Picking a Title Is Not So Easy

 

This is a post from a few years ago about titles. I think writers are sometimes too flippant about tiles, don't give them enough consideration. I hope you'll do the exercise at the end of the posting. 

Over and over, I hear writers say something like This is a working title. I can't think of anything better. In my online critique group, I see multiple comments along the line of I don't like the title. Can you help find a better one? 

It seems that most writers have trouble when it comes to selecting a title for an article, story, essay, poem or book they've spent hours working on. The title should be easy. Right? Not really. Everything you've put into the body of what you've written has to come through in your title in a mere smattering of words.

It's a no- brainer that a good title hooks the reader. It also suggests a mood or tone.It can startle a browser into looking farther. The title sometimes asks a question that can only be answered by reading farther. Curiosity might be aroused by those few words that top the whole piece of writing. Some titles depend on attention-getting words. Right now, the word terrorist is probably going to make you stop and take a second look.

Some writers like to use alliteration for the name of their story. It works especially well with stories for kids. Maybe something like Bumpy Bear's Beautiful Bridge would make a child giggle and want to look into the book. It works with adult titles, too. How about Bill Brown's Bummer Beach Babe. Every word doesn't have to begin with the same letter, but several should.

A title can also inform the browser that there is specific information to be gained here. Climate Change: Pros and Cons let you know exactly what the topic is.

If all else fails, a writer can lift a significant line of dialogue or a phrase from the text to top the story. Readers enjoy seeing that bit of dialogue or phrase when they reach it within the text. It's an Aha! moment.

You can also promise the reader something via your title. Jane, The Time Traveler does that. The reader knows that the story is about a girl or woman who travels back in time (or ahead to the future).

Is there any set rule to when you write the title? Definitely not. Write it when you think of it! It might be the very first words you put on the blank screen, or it could come to you halfway through the story. And even more likely is that the title is the very last thing you write, and it could be long after the story itself is finished if you wrestle with finding the best one.

So, why do we struggle with titles? Mostly because we know how very important they are. It's your one chance to hook that browser that you want to draw in as a reader.

Some writers come up with a title quickly and go with it. Others make lists of titles and eliminate them one by one. Of the two, I prefer the second method. If you hit on one and go with it right away, you might be missing out on a better title.

As an exercise on selecting titles, go to your local library or bookstore and spend some time browsing through titles of books. Note the ones that speak to you. Consider why those titles caught your eye more than others. What appeals most--longer or shorter titles?

For something that entails only a few words, titles are of great importance. Pick a good one!

Titles--Tough, Tricky, and Troublesome

Wouldn't it be fun to have a stairway of books in your house, one where you could remove one stair-book at a time, read it, and replace it? On to the next stair! The stair-books shown here are all children's books. The titles are what stand out. 

Titles are a very important tool for the writer. I think that many writers give little thought to the title of the story, book, essay, or poem they spent eons of time writing. Finished. Need a title? Grab one and plunk it above the piece I labored over. A title is important enough to give it some thought before you bestow it on whatever you've written. 

A title is the first impression; it's what draws the reader to look further. A title takes some real thought on the writer's part. The title, or name, can be tough, tricky, and troublesome. Let's look at those three T words a little closer. 

Tough  It's not easy to lure a reader with a mere spattering of words, even one word, in a title. That's exactly what that title is supposed to accomplish. You want to give a hint as to what is in the body of the story, book, essay that you've written. Keep it merely a hint as you don't want to give too much away. Think of a title as the movies term Preview of Coming Attractions. As a child, teen, and young adult, I adored movies and spent part of every weekend in a theater. I loved the previews which told me just enough to make sure I'd be back the following week. The few movies I've seen recently tell way too much in the previews. You may notice that the books in the stairway in today's photo sometimes use a person's name as the title. It doesn't tell you much about the story itself, but you know you're going to learn something about Huckleberry Finn, Peter Pan, and Pippi Longstocking. And don't you want to pick up that last one to see what in the world someone with a name like Pippi Longstocking is like? 

