Do You Like Writing Chapter Titles?

 I just cannot imagine writing a book, without chapter titles enticing my readers into the story, or making the readers mull over what will happen in the course of the chapter. Actually, I have an obsession with chapter  titles. I need them to get my creative juices flowing in a big way. When I write the  first draft by hand, right on  top is the chapter title sending frantic messages to my brain.

Infact, I sometimes feel that I initially conceive the chapter title and later build a scene around it. For me the title works as a  scene prompt or a trigger to propel the story forward. Many times a title jumps into my mind and then my brain cells start buzzing with ideas to build around the  chapter title. I know, I must be sounding funny, even weird, but that’s just the way it is with me. So far, I have never written a book without chapter titles.

I am sure that if I just had plain old numbers: 1,2,3,4,  my poor brain would clam up and I would be stuck in a major writer’s block.

Let me share two incidents  that occurred while I was working on my current WIP. I was stuck big time at a point in my  book. I was so badly stuck that I even thought about shelving the manuscript for the time being. Then, magically I had an idea to take the story forward. The idea came in the form of a character, who became the chapter title and literally grabbed the story out of my hand. A few days later another chapter title jumped into my head  and brought  with it one of my favourite scenes from the book.

What about you all? Do you have chapter titles in place when you start writing, or do the chapter titles make their appearance later, after you have finished writing? What is your chapter title creative process? Do you like chapter titles? Or do you feel they are a waste of time.