I try to consider if a title has a ring to it, is in many ways relevant to the story, if it would spark readers' interest, tie in symbolically, lends itself to cover art, and how it compares to other notable titles in its genre. Since you wouldn't know everything the whole story until after it's finished, I use a working title until then. To generate random titles just for the fun of it, you could write down all the words or phrases of abstract, symbolic components in your story and pick two or three with your eyes closed. Then put them together for a title!
Usually, I don't have a title right away, and I wait until I finish a story to come up with a good title. Until then, I just use a generic working title ("Story 1" or something similar).
Usually I have a good notion of the title from the outset. Nevertheless, I remain open to changing it until the final revision is complete. By the time you finish, you know the story like never before, and as no one else does. By then, you are better than ever equipped to give it the final title. And then you send it off to a publisher. They may decide to relabel it for marketing purposes anyway. So don't obsess over the title. Just give it your best.
i don't have any process for titles... they simply come to me unbidden, at some point... most of the time, at the same time i get the idea for the story... ...if you can't decide, just wait till you finish the story... you don't have to have a title to write something... by the time you're done, one should make itself known...
I can't write without having a working title for the story. Just naming it "Story 1" doesn't work for me. Some title will invariably occur to me at a very early stage, just when the original story idea starts forming in my mind. That'll be good enough to get me working. The final title comes along as I'm writing the first draft, usually.
I'd try to think of something that encompasses the book lol. For myself, I just named my MS file by my MC's name until I can be bothered to think of a proper title. After ditching 2-3 drafts and a total of over 80,000 words, and then about midway through writing my current first draft, it finally occurred to me that the whole thing is about the Shadow War. So right now, my file is called Shadow War. That's the working title, but it could also be my final title - I don't really know yet. My problem with it is that it sounds very generic heh So I guess think of what your novel is essentially about, and then think of a phrase or a few words that would sum it up. Think of the atmosphere or pictures you want your readers to have in their heads when they see your book - what would best conjure that? Or did you want irony and it's something they won't know til they've read the book?
Sounds like one of those things where you climb a mountain and after you chatted to the wise man on top you get an answer which was there all the time,LOL.
When it comes to titles I would strongly suggest looking at your story and really seeing what kind of 'sums it up' if you will. Like almost the star attraction or the thing that's gonna make people pick it up off the shelf. I would avoid using a name for the main title, since names aren't really gonna interest people unless they know who it is. If the setting is very important you might want to choose that. If there is some kind of moral lesson or important story told, you might want to choose something that sums it up. If it's about growing up in a small town don't just call it 'Changes' or something. Call it something imaginative, something that creates a picture that is vital to your story. However if it was a sentimental ghost story or something calling it 'The time we have left' or something is quite personal and would hit the emotions more than 'The chill of memories' which sounds boring. At the same time do not choose something that there's any possibility has been used anywhere else. It has to be completely unique to you. May I ask, what your story is about?
Sometimes I don't have a title for my story right away. One of my first stories took a long time before I came up with a final title. There was another title that I was going to use as a final title. Then another title popped in my mind that sounded much better than the title I was using. So I used it. I think the best way to come up with a title for your story is to look at your story. The title has to be relevant to your story. It also has to be really catchy.
I've seen threads here and other places where persons want to know what they should title their work. Maybe those same people would have been better off if they had thought of a title right away, or perhaps if they had waited awhile longer. So, my question is: When do you title your work? Does it depend on the size of the piece? For example, if you're writing an epic novel do you choose not to title it until the last word has been written--sort of like christening a ship. How personal of a task do you consider that of titling your pieces? Personally, I've never written anything worthy of a thoughtfully chosen title, so I just think of something that reminds me of what I'm writing so I don't lose the file it's written in. I guess you call that a 'working title.'
My first novel I titled I worked, the sequel has a working title of "Die Another Day", which won't say because of the James Bond movie. My third I just save the file as 'unnamed novel 3' until I come up with a title. If I don't have one to start, I'll make one when I'm done. However, if published by a traditional publishing house, more then likely they'll choose the title for the novel-at least the first one.
That is what astounded me. I used the MC's name as the working title, just to keep track from other projects. The publisher and I exchanged many mails and phone calls about various aspects, including some minute details. I was more than astonished when the final novel came out with my working title. In hindsight, it did not hurt too much, but I'll never know. Luckily, they published "airport books" and so the cover was fully visible in the racks. Their art work was good and that helped.
I have a working title for everything even before I start writing. Usually, the final title comes while I'm working on the second draft. Sometimes the title is so simple I don't even do that - The Gun, for example, or The Compass. I cannot work on a piece of writing without at least a working title. I have to be able to call it something, even if it's just Batch of Words Number 47.
I completely agree, at least now I do. I will never again make the mistake of a quickie title, just to keep track. From then on, it's a been a legitimate title that reflects the WIP.
I generally have a title to begin with. Doesn't really matter when you give it a 'firm' title, though. And like everything with trade publishers, the final title is something to be discussed (I don't think they can change the title without your permission unless you give them that power in the contract).
Well I named it after my MC for a long time as a working title, and then when I finally had a proper plan and started writing the draft that actually didn't get ditched, I realised a more fitting title and changed it to that. I consider the second title my current working title, but in truth I don't really know what else to call it.
I have based stories off of cool sounding title ideas... :redface: Maybe not the best practice, but it has helped me to get inspired!
I always have a title when I'm working on something but it doesn't mean I'll stick with it. A section of a short story I posted here started as Fish Creature story when I was brain storming the idea - it switched to Fishstyx when I was writing it, but I finally settled with Fishstix. One surreal epic ( heavily influenced by Twin Peaks ) I wrote when I was 14-16 years old ( over 3,200 pages - on three ring sheets so about 1,600 on the printed page ) went through many title changes. It rested for the longest time on the heroine's first name until I realized the book if published could be confused with another published book - so I sought out something quirkier but in all my paperwork it fluctuates between it's original name, but mainly the heroine's name and the recent stuff under the new title. But even that is subject to change. I like to have a title for my stories as it helps me to keep focused and keep it personal. Don't think I could work on something without a name. But I'm not hung up on nailing down the perfect title. It's like first drafts - not everything you first put down will make it into the final draft - that even includes the title. But I like to put down something.
I generally have a decent title in mind from the outset. But a title is never final until you are preparing your manuscript for actual submission - and even then, the publisher may have other plans.
Sometimes it's the title that comes to me first - just a phrase of words that sound cool. Then the title inspires the plot. With my current project, however, I have yet to come up with a title. Well, that's not quite right - I did think of one, but I always Google my title to make sure it's not already being used, and mine was. If the book is obscure enough, I'll go with it anyway, but "All the Broken Pieces" seemed slightly to prominent of a book to use that title. Currently I'm calling it by my protagonist's first name.
Don't have it until the very end. I usually don't get that resilient Ping! until I read through the whole story, and sometimes not even then. It usually comes to me at the most inconvenient moments, like one time when I locked myself out of the apartment without my shoes, or that other time I was stuck in one of those boring "This is Corporate Policy" meetings at corporate, and either just unable to get to or just far, far away from my phone/pen and paper/a device to jot notes down on. The only thing I have lined up from the very beginning are amusing chapter titles, most of which are just throwaways, or to be folded into my memory file and saved for future reference.
I have a love/hate relationship with titling. Sometimes a title will come to me as soon as l get a story idea, sometimes l get a title l'm not fond of but can't think of anything more fitting, and sometimes l get the situation l have now, three pieces of flash fiction and no titles.
I rarely title until I have finished the story, so I can avoid having to change the plot in any way to fit the title.
