What's in a name?
Choosing the perfect title can be difficult, so here's some inspiration and advice from a few of my favourite book titles:
1. Art imitates art - why not borrow a line from another author?
The Fault in Our Stars (John Green, 2012) and Brave New World (Aldous Huxley, 1932) are both lines from William Shakespeare
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddon, 2003) is borrowed from Arthur Conan Doyle
James Patterson often uses nursery rhymes for his book titles, such as Kiss the Girls (1995) and Pop Goes the Weasel (1999)
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings." ~ Julius Caesar
2. Short and sweet - why use more than one word when one will suffice?
1984 (George Orwell, 1949), Nemesis (Agatha Christie, 1971), Remainder (Tom McCarthy, 2005), and Dracula (Bram Stoker, 1897).
"Miss Marple pulled down the mass of pink wool that encircled her head, a pink wool scarf of the same kind that she had once worn in the West Indies.
'One of my names,' she said, 'is Nemesis.'
'Nemesis? And what does that mean?'
'I think you know,' said Miss Marple. 'You are a very well educated woman. Nemesis is long delayed sometimes, but it comes in the end.”
3. Keep them guessing - why not intrigue rather than inform the reader?
The Color Purple (Alice Walker, 1982), 4:50 from Paddington (Agatha Christie, 1957), I Am Number Four (Pittacus Lore, 2010), and Friday Evening, Eight O’Clock (Nino Gugunishvili, 2015).
“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.”
4. What is says on the tin - or you could use a perfectly straightforward title.
A Wedding in December (Anita Shreve, 2005), The Time Traveler's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger, 2003), Death on the Nile (Agatha Christie, 1937), and Elizabeth Is Missing (Emma Healey, 2014).
“Lost,” I say, dropping the photo on to the counter. “I’ve lost Elizabeth.”
As you can probably tell, my favourite titles are the ones which reappear in the book itself. What are your tips for choosing the perfect title? And which book titles are your favourites?
1. Art imitates art - why not borrow a line from another author?
The Fault in Our Stars (John Green, 2012) and Brave New World (Aldous Huxley, 1932) are both lines from William Shakespeare
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddon, 2003) is borrowed from Arthur Conan Doyle
James Patterson often uses nursery rhymes for his book titles, such as Kiss the Girls (1995) and Pop Goes the Weasel (1999)
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings." ~ Julius Caesar
2. Short and sweet - why use more than one word when one will suffice?
1984 (George Orwell, 1949), Nemesis (Agatha Christie, 1971), Remainder (Tom McCarthy, 2005), and Dracula (Bram Stoker, 1897).
"Miss Marple pulled down the mass of pink wool that encircled her head, a pink wool scarf of the same kind that she had once worn in the West Indies.
'One of my names,' she said, 'is Nemesis.'
'Nemesis? And what does that mean?'
'I think you know,' said Miss Marple. 'You are a very well educated woman. Nemesis is long delayed sometimes, but it comes in the end.”
3. Keep them guessing - why not intrigue rather than inform the reader?
The Color Purple (Alice Walker, 1982), 4:50 from Paddington (Agatha Christie, 1957), I Am Number Four (Pittacus Lore, 2010), and Friday Evening, Eight O’Clock (Nino Gugunishvili, 2015).
“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.”
4. What is says on the tin - or you could use a perfectly straightforward title.
A Wedding in December (Anita Shreve, 2005), The Time Traveler's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger, 2003), Death on the Nile (Agatha Christie, 1937), and Elizabeth Is Missing (Emma Healey, 2014).
“Lost,” I say, dropping the photo on to the counter. “I’ve lost Elizabeth.”
As you can probably tell, my favourite titles are the ones which reappear in the book itself. What are your tips for choosing the perfect title? And which book titles are your favourites?
No comments have been added yet.
