hey, if you think they’re spoilers and you want your chapters to just feature a number and remain title-less, that’s perfectly fine.
When I open a book, though, and all I see is a table of contents featuring numbers, it’s kind of a bummer. I like to see that entire docket of what the author has instore for me. I love it when I see that chapter 8 with a badass title and I’m inspired to push through the book because I want to see what that chapter is all about.