I almost always write the story first. The title either comes to me as I'm writing or when I finish the story. I did start with a title two or three times, but I ended up changing it later.
Usually always story, but sometimes, a good title comes to me and I plan the story around that, although this has been known to change once the title is finished, sometimes they both come, so I come up with the story fresh in my mind knowing where I want it to go and the title just seems right for it, but the majority of my work mainly has working titles
First I come up with a title. But not always. For example, I was halfway through the suicide note that the title came to me. If it's going to be one of my bigger books I always keep a list.
My current piece I've just recently given a working title, up until then it was known simply as "An Attempt at Fine Literature." I think the title should come after the piece and be taken from it, not added into it. Though I think the title shouldn't actually be in the book. Its like when your watching a movie, and the movie title appears in the dialogue. If its subtle or it makes sense, its okay, but there's movies like "The Italian Job" where they just jam the title in there so it makes sense. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the title should fit smoothly into the book, or shouldn't appear in it at all. I digress, but I think I answered the question somewhere up there.
Generally, I start with the story, because I have an easier time coming up with story concepts then I do with titles. If I do already have a decent title when I start writing, however, I consider it an advantage.
I find it really difficult to come up with decent titles for my stories. They end up sounding either too cheesy, too abstract or not very interesting. Has anyone got any tips or help before I complete yet another 'Untitled' ?!
Don't worry too much about the title. You can always add a title after your work is finished. In the meantime, you can call your piece whatever you want until you think of a better title. For example, you can use the name of a character or a theme. I usually come up with the title as I write or after I am done writing.
Agreed. It does help to have a working title, but the final tital should be among the last things you settle on. Even if you have a title in mind from the outset, you should keep an open mind for a better one by the time your manuscript is complete.
My first novel, which is half-way through the second draft (rewrite), is on its third working title, and I'm still not happy with the name. I'll refuse to let it worry me until I have a complete, fully edited manuscript ready to send to agents or publishers and I still don't know what to call it!
Using a working title is what I do, and often that title is what sticks. But when I am pondering and outlining the story, the title, even if it's a working title, is part of the process. I try to pick a short title if possible, one that gives some information/insight with respect the story/novel, but not too much. Picking a title, I guess, is somewhat of an art that includes marketing, describing content, and the individual writer's voice. Terry
So far, I've been calling my books "Book 1", "Book 2", "Book " and only worrying about proper titles when I start submitting. Then I usually rope in everyone who has read the story and we brainstorm.
I am six chapters into my first novel and I have no idea what the title will be. At first that bothered me and then I decided to let it go... the story is the main thing. Get it out and worry about the title once it's done. I have a feeling the title will come once the story's been told.
I usually take something thats relevant to the story, theme, or characters. I titled one short story The Notebook, because the MC was writing in a notebook over the course of a month. You are not told what she writes in it until the very end. It represents how the character saw themself. In my NaNoWriMo Novel I titled it 'Becoming Dead' because the idea of it was over the course of the story and dealing with a Zombie Apocalypse the MC was Dying. Not in the sense that he would become a zombie or would take the dirt nap, but his death was more of a metaphor. Usually the title just comes to me once I really start thinking of the story and characters. But I wouldn't worry about the title until you finished it and never consider a title set in stone. You should focus more on the story itself. Not sure if this helps or not. But good luck.
I started my novel with the intent of it being the first in a trilogy about 3 sisters, so I called it "Samara", which is the heroine's name. But since I started writing I discovered that not only do the other 2 sisters not demand the telling of their own stories in subsequent books, but the real main character in this book is my hero, and not my heroine. So my trilogy's down the toilet and so is my title, lol! I'll just think about it when (if) I finish the story. But I'm keeping "Samara" as the working title.
My Rules For A Title: 1. Don't be worried about getting it wrong, its a working title at the moment and can be changed. 2. It should convey a message to the target audience, check out books of a similar genre. 3. Be original. 'The Dark Forest' or ' The Fobidden Room' is hardly going to draw anyone in. 4. Can the title be read into? A second meaning? An emotion? Another depth? 5. Punchy...no more than 4 words. 6. Does it sum up your story, provide an introduction to your story or provide a hidden message that becomes clear once the story has been read, that will give the reader extra sense of satisfaction?
There's a comedy literary quiz on BBC Radio 4 called The Write Stuff, and one question last week (probably still available to Listen Again on the web) related to original titles of books that the publisher insisted be changed. Unless the title is important to the book as you are writing it (eg, Raymond Smullyan's book on logic, "What is the name of this book") then don't sweat about it.
One problem I have is that I write in Swedish, but I have a much easier time thinking of titles in English. This lead to a peculiar dilemma in my current project, as I have the perfect title in English, but it can't be translated into Swedish since the key word that makes it all work doesn't seem to exist in my native language.
For me, I usually come up with a title at the same moment I come up with the story. The two just pop into my head hand in hand.
i never have any trouble with titles, as my work always seems to title itself... but here's something that might help you... write down the premise of your story in 25 words or less [called a 'logline' in the movie trade]... that should give you some ideas for a title... or look for a phrase or a word somewhere in your work that sums up the story nicely and will work as a title...
wow mammamaia. 25 words or less? Is that possible? Can you give an example of how that works? PS would I find your book links in your signature of interest?
