Apr 2021
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Oct 2021
Oct 2021
Dialusion
Apr '21

I mix of references/allusions and hints to what happens in the chapter.

For example, in my ongoing story: SUMMON! The Nameless Relic, the prologues start with Scarlet Spellcaster/Azure Dragon, the titles of the protagonists. In the Azure Side, "Thunderstruck" is the next story as an electric-themed character appears and as a reference to the AC/DC song of the same name. In the Scarlet Side, "Ancient Trials" is more straight forward. As in these are the ancient trials our protagonist must undertake.

In Grass Stage: "Of Magic and Monsters" is a double reference to "Of Mice and Men" and "Magic and Wizards" the card game played in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga that would later be renamed to Duel Monsters. This is when two stories converge into one.

"On the Road to Viridian City" is a direct reference to the song from the Pokemon 2.B.A Master soundtrack (and absolute banger) of the same name" because the next location is a city and the next character introduced is themed Green

finally, "Fourth Side of the City" is a reference to the City of Fourside from the SNES game Mother 2/Earthbound and the fact the pair enter the massive Starside City.

As the story goes on, the titles become more referential and allusionary. If it's too try-hard, oh well, I enjoy it and it can give a story a little more personality. As long as it gets the point/vibe across, it's all good in my book.

Ordinaryaverageguy
Apr '21

I always felt like I wanted chapter titles. For one thing, it helps me to keep the story organized in my own notes & memory. But I think it might sometimes interest the reader... or I hope so. My first two stories, I used chapter/episode titles & been at it ever since.

BlunderingAlbatross
Apr '21

I have chapter titles all the way through my book :slight_smile: The prologue is self-titled but every other one tends to be something directly related to the content that comes after.

They can be a little long but not really bothered about it. I think my favourite title is for chapter 2, "Untidy Tidings of an Untidy Life" :grinning:

blazeriddle
Apr '21

My story is divided up into mini-sections, like case files, and I title them, but then I don't title the individual chapters, I just give them chapter numbers.

Colours_dont_match
Apr '21

Uh I often take important stuff that has been said or done in the chapter. Or sometimes I use the fx sounds as a title. I try to have a short title, mostly just one word, or at max 3 words.
One episode is called "SHITSHITSHIT" which is my favourite title XD

DreamyPastel
Apr '21

Chapter titles for me can be pretty hard to come up with. I don't really have a theme, but I just stick to what the chapter plot is or a reference that may give what the theme is.

My first two chapter titles are pretty much on the nose "What Lurks in the Forest" (what my comic used to be called and the entire premise of the comic) and "The Man with Purple Eyes" (cause a character has purple eyes).

The next chapter title isn't really obvious until later on in that chapter, but the title applies for two different characters in two different ways: "Icarus." For once I was able to come up with a shorter title for a chapter haha

thecrystalrook
Apr '21

I usually just try to give a three or four word max description about the episode. sometimes I take the Donkey Kong Country approach for naming levels. I.e. two words describing the area that both start with the same letter

5 months later
dominioncomix
Oct '21

It takes me so long to finish a chapter (about half a year per chapter) that I have plenty of time to come up with titles, ahah. I actually came up with the first two chapter titles before starting the comic, even.

summermcallen
Oct '21

I used to have them and used quotes that fits the episode. but no one noticed and it's too much time to find a perfect title , so I changed to "chapter 1".. after my relaunch

PKLucky
Oct '21

With my series being related to fighting games, all of my chapter titles are either fighting game terms (e.g. "Bread and Butter" for chapter 6, "Labbing" for chapters 7-12), phrases found within fighting games ("Time Over" for the upcoming chapter 12), or related to arcade games in general ("Insert Coin" for chapter 1). I just have to find something that relates to that particular chapter's plot.

