MAXIMIZE YOUR CHOICES. I think I would name it, “The Peaceful Chaos” There are various reasons why I think that this would be a good name. I once wrote and submitted a short mystery called "Nothing but the Truth," and didn't realize until after it was accepted and published that that same title had been used before, by at least one other author. You might consider Murder on the Wzcyiubjekistan Express the best writing you've ever done, or The Tallahatchie Backroad Honky-Tonk Boogie your literary masterpiece, but I doubt either of them would sell. Titles should be easy to remember. Titles such as "The Tree" or "The Train" might name the subject or a symbol in the story, but it doesn't excite the reader. Block says its title (which refers to spies, who love secrets) led some readers to believe it would be a romance instead. The easiest way to ensure you have an original title is to type the phrase into an Internet search engine, or even Amazon.com. Titles should not be dull. But Woman's World's editorial staff are probably familiar with what their readers like, and want. (While titles are not copyrightable, and in theory you could name your novel Gone With the Wind, doing so is unlikely to help your career.). Desperate Race to Get to The Shops Obstruction In The Road I Think You Should Come Home Now The formulas can create powerful and effective titles! Nobody Else on the Road Where On Earth Are You? Often we start off with a promising title in mind for our work—and assume, once we have finished writing, that this title still fits. Would It Get Out of The Way? When The Phone Rang Again I doubt that I am going to use any of these story title ideas myself, so please feel free to use them – BUT perhaps twist these story titles a little, or think of a related story title, so that your own story titles are more unique – you don’t really want 10 or more people writing stories that all have the same title that your story … Broken Windscreen and Glass in Hair It's a good idea to keep things clear and simple. Towaway’s Midnight Shift I encounter this casual approach to titling in my own fiction workshops, where talented students undermine first-rate stories with second-rate labels. What makes a good title? Sue Grafton uses letters of the alphabet: For James Michener, it was one-word titles: John Sandford's trademark is the word "prey": Martha Grimes used names of English pubs: Robert Ludlum's thrillers had three-word titles. Please Keep Still, The Missing Phone Story Title Ideas – List of 100 Story Title Ideas, 40 Suggested Titles for Scary Short Stories, My Writing Challenge Response – He Opened the Door and He Screamed, Beachcombing – 12 Ways to Make Money from Beachcombing, Christmas Markets December 2018 – in or near East London in South Africa. Some great titles will produce matches, of course—but if you are the first person to coin the phrase you’ve chosen, then you know you’ve hit the originality jackpot. Do You Serve Coffee At This Hospital? Frustrating Cries On The Deserted Road Knowing Nobody Who Could Help Those are too boring. Words will be pulled from an academic database and put together. Required fields are marked *, Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. At the same time, anything as complex as The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds may draw attention to itself at the expense of the story that follows (unless, of course, you’re Paul Zindel). The Metal In My Shoulder Set The Metal Detector Off The question is, how do you do it? Remember, it's the first thing he or she sees of your work--and the editor who likes your title will begin reading your manuscript in an optimistic frame of mind.". The Day I Drove Over It If you click on a link and then view, join, purchase, or perform other actions, I will receive an affiliate commission. Every Wednesday, Robert Lee Brewer shares a prompt and an example poem to get things started on the Poetic Asides blog. Still Nothing To Drink Brainstorming is what comes first. Here’s how to do just that. Where the Thing Went Thump MAKE CERTAIN YOUR TITLE MATCHES YOUR STORY. Let's go a step further. He explains that changing just the book title can rocket a book from selling 6,000 copies a year to 50,000 copies a year.. Then I Could Not Find My Car Keys What Was That In The Road? Back To The Shops Cut Hand Sewn Up Book Title Ideas Taken From Successful Books: Below we have taken the Top 25 books from each category and listed the title. Alarms and Sirens Select the best title you can, and leave it at that. About TANT – Terry and Tony in South Africa. AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. Copyright © 2020 by Moira Allen. In the publishing world, a good title is like a good opening paragraph: it should be interesting. Most of my published stories have retained their original titles, but seven of my nineteen short stories in Woman's World were renamed by the editors before the issues containing those stories appeared on the stands. But that's pretty vague advice. The trick is to find a happy balance between the all-too-forgettable and the truly over-the-top. Computer programmers have tried for years to create the perfect algorithm for naming a book—for example, claiming that three-word titles sell best, or insisting that the most marketable titles contain verbs. Wishing For Coffee-Flavored Rain And it's hard to picture 007 introducing himself as "Dinkins. Looking All About After all, any writer who has completed a story or novel realizes that a title serves one more purpose that primarily benefits the author: Typing a solid title onto your manuscript is a way of patting yourself on the back and taking pride in a job well done. Titling may seem stressful, but the process should actually be enjoyable. The same thing applies to story titles. Examples: Gone with the Wind, The High and the Mighty, "The Tin Star," The Silence of the Lambs, The Maltese Falcon, Watership Down, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," Fahrenheit 451, The Color Purple, Atlas Shrugged. Best Be Getting On Home Then, Going Back The Same Way Water Just Won’t Do Apologies to any author who may possibly have a same title for any of their own stories or books. Forgetting and Moving On, Finally At The Shops Noteworthy examples include Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and John Cheever’s “The Swimmer.”. Miraculously Escaping Cuts A Lump On The Road : the original title for an essay else, my life has been a roller coaster ride with my of... These programmers would be publishing moguls timeline '' or `` my timeline '' or `` my timeline '' ``... Should be interesting Desire Under the Elms is far more compelling than Love Under the Elms is more... O ’ Neill ’ s “ the Swimmer. ” already been used keep things clear and simple you your! Marketing representative '' a interesting name that wo n't blend with the other students no writer can afford to.... You continue to use this site are affiliate links are making strong titles are distinctive, the. 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