Crime writer Shelia Quigley gets her titles from songs; Run for Home, Bad Moon Rising, Living on a Prayer, and Every Breath You Take. are some of her titles. I change my mind on the title a number of times when I am writing. Near the end of my writing something usually appears from the ms.
I was using song titles - had Someone Else's Life, What About Me and Bad Romance. Not struck on them. Volume number four think will be Socrates Children. But the rest remain pretty untitled despite one being complete and another having a completed first draft.
each piece of my work comes up with its own title somehow... and i'll often have a title in mind before i even start writing...
I tend to work a lot on themes, because I tend to write series. It's good, though, not to have a theme that starts straining itself. My "student food" series - romances set at university - title themselves well. The first was Supernoodles and Beer (later Instant Noodles and Beer when I worried about copyright), the second is Fries and a Milkshake, and the third will be Stirfry and Toast. Nice simple pattern, really, and the foods appear in the first scenes of each story, and metaphorically relate to the characters. I could probably keep writing them indefinitely, as long as there was always some form of cheap food to fall back on. On the other hand, my teen fantasy series started on a cool note and got worse as it went - messed around with a lot of titles and in the end I only have 2 I like (Concrete Faery and Clockwork Dragon) both of which people are themes that crop up in other stories or even there are stories with worryingly close titles. The dozens of reject [something man-made][mythological creature] combinations I came up with are all lousy, which is probably why I haven't heard anything close to them in other works. The 2nd novel at the moment is "Purple Pixie" (or possibly an electric one) and it makes my brain hurt but that's all I can think of and it needs a working title at the very least. For a lot of other things I run on really really awful long-winded working titles and just hope something later will help. "The Ridiculously Complicated Quest Of..." "The Story About..." and so on. On the other hand, I've written about 10 drafts of the novel I'm still calling "Cloud Peeps" and nothing's jumped out and made me want to change the title. :/
I have a list of titles that I want to use, just because I like them really, but have yet to write a story using them. I'm actually quite bad at coming up with titles for my pieces. Most of them don't have titles, or if they do it's a really obvious title (like I called a piece about a boy climbing a mountain 'Mountain Climbing' - original eh?). I think if you go through your story, like really closely, then a phrase might jump out to you, or if you think about what it's about and the themes then you can derive a title from that. I really don't have much else to offer.. maybe the right title will just come to you at some point.
I am trying to come up a good title for my new story to write. It is a crossover between Detective Conan and Ace Attorney Investigations, but I just don't want to call it just that or else it will be too long. PS: Little same question, what can I do to make up a good titile for a story, too?
I've been having the same problem with my novel, some say it doesn't matter and to worry about it last; however, many authors based their stories off their titles, they get ideas from their title, etc. Worry about fleshing out the story for now, and give us something to think about haha, for the title I mean, give us a quick synopsis of your story and we'll be able to give out some title suggestions
Sure. Well, the storyline is about a murder crime happened and surprisingly, one of the main characters from Detective Conan, Ran's mother (aka Rachel Moore if you read the English version manga). Conan is determined to solve this crime, but at the scene surprisingly Miles Edgeworth from Ace Attorney series appears, too. They must partner up and solve the crime case. Also, Edgeworth is also on his own case that later become a connection the current murder case, too.
I'm not sure how fan fiction titles work sorry, never wrote one myself, wouldn't you have to include these works' titles in your title?
I'm sure there's already a really similar thread to this in the forum... that's probably the best place to start to look for helpful tips.
don't ask others how to title your stories [or when/how to start them, etc.]... the title will be in there somewhere, so just finish writing the thing and when you read it over, you'll find it...
I agree with mammamaia. I have named my stories at various stages of completion, but the title always sprang from something within the story. In one case, I had had a working title while I was writing it, then decided on another title when I was editing, and then decided on the final title during my final read-through. You never know.
I agree with Maia and Ed - do the title at the end. It's good to have a working title, but once the story is written, you'll be able to draw the perfect title from the finished product.
In terms of writing fanfictions. The title almost ALWAYS, gives the audiance an idea about what that work is going to be about. So you definately want to try and keep it related to the story. If not getting it from the story itself. Perhaps a phrase that one of the characters says. Or maybe clue. Something along those lines. I know for my fanfiction works I've pulled the title from something the characters say or do. Or perhaps the general idea of the story itself. But the title was never my main focus. That came after the story.
