And the title of the story is...

gettingby · Feb 13, 2012

How do you select a title for your story? Does it just come to you? Do you struggle with it days/weeks after finishing your story? Do you come up with clever titles? Are they the most obvious?

I finished a story a few days ago, but I am rethinking my title because I feel like I took the easy way out. This story deserves better, but I am a little stuck. I am not posting because I want help coming up with a title. I am interested in the process others go through to come up with titles. Now that I am writing a story a week I am going to need lots of titles so if anyone has good tips on naming short stories, that would be great.

And one more thing, how important do you think the title of a story is?

Lillie · Feb 13, 2012

I think they are really important.
A title can make the difference between whether I read a story or not.

But I'm rubbish at them

I really am.

Rufus Leeking · Feb 13, 2012

gettingby said:
How do you select a title for your story? Does it just come to you? Do you struggle with it days/weeks after finishing your story? Do you come up with clever titles? Are they the most obvious?

I try to find a 2 or 3 word title that doubles as referring to a plot point somehow, but also maybe touches a theme. Like I have a story about a pizza delivery guy who cheated his boss by cashing in coupons. He was also quite clearly delusional. The title is "Lot's Off."

But I think too clever is bad, so I don't know.

Detri Redmond · Feb 13, 2012

Maybe try to find a title that sums up the meaning, reason, voice, or different aspects of the story. Ask yourself, what does the story make you think of or feel.

randi.lee · Feb 13, 2012

Sometimes the title comes first and I write the story around the title.

Dr.Gonzo · Feb 13, 2012

I find titles for stories with ease. I think the title is important. It should be true to the story, although sometimes not obvious at first. I usually have a WIP title that puts me on a certain path and mindset, and then closer to the end I'll find one that's even more apt.

Perks · Feb 13, 2012

I just wrote about this because the publisher decided to change the title of my novel. Here's how I see titles play out, if it helps at all -

So here’s the thing, fiction titles come in basically three varieties. You’ve got your titles that nod to the theme of the story, titles that draw from the plot, either directly or obliquely, and then the bead-stringing type of titles that keep a series going (ONE FOR THE MONEY, TWO FOR THE DOUGH, etc. from Evanovich, Dean Koontz’s ODD books, and also Sue Grafton’s alphabetically-spaced suspense novels; that sort of thing.)

Jamesaritchie · Feb 13, 2012

Short story or novel, I come up with a title I like first. The title generates much of the story. This also means the title always fits the story perfectly, so editors leave the title alone.

Most often, I use a method something like Ray Bradbury does. I make a list of nouns, a list of verbs, and a list of adjectives, and then mix and match until I find something I like.

At other times, a title pops into my head based on something I see or read, and I go with it. But the title always generates the story.

I do think a good title is important. A good title won't sell a poor story, but it does generate interest, can make an editor read that story first, can put him in an expectant mood when he starts reading, and this does matter.

jaksen · Feb 13, 2012

I am a title first writer, too. (I think we're fairly rare.)

Except for my most recent story. No title, but I had the beginning of something so I simply started writing. Then, a quite minor character makes an observation about the MC - three simple words - and I realized, ahah, the title!

So I had it about ten pages into the writing. I think I need a title. It sort of grounds me. I've never changed a title once I've got it - and the editor of the magazine who buys most (but not all) my stories, has never recommended a title change.

Sai · Feb 13, 2012

I heard a bit of advice about short story titles that they should mean one thing at the beginning of the the story and another thing by the end. I always try to keep that in the back of my mind. I often start out with a 'working title,' which changes when I finish the story.

emmyshimmy · Feb 13, 2012

I'm occasionally very lucky and get a title first, but most of the time I wait till the end. Many of my short stories are still unnamed.

dgrintalis · Feb 13, 2012

Usually the title comes to me as soon as the story starts forming in my head. I lean toward poetic titles, e.g. Like Origami in Water, yet when I tried to come up with something fancier for my novel, Ink, the story refused each one. I think it liked the simplicity. :Shrug:

Polenth · Feb 13, 2012

For short stories, if in doubt, I pick an interesting phrase from the story. Other title choices include something that sums up the theme or a character description (if it's distinctive). I avoid single words.

Novels generally have more streamline titles, but they also get cover art and the like.

gettingby · Feb 13, 2012

Sai said:
I heard a bit of advice about short story titles that they should mean one thing at the beginning of the the story and another thing by the end. I always try to keep that in the back of my mind. I often start out with a 'working title,' which changes when I finish the story.

