In The Throes of Thursday--What I've Learned About Writing Novels_6
What's in a name?
That question is pretty famous, and I often think of it when I'm trying to find a name for one of my stories. What I soon discovered was that I was really bad at titles. I knew I needed help, so I started by looking at books that were on the shelves and, most importantly, either selling well or enjoying the status of a classic.
Here are a few from own bookshelves--some new, some the classics we love.
Insatiable. The Secret Life of BeesThe Body FinderAl Capone Does My ShirtsThe Devil's ArithmeticCatcher in the RyeTo Kill a MockingbirdRed Badge of CourageA Moveable Feast
So what made these titles stand out, grab the reader? Why did they work? What did I learn from them?
Each one immediately made me curious. I wanted to know who was insatiable and about what; secrets instantly intrigue me and who on earth would WANT to find bodies? Al Capone doing laundry--that's something I had to find out about, and anything about the devil gets my attention, especially since I have to know what kind of math this dude could possibly do. You get what I'm saying. Each of these titles made me want to find out what was inside that cover.
A couple of these were metaphors and those always capture the imagination. I mean, how do grapes and wrath have anything to do with each other? And a feast that moves? What's that about?
What I learned from this little bit of research is that if a title isn't compelling, the book has a major strike against it.
Here are some books that started with one title and ended with another. Can you guess what they were published as?
The Mute ...................................................................The Heart is a Lonely HunterPrivate Flemming, His Various Battles......................The Red Badge of CourageTo Climb the Wall.....................................................The Blackboard JungleHurray for the Red, White and Blue..........................The Great Gatsby
How do you choose your titles when you write? How important are titles to you when you're buying a book?Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
That question is pretty famous, and I often think of it when I'm trying to find a name for one of my stories. What I soon discovered was that I was really bad at titles. I knew I needed help, so I started by looking at books that were on the shelves and, most importantly, either selling well or enjoying the status of a classic.Here are a few from own bookshelves--some new, some the classics we love.
Insatiable. The Secret Life of BeesThe Body FinderAl Capone Does My ShirtsThe Devil's ArithmeticCatcher in the RyeTo Kill a MockingbirdRed Badge of CourageA Moveable Feast
So what made these titles stand out, grab the reader? Why did they work? What did I learn from them?Each one immediately made me curious. I wanted to know who was insatiable and about what; secrets instantly intrigue me and who on earth would WANT to find bodies? Al Capone doing laundry--that's something I had to find out about, and anything about the devil gets my attention, especially since I have to know what kind of math this dude could possibly do. You get what I'm saying. Each of these titles made me want to find out what was inside that cover.
A couple of these were metaphors and those always capture the imagination. I mean, how do grapes and wrath have anything to do with each other? And a feast that moves? What's that about?
What I learned from this little bit of research is that if a title isn't compelling, the book has a major strike against it.
Here are some books that started with one title and ended with another. Can you guess what they were published as?
The Mute ...................................................................The Heart is a Lonely HunterPrivate Flemming, His Various Battles......................The Red Badge of CourageTo Climb the Wall.....................................................The Blackboard JungleHurray for the Red, White and Blue..........................The Great Gatsby
How do you choose your titles when you write? How important are titles to you when you're buying a book?Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
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