I think this is a good fair question - what makes a good title. I honestly don't know have four novels under my belt at least to first draft form and have named one successfully. The others I have taken titles from songs that inspired them.
For titles, I often take a common phrase or saying and alter it slightly. E.g: "So far, so good" -> "So close, so good" "For the man who has everything" -> "For the man who has nothing" or "For the man who has had everyone" "In the nick of time" -> "In the ridge of time" Some brainstorming ideas for your works: "Heavenly Organs" - this is a play on "Heavenly bodies", and at the same time ambigious (it could refer to the musical instruments) and slightly lewd "The Socratic Method" "Time flies like a bird" "The Covesea Wars" "The Island of Time" "Of Birds and Men" "Heirs of All"
ooh I am loving Birds and Men for my first one - hmmm and Socratic something for my second one. Socrates' Children is staying for my current one. Actually Heir to All and Heir to Nothing would work for my pair of books (I have written the one when Angus becomes King from the point of view of Socrates abdicating - also a slight play as Angus has long hair and Socrates shaves his head)... Heavenly Organs is completely different version my best friend wants me to write lol My gay readers would like to see a more grown up version apparently they kinda like my characters.
I have this problem when writing, currently on my story dealing with a fall-from-grace theme and I know I have to have a good title. So being my OCD-self when it comes to writing I just titled it Project 1, and it worked out! All joking aside, write the story out first I say and keep the main plot in your head. And as you go along or when you finish you'll be able to fine a title relating to some event in what you wrote or the plot in general.
Aside from Socrates' Children, I'm not sure how lighthearted or dark each one is overall. That, of course, will affect your title. For a lighthearted book: The Covesea Oaf Confessions of a Royal Bird Brain Angus at Large (this is kind of like Garfield at Large, and Angus is super tall right?) Prince Oaf For a more serious themed book: In Flight (can have double-meaning for both danger and the bird stuff) The Covesea Peril something involving hemlock maybe, as that's what killed the Socrates of ancient Greece, so you could use it to imply danger to your own Soc? Hope I helped!
each one is both lighthearted and dark - my first leans more to lighthearted, second one to dark - this one not sure lol Mallory - you are determined lol Maybe I should just call it Oaf and be done with it. Angus is huge maybe Great Big Oaf.
I couldn't find any related threads so... Throughout my teen-years, I wrote mostly short individual stories, but when I was about 17 or 18 years old, I really wanted to write a series. (The reasons weren't to public or make money, just for fun). I like seeing character progression, see how they develop over the years and with different situations. In the last year, I've come up with a pretty amazing idea for a series. I'm writing book 1 and still doing research. I'm curious if there is anyone else on this forum who has or is planning on written a series 3+ books? And your opinions and views on character development?
As yet it isn't really a series - I do have four novel length stories in varying draft stages involving the same characters and world. Also several short stories and scenes. The character development is fun - I have written one character as a seven year old, twenty nine year old, thirty year old and a one hundred and fifty year old. What I do love now after writing him as a hundred and fifty year old reading about him at thirty and he seems so young. The seven year old I tried last night not sure I have it right yet but I really see where he came from. I have the potential for four basic series out of the four stories I have written Angus and Beatrice, and Merlin and Alice which are Young Adult. I also have Socrates and Nate, and Stitching Time which are more aimed at older readers. All set in the same world - I guess it depends how many stories I can come up with. Not to mention would love to do a collection of short stories about the other people within the books - some of the more minor characters hint at something fascinating to write about.
I think the main issue with a series is, you have to develop the character, but still keep some of his core personality traits in there. "Making your character's personality, shaper, stronger, and more well equipped to various situations, but at the same time keeping the integrity of who he is in tact"
It's a work in progress-as I always say I wish you much luck with it! That's how vast this one series I'm working on. I actually have a dozen stories that take place in the same universe, but with different people and at different times. Mine is a scifi/outer-space/adventure series. You know how star wars is expanded, its like that, put I'm dealing with more then 1 galaxy XD Exactly!