Tricky  If you're writing a tragic story, you don't want to use a fluffy, humorous type of title. Match the mood of the title to what you've written. In reverse, if the story is filled with humor, then don't use a generic, somber kind of title. Put a bit of humor into the title, too. The length can be tricky, too. Those proper name titles are nice and short, but if you choose to use a very lengthy title, it won't be easy to choose the right words, the ones that make the reader pull your book off the shelf to look at. You might use some unnecessary words, ones that add nothing to the meaning of the title. Cut them.

Most poetry stays with shorter titles. The poet doesn't want the title to overwhelm the poem. 

Troublesome  Yes, titles can be troublesome because you have to play around with several before you settle on the best one. One of my Chicken Soup for the Soul stories was accepted, but the editors had completely changed the title. At first, I was a bit miffed, but then I read through the story and realized the title they had selected was preferable. The editor had used a line toward the end of the story to use. I understood then why she had changed it. At least, she didn't send it back and tell me to choose another title. An editor can do that, too. 

When choosing a title, ask yourself if it tells too much or does it not give a real inkling of what the whole thing is about. I have been reworking an old story for children, and the title is what is giving me the most trouble. I had one, but then decided it sounded like an adult story. I tried another and thought that no one would rush to read the story with this title. I'm spending almost as much time deciding on a title as I did writing the story. 

Titles may be tough, tricky, or troublesome, but they are also of major importance to whatever you have written. Don't snatch one out of the air and call it quits. Spend some time trying several, even when one comes to you quickly. That may be the one you use in the end, but try others to make sure the first one is the best. I wonder how long it took the author to come up with a title like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. 

Gourmet Touches--Titles and Quotes

This is an article I had published a few years ago. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in the main part of our manuscript that we skim past the small detailed things that are also important.

If you invite someone to dinner, you’re apt to add some special touches to the food and table décor. As a hostess, you try to make a dinner party special for your guests. Stories and articles deserve to be dressed up, too.

 Let’s take a look at two items that add gourmet touches to a story—titles and quotes.

 Titles

 The title of a story, article, or book draws the reader’s attention. It gives the reader a reason to read. Have you ever gone to the fiction section of the library or a bookstore and scanned titles? A few cause you to stop and pull the volume from the shelf. Something in the words on the books’ spine called out to you. Ever wonder why?

 When you meet someone new, they make an impression of some kind. Sometimes it’s positive, and other times not. The title of a book or story also makes a first impression, and it either creates further interest or moves us to pass on by. So, it’s important to find a title that is creative or catchy in some respect. That doesn’t necessarily mean it should be outlandish. Some writers think an outlandish title will catch an editor’s eye, and it may. It might also make the editor pass it by in a hurry.

 When Margaret Mitchell finished her epic Civil War novel, she played around with several titles. Among them were Tote The Weary Load, Milestones, and Not In Our Stars. Her final selection, Gone With The Wind, turned out to be perfect. In four little words, Ms. Mitchell let you know that her story dealt with loss and starting over.

 The title can be taken from the meaning of the story, a comment made within the text, or a strong image the story projects. A proper name can serve as a title, too. If the book or story is a success, the name will live forever. Don’t we all know and love a boy and a book named Huckleberry Finn? The unusual first name piques interest.

 A title should intrigue the reader, but it must also use the same tone as the story. After all, the title is an introduction or a preview of what is to come. If you write a story dealing with a tragic accident and death, you wouldn’t use a title laced with humor. On the other hand, when you write a humorous story, you want to reflect that, as well.

 Some writers add the title last, and others begin with a working title. After the story is complete, the writer plays around with titles until the most satisfying one emerges. It’s the frosting on the cake, the dressing on the salad. It finishes the story.

 Quotes

 Quotes are used within the text to support an argument or to illustrate a point being made. Articles that offer advice or are controversial will benefit from quotes. Showing the words of an expert in the field further enhances the argument being put forth.

 A quotation is a reference to an authority and should be used when accuracy is essential. That authority should be named. Quoting someone, without giving them credit, verges on stealing their words. Beginning writers sometimes are not aware of this.

 Quotes should be kept to a minimum. Quoting long, rambling paragraphs does not serve any real purpose other than adding to your word count.

