How did you come up with your title?

AndreaGS · Jul 17, 2007

I've been putting off coming up with a title for a very long time. I've had a working title of Northbound Moon, but that was waaaay back when I first conceived my story, and it no longer applies at all.

I'm now about 1/3 of the way through my revisions, and I thought I'd start putting together a query letter. But what to title the thing? I've never actually had a problem with titles before, but now I'm baffled.

How did you all come up with your titles?

OddButInteresting · Jul 17, 2007

My title (without giving it away) is derived from a classic title. Dickens, to be more precise. I've just changed a single word to place it into the context of my own story. Whether or not an agent or publishing house would accept such a similar title is yet to be discovered, as I'm yet to start, let alone finish, proof-read, revise, and submit.

My advice is to look at classic titles that bear a little relevance to your own tale, but are on the whole vastly different.

dclary · Jul 17, 2007

Most of my titles are very obvious, both to me and the reader, that this is the title that *should* have gone with the book. It may relate to the character, or the adventure, or hint at the theme. These are all easy.

But I have one WIP that I'm stumped on, too. I haven't found an all-encompassing word or phrase that captures the essence of the work -- and this concerns me because it makes me think maybe the work itself isn't cohesive itself.

Stew21 · Jul 17, 2007

typically something in the story triggers it. Either something a character says or a theme. During my first MS, a dialogue produced a phrase that fit the book so perfectly it was almost like the book was written just for the sentence the character spoke. The subject of that sentence became the title.
On the second one, about 10,000 words in, I came to understand one of the themes better and drew on of the characters into the title as well. Turns out my unexpected ghost turned out to be a fairly big character in the story, and now bears the weight of the title.

MidnightMuse · Jul 17, 2007

I'm usually lucky in that a name will just pop into my head, sometimes even before the story has, and it seems to just fit. When that doesn't happen, I have to spend some time just contemplating the story, the feel of it, the characters, and hope something interesting comes along.

Keep in mind, the title is usually changed before you get it published. :Shrug:

Zoombie · Jul 17, 2007

I write 79,000 words, then randomly select one and hope it sums it all up. proved to be embarrassing when I chose the word "F**k!"

But, fortunately, this time around, I actually got the right word: E.L.F.

Well...acyonyme.

AndreaGS · Jul 17, 2007

This is really interesting. I always thought the title would pop out at me, but even with the manuscript complete...nothing. I think I've come up with a decent title - First Seat's Rule - that is relevant, but I still have the itching feeling there's better.

Varthikes · Jul 17, 2007

I usually have a good idea for a title when I start writing. The title might change in different degrees by the time I pump the story out. My titles usually describe what's going on in the story in as few words as possible.

"Wall Between Worlds" - the main character relates his experience of breaking out of his egg (the world that he had known up to that point) into the larger world
"Path of the Fool" - the two main characters each make a decision that leads them into trouble
Forging Trust - two races, each with bad reputations with the other, struggle to bridge an understanding between them
"Echoes of the Past" - a relative of the main character comes to visit her, forcing memories of her terrible past
"Misplaced Dragon" - the two main characters, one a dragon, find themselves where they don't belong
"Precious Life" - two storylines: one deals with the decision to use a special fast-healing agent to help a dying alien which, if commonly known, could spark greed; the other deals with one of the main characters protecting another main character's daughter from one of his own kind
Shattered Trust - antagonists sabotage the understanding made in Forging Trust

For one story that I wrote last year, though, I wrote majority of the story under the title, Drac3. "Drac" being the series, "3" being the production number. There were actually two storylines going on, so it presented me with a challenge to come up with a title that would fit both. It came to me toward the end: "Precious Life".

mscelina · Jul 17, 2007

actually, when I was trying to think of a title I looked at the climactic scene of the book and found the words *reckoning* and *asphodel* in the same sentence.

*shrug*

Made it quite easy, actually.

Anonymisty · Jul 18, 2007

Mine was the working title. I figured the publisher would change it, so I didn't put much effort into thinking of a better one. Who knew they'd keep it?

Claudia Gray · Jul 18, 2007

My first novel, a scifi epic, was called Evernight, because it was set up in a world that was a hyperdeveloped city, where every level of the city was known by the amount of light it got -- Dawnbreak, Noon, etc. The ground, which most people never visited and where a lot of secrets could be found, was totally dark. Ergo Evernight. That novel died horribly.

Then, years later, when I was trying to come up with a good name for a story about vampires, I thought, "Huh, Evernight would sort of work, wouldn't it?" So it works quite nicely.

Colin McHale · Jul 18, 2007

My titles tend to relate to the general theme or idea of the story. My basic rule is that the title will appear within the work at some point, stated either by the narrator or a character who is speaking.

I also try to keep my titles under four words (simple is good). I avoid colons if at all possible.

nandu · Jul 19, 2007

OddButInteresting said:
My title (without giving it away) is derived from a classic title. Dickens, to be more precise. I've just changed a single word to place it into the context of my own story.

I'd warrant a guess it's "A Tale of Two Planets"...

Nandu.

JohnDavidPaxton · Jul 19, 2007

I haven't. I sooooo haven't.

I can't call anything a WIP or a codename, though, so I just threw a title at the situation. I called it "Ether" because several characters in the story talk about how they are "stuck in either" or "on the other side of the ether." To this end, the book was almost called "Veil" but I realized that, even as a WIP, it sounded like an erotic story. Not that I have anything against that. If people will look at the summation because they think there will be sex, I'm all for it.

