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How to pick a good title/what makes a good title
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Tiger
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May 18, 2014 11:19AM
What separates a good title from one that makes you groan in pain?
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i wouldn't know. i don't recall any badly titled books (i read a lot of pulp, so maybe i have immunity?) XD
well obviously I don't want to say TOO much about the bad ones I've encountered, because they're usually indie authors. However, some of the great ones I can think of are Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet This Found Thing and The Ship Who SangI have to say I really hate titles that go "Of X and Y" and plays on classic titles. Like if I see another "Love in the Time of" title I might go crazy. (Crazier...)
Repetition, for me. When I see the same kind of title over and over, it makes me groan. Finding (character name). Breaking (character name). Chasing (character name). It all blurs after a while for me.
I certainly agree that some things have been done to death. Like I said in another thread,
was originally called Sacrificial Magic, but I realized plenty of people had used that already. The book I am currently working on started out as a long ago NaNo Novel called The Raven's Gift. God, that's a terrible title. Then it was Aim and Ignite as a working title, but that's also the name of a music album. It would be one thing if the music went with the tone of the story, but it doesn't. I finally settled on something I think is good, but I'm not ready to reveal it yet. :)
I'm hestitant to use myself as an example, so please don't think this is a shameless plug.When I try to come up with a title, it's like a word game a play with myself. I identify a word or phrase that feels like a summary of the story.
Sand Crystal - a short story about a murderous mermaid. Are there any sand crystals or geology involved? Nope, pure fantasy. But the title feels like the story to me.
Bleeding Apple - necrophilia and a journey through hell. No apples actually bleed in the story, no apples were harmed. A character nicks his adam's apple, so that's the title I chose.
Anyway, just examples. Whenever I see a title that enumlates, this is how it feels, I'm more likely to take a closer look.
Oh I think it's natural to use our own stuff as examples.Absolutely, it needs to be evocative. That's the number one thing, imo.
I'll move my comment from the pay-it-forward thread here: I like the discussion of titles. :) Sadly, I fear that I should have picked a better title for my book. "Laika in Lisan" meets the goal of being unique, but it isn't snappy or attention-grabbing. It started as a working title and I had every intention of changing it before publishing, but I couldn't think of anything better. Eventually the title grew on me, so I kept it because I liked it. In hindsight, I realize I should have considered something else because the average potential reader won't be drawn to what is basically a confusing title. ("Who the hell is Laika? Is that even a name? And what's Lisan?" :)) Now that we're discussing this, I'm trying to think back to my own experiences picking books to read. I don't think I've ever been drawn to a book by a good title, but I've definitely been repelled by bad titles. I can think of a few books where the meaning of title isn't revealed until toward the end. Usually the title phrase is referenced only briefly, and sometimes it's so brief and peripheral that it actually harms my opinion of the book. Other times, if I'm already really enjoying the book, it's exciting to discover the meaning of the title. (Mary Doria Russell's "The Sparrow" is a good example. I loved that book.)
I think you're perfectly within your rights to change your book's title if you feel it needs it.Sure, I agree. I don't need to know what it means going in, but it has to intrigue me enough that I want to find out.
I wish I knew! I've sucked at titles since elementary school. Even when I just had to title an essay I wrote, the essay would be done in 20 minutes and the title would take me days and it was still awful. Interested to see what everyone has to say on this topic.
I feel, in fiction, the title shouldn't be literal. In Which John Doe Meets.... my eyes glaze over.
Mod
I believe while some may not get the reason behind a title until they either read it or get a better understanding of it.
Odd. It's a collection of poetry. I suspect anyone who insults the title might be on the snobbish side of poetry.
Lily wrote: "Repetition, for me. When I see the same kind of title over and over, it makes me groan. Finding (character name). Breaking (character name). Chasing (character name). It all blurs after a while for..."Me too! I really dislike repetition.
Though it's also important not to dismiss all criticism as snobbish.
Mistakes or misspells in the title will make me think twice. I know they could have been done on purpose but still... :/I don't like that.
I wish I had an answer to this question. I've never been able to think of any good titles. The only title I ever got any compliments on was: Beneath the Mask of Sanity. And to be fair, it was inspired by a non-fiction book I read: Mask of Sanity.I think a good title is something that just rolls off the tongue. I also strive to keep it simple. Some examples of good-simple: Sophie's Choice, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, It.
