Giving Your Story a Title
Posted by annastan on June 11th, 2010. Filed under: Craft, WIP.Considering how much time I spend naming and renaming projects, it’s kind of amazing I haven’t done a post specifically on this topic before. I’m one of those people who needs a title from the beginning, even if I know I’ll wind up changing it later on. Having a title for my story helps keep me on track by reminding me of my goals for the piece. Once I’m done reworking the manuscript, however, I usually find that the working title doesn’t quite fit anymore. That’s usually where the serious brainstorming comes in.
Ideally a title should function similarly to a book cover: it should invoke a mood or inspire you to ask a question. That’s why I love titles that create images in my mind, like The Green Glass Sea, or ones that give me a sense of the book’s tone, like Whales on Stilts. I also love one-word titles like Linger or Ruined because there’s mystery wrapped up in that single word. In a series, I love titles that somehow relate to each other and show a larger thread running through the books.
One t
hing I try to avoid are titles that are hard to remember. The Knife of Never Letting Go is a fascinating book with an intriguing title, but every time I’ve recommended it to someone I’ve had to write the title down to avoid confusion. If you’ve written an amazing book like Patrick Ness has, you can probably get away with a tricky title, but keeping it simple is a good general rule of thumb.
So how about you? What kinds of titles jump out at you? How do you go about naming your own work?
ETA: Pimp My Novel had a great post on what makes a good title yesterday, so check it out if you have a minute.
June 11th, 2010 at 10:23 am
I frequently start with the title of a project or a MC’s name. Like my current WiP (the one that’s a week old) I thought of the name Flint and how ironic it would be if he had the power to extinguish fire. Then there was my title EXTINGUISHED, all within a min. Other WiP titles have been LIFE AND LOVE ON AN ORANGE PEEL which is a love story fueled by secret admirer letters left in geocaches. WESTON GETS HIS WISE is my MG WiP about an owl who is a smart-ass, but is supposed to be in training to become a Wise, as his father, grandfather, great-grandfather did. All of these stories started with a title or name and blossomed very quickly from there, if only I had the time and talent to write the books! (The new WiP is coming along quite nicely.)
June 11th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Long titles definitely get lost in my brain. I can’t remember past about 5 words in a title!
June 11th, 2010 at 11:58 am
Sometimes I start with something simple and re-work the title as I go, like you. Other times, the title comes to me first. When I listen in on other conversations or pay close attention to the things my kids say, I catch a funny line that sounds like an awesome title and brainstorm a book from there. It’s fun.
June 11th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Jon, those are some awesome titles! I can see how they would inspire you to write their stories. Don’t worry about talent – just write them!
Lydia, I think most people are that way. I find that I always mix longer titles up or put in words that aren’t there.
Michelle, I love when you hear something that sounds like a great title. Talk about inspiring! Eavesdropping is really the best source for inspiration.
June 11th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
I agree, we can’t underestimate the importance of a good title. Sometimes, it’s what get’s it picked up and sold in the first place.
June 11th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
I love long humorous titles and I like short titles that reflect multiple layers of the book. But some def. stick out more than other. A title is a huge reason why I chose or not chose to read a book.
June 11th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Ugh! I’m having title problems myself…I try to give my WIP’s working titles when I first start them, but they end up sticking and I can never think of something else.
June 11th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Elle, that is very true. Not only does a title need to be memorable, but a bad title can erase a project’s appeal.
Laura, it seems we have similar tastes in titles. I agree that some just jump out at you, and those are the ones that I’m more likely to read.
Jamie, you are definitely not alone in your title frustrations! But I know a lot of people who don’t worry about titles until the manuscript is completely done, so at least you can delay the stress for a while. Good luck!
June 11th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
For some reason, I’ve always known the title when I start a book. I come up with the title and the premise, then figure it out from there.
June 11th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
I start with a title but it usually changes midway through and then changes again a few more times. I wish I could pick one that is perfect from the start.
June 12th, 2010 at 6:35 am
I don’t always start with a title. I need to have character names before anything. Then the title.
But as a reader, a book’s title (and jacket cover) can make a difference as to whether I pick up the book.
June 12th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Sherrie, that sounds like a good way to keep yourself on track as you’re writing.
Catherine, I often find that my titles change the more I work on the manuscript. I wouldn’t say this is a bad thing, though. It just means you’re story has evolved and has outgrown its original title.
Andrea, it sounds like you’ve found the approach that works for you in terms of names and titles. Titles really do make such a difference when we choose books, don’t they?
June 13th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Ha, *slightly* late with my comment. But I just wanted to say that I have to start with a title when I’m working on a project. Of course, that title always changes during revision. So another thing we have in common, book twin!
Like Laura, I love quirky/funny titles. One of my all-time favorites is THE EARTH, MY BUTT AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS by Carolyn Mackler.
June 14th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
I love Mackler’s book and the title is hilarious. We discussed it in a class I took and everyone kept referring to it as “The Earth, My Butt.” Finally the professor asked us to please just call it “the Mackler piece.”