It may seem nonsense, but a title has a significant impact on the perception you have of a story. Often, this element has the power to determine whether it will be read or will end up on the back burner. Unfortunately or fortunately, many times it is the title that attracts readers, regardless of the amount of time and energy you have devoted to writing the story itself. So even if it's tempting to write it quickly, don't do it.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Drawing Inspiration from History
Step 1. Draw inspiration from a key theme of the story
A successful title should fit the tale in an appropriate and evocative way.
Think of the thread of the story: revenge? Ache? Alienation? Then, think about the titles that evoke this topic. For example, if the theme is redemption, you could title the story this way: Falling in Grace (pun that recalls the expression "falling from grace")
Step 2. Inspire where the story unfolds to create the title
If a certain setting plays a central role in the story, you could use it in the title.
For example, if the crux of your story is an event that happened in a town called the Washington Depot, you could just name it like this. Or, you could be inspired by events that take place in this place; example: Washington Depot ghosts or Washington Depot burns
Step 3. Choose a title inspired by a defining event in history
If there is a particular occurrence that predominates in the story or plays a fundamental role in the development of the events, you could use it to inspire you in the creation of the title.
For example, you could come up with a title like It Happened One Morning or Death Among Thieves
Step 4. Inspire the name of the protagonist to conceive the title
Titling the book using the name of an important character is a powerful strategy in its simplicity. However, it's a useful method only if the character's name is relevant or memorable enough.
Numerous writers who have gone down in history have chosen this method: Charles Dickens, with David Copperfield and Oliver Twist, Charlotte Brontë, with Jane Eyre, and Miguel de Cervantes, with Don Quijote
Step 5. Choose the title based on a memorable sentence from the story
If you've come up with a particularly clever or original phrase that plays an important role in the story and captures a key element or theme, use it, or rephrase it for the title.
For example, novels such as To Kill a Mokingbird, The Darkness Beyond the Hedge, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Don't horses kill themselves like that?, and Sleepless in Seattle, Sleepless in Love, all have titles based on sentences from the stories themselves
Part 2 of 3: Drawing Inspiration Elsewhere
Step 1. Do a search
List the key elements of the story, especially objects and places. Research these places and things for inspiration and come up with the title.
For example, if your story is based on an emerald inherited from generation to generation within a family, you may research this precious stone and find that it has traditionally been associated with faith and hope. So, you could choose a title like The Stone of Hope
Step 2. Take a look at your library
Examine the titles of the books you have on the shelves and write down the ones that seem brilliant to you.
- Write both the titles that seem interesting to you while doing your research and the ones that have convinced you to buy the book yourself.
- Review the list and try to determine what successful titles have in common. For example, do they refer to the five senses, the reader's imagination, or something else?
Step 3. Use an allusion
An allusion is a reference to a phrase or expression taken from an external source, such as another literary work, a song, or even something extremely common, such as a brand name or slogan.
- Many authors have drawn inspiration from classical works; an example are William Faulkner, whose book The Sound and the Fury, L'urlo e il furore, is inspired by a phrase from Macbeth and John Steinbeck, whose The Grapes of Wrath, Furore, is an allusion to a phrase of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, an American anthem.
- Other writers have taken inspiration from proverbs of the local tradition; for example, the saying queer as a clockwork orange (a Cockney phrase that literally means "weird as a clockwork orange") inspired Anthony Burgess, author of A Clockwork Orange.
- Others have also used allusions to popular culture. For example, Kurt Vonnegut used the Wheaties grain slogan in his book Breakfast of Champions.
Part 3 of 3: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Step 1. Create a title in line with the literary genre
If you choose a title that appears to belong to a certain genre, while the actual content of the story is anything but, not only will you confuse potential readers, you may alienate them.
For example, you title the short story The Dragon of the Old Tower, which evidently recalls a fantasy. However, if the story is about modern Wall Street brokers, you will alienate the people who chose your book because they thought it was a fantastic tale. Furthermore, you will not at all attract the attention of that slice of the market looking for a story about contemporary events or the world of elite finance
Step 2. Limit the length
In most cases, short but impactful titles are more successful than long and hard to remember ones.
For example, A Man Discovering the Dangers of Solo Yukon Hikes is undoubtedly less likely to convince readers than Making Fire, which is shorter and more evocative
Step 3. Make it interesting
Headlines that use poetic language, vivid imagery, or a hint of mystery tend to fascinate potential readers.
- Using poetic language in a title, such as A Rose for Emily or Gone with the Wind, draws readers in with an elegant expression that promises an equally subtle story or writing style.
- Headlines that evoke vivid imagery attract readers because they recall something tangible and meaningful. A title like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, although long, creates an immediate and intense image that conveys the idea of a battle between good and evil.
- Adding a touch of mystery to the title is also useful for attracting readers. A title like Something Wicked This Way Comes, translated The People of Autumn in Italian (another allusion to Macbeth), or The Black Cat provides enough information to raise questions that will convince the audience to read the story.
Step 4. Use alliterations sparingly and carefully
This figure of speech, or the repetition of a letter or sound in two or more successive words, can create a more captivating and memorable title; however, if not used well, it can also make it look flat or forced.
- A light alliteration, such as I have a castle in my heart or Il Conte di Montecristo, can add charm to a title.
- Obvious or unnatural alliteration, on the other hand, such as Renato Rossi's Daring Tale or Gianna Giotto's Generous and Kind Deeds, can easily dissuade a potential reader, and they won't choose your story.
Advice
- If a title seems overly familiar to you, this is probably because it has already been used, and perhaps overused, so you should avoid it.
- If you have a stuck moment, try brainstorming: free-wheeling, grouping ideas, or making a list. Use the method that's right for you.
- Don't choose an excessively long title, it better be simple.
