I have an idea to name my novel around a theme that occurs several times throughout the book. It's basically a comfort thought that my MC has now and again and it would make a really nice title. Problem is, this particular line first occurs in the first chapter. My gut tells me that is too soon to reveal the origins of the name of the book. I can't say that I've ever read another book that you see the title referenced that early in the story. Your thoughts?
I don't see why that's a problem. Sometimes the book title is the MC's name; sometimes it's the place where the story takes place. Little Women didn't hold back the content; London works well enough, so does Memoir from Antproof Case .
Titles are not supposed to be mysteries or puzzles to figure out. We do you want to make the reader work for something like that?
I agree with both of the above. Not a problem. I read plenty of books where the meaning of the title is immediately apparent.
Cool... oddly enough, I can't think of one myself right off, but I really appreciate your input and it makes me feel a lot better about my title.
If you title a book "Excalibur" and then the first line tells us how Arthur did what everybody thought was impossible when he pulled Excalibur the magic sword out of that stone, the mystery of the name also seem to be revealed. Yet that doesn't ruin the book because there is a lot more the reader doesn't know and will be curious to read about. There are many more mysteries left in the plot: "why is the sword there?" or "what can Arthur do with that sword?" or "how would Arthur protect the sword from the villain?" If your first sentence renders the rest of the plot uninteresting, then it won't be the title's fault if the reader gives up on page one and has no interest in reading further.
Just be sure not to force the title into the story and you'll be fine. I recently read a book where the author forced the title in every chance he got--even if it made no sense at all.