Right now the Title I'm thinking of is Borrowed Time: A story told in Ether. But, as the title could be absolutely anything and I just need it for the pitch, I can't tell you how little I care.

rkbentley · Jul 19, 2007

I try and come up with the titles first or give it a temp name until something better comes along.

For my primary WIP the title came from an event within the book.
My backburner WIPs, mostly screenplays are simple titles until something comes along.

I don't normally settle on something until I check google or amazon to make sure someone else hasn't taken it yet...

Del · Jul 19, 2007

The book told me.

Simon Woodhouse · Jul 19, 2007

I once changed a title halfway through writing the novel it related to. Having decided I didn't like the original, but without having an alternative, I sat down and wrote a list of the major elements within the story. I then kept combining these until I came up with a title I liked.

Death Wizard · Jul 22, 2007

Coming up with my title was the easy part. It's the chapter headers that created all the problems.

JCT · Jul 22, 2007

Mine was driven purely by the main item in the story and the title came early. Sometimes a title eludes me for a long time and the work is simply saved as "untitled".

I use chapter headings while in progress so I have an idea of what each chapter does. In the second draft, I eliminate all the titles.

Saanen · Jul 22, 2007

Most recently, I asked here on the forum for help and got lots of excellent suggestions (and some really weird ones!).

Sometimes a story seems to name itself without my conscious effort, and then the title ends up being perfect. I've got a story called "Sea and Sky" (coming soon in the Black Dragon, White Dragon anthology from Ricasso Press! ahem, sorry) that if I'd sat down to think of a logical title would have never ended up with that one. But it works. Then again, I've got a WIP (novel draft finished but in dire need of a complete rewrite) that is saved as "cinderstory" because I still can't think up a title.

Death Wizard · Jul 22, 2007

nandu said:
I'd warrant a guess it's "A Tale of Two Planets"...

Nandu.

Clever!

Sharon Mock · Jul 23, 2007

It depends. Sometimes titles just come to me, either beforehand or while writing, but not that often. Once I took the title from a line that only after appeared after a few rounds of revision. Once I wrote a short story inspired by a song -- and then had to change the title, because it didn't fit.

The last time I absolutely could not come up with an interesting title for a story, it turned out (in hindsight) I didn't have a story, either. But that might just be coincidence.

Inky · Jul 23, 2007

I spent 5 years creating the languages, mythology, characters, and scenes for my book/story, but the title was a bloody nightmare. NOTHING fit. Final draft of book...and I had a few place holders, but nothing that made me feel warm & fuzzy.

I had been reading everything in print on 'how to title your book/story'. Again, nothing fit.

Finally, I sat back & broke it down.

Modern day Emily is beholden to ancient magicks. She is the long awaited Keeper. She was hidden, as a toddler, from the Lumynari--otherwise known as Shadow Masters.
Forest Lords suffer a punishment of immortality for allowing The Keeper to be killed 3600 years ago...they have been charged with her guardianship, should she deign to return...so, in essence, they would be shadows to the reincarnated soul...and again...Shadow Masters would play a heavy role in her life--both as enemy and soulmate.....hmmmm....

Eureka!

Shadows of The Keeper
and it helped with a brief synopsis:

Thirty-six hundred years is a long time to be condemned to immortality; even longer to remember the faces of his massacred clan--and The Keeper who could have stopped it with her formidable magicks.
So when modern day Emily Garrison nearly loses her life, and is brought to his keep in ancient Alba, Broc MacLarrin's fury ignites--for Emily is none other than the return of that long ago sorceress. Slay her, thus avenge his people? Or fear Pendaran's wrath and protect her from Shadow's assassins residing in the evil kingdom leagues below the stone floors of his keep?
For three millennia, Prince Dezenial has scoffed his father, Hades, and the offer to take his rightful place as The Dark Prince, overlord of the Demon Elite Regime--gargoyles. Why protect mortals when their annihilation brings him such pleasure? But when Dezenial's mother, the vile goddess Shadow, discovers the location of the only mortal he's ever vowed to protect--Emily--Dezenial realizes he's now a Shadow Master cursed; Emily's not only the long awaited Keeper, she's his soulmate.

Next book:
Shadows Beyond The Dawn

There are six more....so see? Just the right title can open the flood gates to more ideas and muse. Some are genius and the title is known immediately...I am not one of those people. I've a ghost story I've been dabbling with for the past couple of years & still don't have a title. Maybe the title only comes to me when the story is truly finished?

triceretops · Jul 23, 2007

Haven't thought of one for the current project. Nor will I ever figure it out. Somebody else is going to have to do it. I'm at a loss.

Tri

Moonfish · Jul 24, 2007

My publisher came up with the title. I myself was totally stumped. My WIP has a very simple title that I like but I don't know if the publisher would keep it. If they accept the manuscript, that is.

How did you come up with your title?

AndreaGS

OddButInteresting

Officially a practicing Novelist!

dclary

Unabashed Mercenary

Stew21

MidnightMuse

Midnight Reading

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

AndreaGS

Varthikes

Dragon Writer

mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

Anonymisty

Claudia Gray

Colin McHale

nandu

JohnDavidPaxton

rkbentley

Del

Sky isn't falling, ground is rising

Simon Woodhouse

Death Wizard

Tumhe na koci puujetha

JCT

Saanen

Death Wizard

Tumhe na koci puujetha

Sharon Mock

Wing nut

Inky

Eat, Sleep, Write...

triceretops

Moonfish