What a great concept. Easier said than done, but I think it sounds great if you can pull it off.

Jane Austin · Feb 13, 2012

I have the same problem, but I usually end up discovering the title in the middle of what I'm writing or at the end. Sometimes thinking of what I wrote as a picture inside my head and naming the picture, rather than the writing helps(as odd as that sounds).
Good luck!

TaylorDuke · Feb 13, 2012

Hmm...They usually just present themselves to me one way or another.

BUT, I absolutely cannot start writin my story on a computer unless I have a title; so I always choose a title before I write the story. And I usually change said title before I submit the story. With that being said, I almost always have a rough outline before I start typing.

Literateparakeet · Feb 13, 2012

Sai said:
I heard a bit of advice about short story titles that they should mean one thing at the beginning of the the story and another thing by the end. I always try to keep that in the back of my mind.

Oh! I'm doing a happy dance because I just subbed a story with a title like that.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to do it again though, LOL!

Stijn Hommes · Feb 14, 2012

I simply brainstorm words and phrases that fit the story, then try to mash them together into one title.

Prisoner24601 · Feb 14, 2012

For me, about half of the time the title just pops right into my head and I have the title before I even start, which is great. I love it when that happens. But the other half of the time it's something I have to finesse and work on right up to the point where I send it out (and sometimes, I'm still not satisfied with. I think it's generally better to have a title first before you start, but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.

Mad Rabbits · Feb 19, 2012

I struggle a little with titles.

I came up with a title I liked for a story recently and then realised it was a bad idea because the title actually acted as a spoiler.

Something to watch out for...

nevillenox · Feb 22, 2012

It's generally a few weeks before I can think of a title for anything I write. Usually I just go with "untitled" until the last moment. Which is kind of boring.

hvysmker · Mar 1, 2012

One matter that wasn't brought up here is that some publishers do a Google search on the title to see if you still have first rights. If they get a response, even from these sites, you get paid less money. I think "working" titles are best for here.

When I submit, I'll change the title and a word or two on the first sentences.

Charlie

Jamesaritchie · Mar 2, 2012

hvysmker said:
One matter that wasn't brought up here is that some publishers do a Google search on the title to see if you still have first rights. If they get a response, even from these sites, you get paid less money. I think "working" titles are best for here.

When I submit, I'll change the title and a word or two on the first sentences.

Charlie

Well, it should go without saying that you always, without exception, tell an editor whether or not you still have first rights when you submit a story. If they have to do a Google search, you've already blown it.

Polenth · Mar 2, 2012

hvysmker said:
One matter that wasn't brought up here is that some publishers do a Google search on the title to see if you still have first rights. If they get a response, even from these sites, you get paid less money. I think "working" titles are best for here.

When I submit, I'll change the title and a word or two on the first sentences.

Publishers are worried about the story being online, but not the title. They're not going to say, "You told people you finished Revenge of the Muffins last month on your blog, so we're docking your pay." Not unless they're very strange. The title is worthless.

And by published online, they mean in a public and Googleable place. The 'Share Your Work' here is password protected. It doesn't count as publication and doesn't appear in Google.

The Lonely One · Mar 2, 2012

gettingby said:
How do you select a title for your story? Does it just come to you? Do you struggle with it days/weeks after finishing your story? Do you come up with clever titles? Are they the most obvious?

All these have happened to me.

I finished a story a few days ago, but I am rethinking my title because I feel like I took the easy way out. This story deserves better, but I am a little stuck. I am not posting because I want help coming up with a title. I am interested in the process others go through to come up with titles. Now that I am writing a story a week I am going to need lots of titles so if anyone has good tips on naming short stories, that would be great.

It's honestly different for me with every story, but I feel like I put as much creative effort into it as any other part of the story. Unlike paintings or photographs, titles in writing are much more of a closely related extension of the writing; since stories are a collection of words, you have to find the right words in the title to be homogeneous to the piece.

I'd say don't name the story after the final words of the story, or something similarly hokey. Other than that there is so much leeway here that I feel I can't give you specific advice that would work every time.

And one more thing, how important do you think the title of a story is?

Important, sure. But not that important. If you can't think of anything spectacular, you can at least put something simple and acceptable, a summary phrase (not a summary of the storyline but of its essence, if that makes sense) and the story will do the telling.

And the title of the story is...

practical experience, FTW

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