Maybe the trick is to make sure the title is inspired by something, allowing the inspiration to be a foundation of sorts, maybe on a subconscious level at least.
Titles are the hardest part for me. They're the last part I write and it's never anything I truly love, I just tack it on because it's needed.As a reader, I love the ones that sound deliberately vague. Or sounds as though it has nothing to do with the book until you're halfway through, and even then it's not spelled out to you. Sure I'll read normal titled books, but I won't love the title.
I'm a huge fan of one word titles myself, but I won't exclude a book from playing with others for having a longer title. :)
Tiger wrote: "well obviously I don't want to say TOO much about the bad ones I've encountered, because they're usually indie authors. However, some of the great ones I can think of are Hotel on the Corner ..."</i>[book:The Ship Who Sang I have a copy of tha too! :D I always find it hard to come up with decent titles, as I get way too esoteric with it and folks be like wut. I find meaning in it, but john q public don't. I think hard on it too, but it seems so lame >_<
Justin wrote: "I've already had a few people tell me Like A Box of Chocolates is cliche and lame, I am well aware of how it sounds but I titled it that for a reason and its a good title."I thought it was a pretty decent title. it's a collection of poetry, so it's like a box of chocolates. you never know which one will be cool, and which one will suck. as poetry (like candy) has mileage variance. :) don't worry, your title's not that esoteric. i got it right away :D
I think one worded titles are the easiest and yet the hardest titles.One word? Easy, iI can do that. But it also has to be the story so you can't pull it out your ass either. If you want it to be good at least haha
Cottonseeds - a psychological thriller.How's that? I actually worried it doesn't sound thriler-y enough, but it represents the whole novel well. If an agent or publisher came up with a bettter title, I wouldn't argue.
On it's own, it works to give it an air of mystery. You won't know what it's really about. And judging by the picture promo you did, the cover may help to set the mood better. but I do like it. simple, and not sure what to expect from it.
haha :D always fun to give this type of feedback even if I suck at feedback lol
Well, I haven't had to title much more than the short stories I've written up until this point but I think that titles even if they're not necessarily good ones, should compliment the story and catch the readers attention. For example; a zombie spoof I've written a little of is "Golden Showers on the streets of Nowhere", one is titled "Hat Hunters", more of a mystery story and "Rest above the Cinders". Again, not to good but maybe enough to make a reader interested.
I'm more likely to put a novel back based on the cover than the title but that depends on the book.
Mod
I hope the golden showers part is intentional
@@justinWell try to look at it as a positive, in that often feedback doesn't come cheap. It's better than a form letter and it might help you improve.
It is. I wanted to write something a little different than most zombie stories and at this point it is. My zombies don't bite and their victims aren't better off for it.
Tiger, I was just thinking the same lolJustin, titles for any submissions are best capitalized, no italics or quotations, So if only the "A" was capitalized, then yes, they will be that picky.
You know golden shower is a euphemism for a sex act?
Also justin if what you submitted didn't conform to their guidelines that would be a big problem. This happens to me ALL THE TIME. I don't get why an author would submit something without reading the guidelines but it happens on the regular.
Tiger wrote: "You know golden shower is a euphemism for a sex act?"Well, yes. I hope that's not offensive, I just figured that since this was a thread over titles I could put an example of one that while not so good, would at least be a little different. I'm sorry about that.
Oh no I'm not offended in the slightest, I was just concerned about whether you knew that when you picked the title
Well, thank you then. I appreciate the consideration but yes, that was an intentional title. I usually have a twisted sense of humor and my titles reflect that as much as the stories I put them with. That was just a zombie spoof I wrote some of and put away.
Alissa, never worry about being offensive if you're just being true to the story. And truth be told, this group is full of pervs lolI just wondered, is it really about golden showers and zombies...? Interesting.
Ok but if there's no zombie pee I am going to be disappointed :p
Pop on in, I said.New deep thoughts I said.
See Tiger speaking about zombie pee
*slowly steps out the door*
Lol just a few pervs Lily, just a few haha
Lily, thank you for that haha. It actually is although I haven't done much with it. I thought the idea had some merit, I just wasn't to sure where to take it. I posted the first chapter on my profile but its not one of my better stories.
Tiger, there is and would be quite a bit if I finished the rest of that story haha.
rotfl glad to know I've made everyone's evening just a little more surreal
Give the story to Tiger, it'll make her lifetime lol
lol Zombie Pee... I can't stop laughing...
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