Reveal
Oct '21

For my comic the chapter name usually comes after I have fully scripted everything. However in some instances I usually have certain chapter names pre planned prior to even starting the script but just knowing an idea of what will happen in said chapter

But when I actually start scripting and the meat of the story starts taking shape, that’s when I usually change the name to more so fit the central idea of the chapter

Kuma
Oct '21

I'm using song titles for several reasons. First, I'm a raging Jojo-fan. Second, I usually listen to music while writing and I always end up stumbling with a song title or song that reminds me of what I'm writing. Third, I kinda like the contrast of a High Fantasy world getting chapter names from pop music

fleurravenbooks
Oct '21

I use numbers (but i spell them i don't use Arabic/roman numerals)
Reason for this is that my story has a lot of twists so if i were to name each chapter, someone who is just checking out my novel could see name of last chapter before reading first

stiatent
Oct '21

@allenT 'Papa' is clear and relatable, to me it sounds like something major involving the MC's father is going to occur in that episode. Also the episode's preview image can hint at the emotional weight of the chapter without having to use words. :smiley: Keep it up!

For me It's a play on the comic's name I'm ̶n̶o̶t̶ A SICK BOY
so each official chapter is "I'm A [insert word] BOY"
purposefully left the first webisode with a different naming scheme as it's just an excerpt from an episode further ahead.

Some chapter names may represent a specific character powers eg. I'm A Spit-making Boy, I'm A Wolf Boy, I'm a Liquid Boy, I'm a Gravity Boy
Videogames are a major influence, Season 1 inspired by Survival Horror while season 2 is inspired by Action, Fighting games so the genres have an effect on the tone of the titles too. eg. Season 1 includes I'm A Stranded Boy and I'm a Survival Boy, while Season 2 name example is I'm An Action Packed Boy, I'm A Deadly Boy, I'm A Tournament Boy

Some may also display emotional weight eg. I'm A Naughty boy, I'm A Forgiving Boy

I don't have a fave title as of yet as I'm still early in the series

The term 'Sick Boy' is a derogatory term used by civilians to refer to those who became carriers of a deadly virus while also displaying unusual abilities (most appear to be male, include the heroes too). I was originally going to avoid naming any of the chapter's 'I'm a sick boy' but if I do, it would probably be used for the final episode: to describe the antagonist or a sarcastic manner.

cyborgmermaid
Oct '21

I try to sum up the chapter in a vague word or phrase as best I can.
I favorites so far are Van Wizard, Trust No Otherkin, Red Raven, Alicorn Sword, and It's Magic... or Magick?

jasonboredd
Oct '21

I usually never have chapter titles. But for this story I'm working on, chapter titles really work. They let the reader kind of know but only enough to wonder.

simonitropunk
Oct '21

Yeah, titles can be an indication on what's going to happen within the chapter. Sometimes, it's the feel of it and how it is titled. For whatever reason, I do love longer titles but that doesn't mean, I don't do short once every once in a while if it needed.

As of now, I don't have a single word title because not really much of a fan of those. One Piece has a title and a sub-title attached to it.

It's like song titles, the more cool it reads, the more you want to listen to that song.

As a fan of Nightwish, the first song I've listened called "She Is My Sin" and that's kickass title for a song. One of the worst titles, imo, is "Forever" because on how overused it is.

GingerLoge
Oct '21

I'm not good at giving titles, so I leave the chapters with a bare number. :sweat_smile: I usually give titles to the story arcs while working at the script, so I better remember what happens in every arc. The title in this case is just the main event of the arc. So plain, I know.
If I can't come up with something easy, I use lyrics from songs that made me think of my story. The english title I chose before publishing here, "in this darkened land", has words from a song I often listen to while drawing.

And here's the link

BLTX
Oct '21

I'm not really sure my comic has traditional "chapters" depending on the defintion, but I do like to give all the episodes a unique name. Usually in the form of a pun. Also, you've got me thinking more if I should change the title of my first episode from "Crumble Beginnings" to something like "Eve Of The Dark Age," or whatever. The reason being cause while it is the "beginning" in terms of the comic itself, there's plenty of backstory and events that happened before the start of the comic, and I think it'd be more fitting canonically speaking to have a title which implies that for the characters, it's not the beginning of something. In fact now that I think about it repetition is a pretty constant theme of the first episode.

Anyway, here's my series.