 There are two types of quotations—direct and indirect. A direct quotation uses the exact words, and an indirect quotation paraphrases the thought expressed by someone. Both should make reference to the person who originally made the statement. Take a look at the example below which shows a statement made by mystery author, Agatha Christie.

 A.     Direct Quote:  Agatha Christie says, “The best time for planning a book is while
you’re doing the dishes.”

B.     Indirect Quote:  Agatha Christie thinks a writer can plan new books while doing
mundane tasks like doing the dishes.

When using a quote, set it off by placing quotation marks at the beginning and end of the statement quoted. The final punctuation mark, whether a period, question mark, or exclamation mark, is placed inside the final set of quotation marks. (See sample above)

 In closing, I would like to quote an English author, William Makepeace Thackery, who wrote: “There are thousands of thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen and writes.” If you hope to pursue a succes

Titles

I used an Amazon gift card to purchase three new books for my writers library;  The books arrived yesterday, and I'm eager to read them. Not sure which one to start on, but I'm going with the one whose title called out to me. Unleash The Writer Within by Cecil Murphy. 

I don't know what Mr. Murphy will have to tell me, but he scored with the title. He got my attention as I browsed through the section on books about writing. Enough to make me click on the title and read the summary and editorial review. 

Recently my critique group had a short discussion on titles. Why can we write a 2000 word personal essay and then be stumped when choosing a title? Why can a novel writer ruin a perfectly good story with a wimpy title? I think too many writers don't consider the importance of a title. 

I wrote an article a few years ago about titles and quotes. It was published at Absolute Write--a newsletter for writers. I'm going to put the section on titles below. They are important, so don't just grab one from the sky and plop it on top of your carefully written story. 

Gourmet Touches-- Titles and Quotes By Nancy Julien Kopp If you invite someone to dinner, you're apt to add some special touches to the food and table decor. As a hostess, you try to make a dinner party special for your guests. Stories and articles deserve to be dressed up, too. Let's take a look at two items that add gourmet touches to a story-- titles and quotes. Titles The title of a story, article or book draws the reader's attention. It gives the reader a reason to read. Have you ever gone to the fiction section of the library or a bookstore and scanned titles? A few cause you to stop and pull the volume from the shelf. Something in the words on the books' spine called out to you. Ever wonder why? When you meet someone new, they make an impression of some kind. Sometimes it's positive, and other times not. The title of a book or story also makes a first impression, and it either creates further interest or moves us to pass on by. So, it's important to find a title that is creative or catchy in some respect. That doesn't necessarily mean it should be outlandish. Some writers think an outlandish title will catch an editor's eye, and it may. It might also make the editor pass it by in a hurry. When Margaret Mitchell finished her epic Civil War novel, she played around with several titles. Among them were Tote the Weary Load,Milestones, and Not in Our Stars. Her final selection, Gone with the Wind, turned out to be perfect. In four little words, Ms. Mitchell let you know that her story dealt with loss and starting over. The title can be taken from the meaning of the story, a comment made within the text, or a strong image the story projects. A proper name can serve as a title, too. If the book or story is a success, the name will live forever. Don't we all know and love a boy and a book named Huckleberry Finn? The unusual first name piques interest. A title should intrigue the reader, but it must also use the same tone as the story. After all, the title is an introduction or a preview of what is to come. If you write a story dealing with a tragic accident and death, you wouldn't use a title laced with humor. On the other hand, when you write a humorous story, you want to reflect that as well. Some writers add the title last, and others begin with a working title. After the story is complete, the writer plays around with titles until the most satisfying one emerges. It's the frosting on the cake, the dressing on the salad. It finishes the story.

The Story With Two Titles

Yesterday, I wrote about one of my stories being published in a Canadian magazine. The editor used a completely different title than the one I had chosen. I called it "The Long Night" and he dubbed it "The Night My Dad Was Buried." I promised to post the story today so you can decide which title fits best. I'd love to hear what you think.

Read the story at the link below. It's been published three times now--once in a teen ezine and at Our Echo, now in the Canadian magazine geared to adults.

http://www.ourecho.com/story-3727-The-Long-Night.shtml.