"WHAT'S IN A NAME?"
GIVING YOUR NOVEL A
TITLE
WHO HAS READ OR SEEN THE MOVIE, ROMEO
AND JULIET BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE? IF YOU HAVE THEN YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE
LINE QUOTED BY JULIET, “A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD STILL SMELL AS SWEET”
VERY POIGNANT RIGHT? AND QUITE TRUE, HOWEVER, IT IS NOT THE SAME FOR BOOK
TITLES.
AS A WRITER, IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH A WINNING TITLE.
NOW I HAVE TO BE HONEST, ABOUT MY PROCESS. FOR SOME THEY REALLY STRUGGLE AND
I’VE SEEN THE QUESTION ASKED MANY TIMES. BUT FOR ME, MOST OF THE TIME, I GET
THE TITLE BEFORE I’VE EVERY WRITTEN ONE WORD ON PAPER.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I
CONSTRUCT THE ENTIRE STORY AROUND THIS. FOR INSTANCE, WHEN I WROTE, “ROOM IN
THE ATTIC” IT WAS AS IF THE TITLE FLOATED THROUGH MY HEAD AND I BEGAN TO
CONSTRUCT A STORY BASED ON THIS. THE MAIN CONCEPT OF THE STORY WAS LIKE A SCENE
FROM A MOVIE THAT PLAYED ON MY MIND. I SAW THIS YOUNG WOMAN IN A LITTLE HOUSE
SOMEWHERE IN RURAL TEXAS, WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET
AFTER HER HUSBAND DESERTS AND LEAVES THEM DESTITUTE.
INSTEAD OF FALLING APART,
OF WHICH ANYONE WOULD BE TEMPTED TO DO, SHE LOGICALLY WORKED OUT A SOLUTION.
HER HOME, MORTGAGED TWICE, THEREFORE UNABLE TO GET ANY MORE MONEY TO TIDE THEM
OVER UNTIL SHE COULD FIND A JOB, DECIDED THAT IF SHE COULDN’T SELL THE PLACE
SHE CERTAINLY COULD RENT IT OUT. AT LEAST THE ROOM IN THE ATTIC, OF WHICH SHE
AND HER HUSBAND AT ONE TIME HAD RENOVATED FOR EXTRA SPACE FOR FUTURE
CHILDREN.
THIS SOLIDIFIED EVERYTHING FOR ME. THE TITLE FIT AS WELL TOLD THE
STORY OF HOW CORI, THE FEMALE LEAD AND WILL, HER LOVE INTEREST CAME TOGETHER.
JUST TO GIVE A QUICK SYNOPSIS IN CASE YOU MIGHT WANNA READ THE BOOK FOR YOURSELVES: CORI IS MARRIED WITH TWO CHILDREN, AND PREGNANT WITH HER THIRD, WHEN
HER HUSBAND, TONY DECIDES HE DOESN’T WANT TO BE MARRIED ANYMORE, AS THE WEIGHT
OF RESPONSIBILITY CRUSHES HEAVILY UPON HIM.
THE STORY OPENS WITH CORI AND TONY ARGUING BECAUSE SHE IS WILLING TO
WORK THINGS OUT BUT HE ON THE UNDERHAND HAS ALREADY DECIDED, THAT HE IS NOT
DESIGNED TO BE A HUSBAND OR FATHER. SO HE WAITS UNTIL HIS FAMILY HAS GONE TO
SLEEP, PACKS HIS BAG AND LEAVES THEM WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A GOODBYE NOTE. WELL ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY, WE HAVE WILL, A COLLEGE STUDENT IN HIS JUNIOR
YEAR, WHO IS ACHING TO EXPLORE THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON DC. THUS AGAINST
HIS FATHER’S ADVICE BUT FULL PARTICIPATION FROM HIS MOTHER, DECIDES OVER THE
SUMMER TO TAKE A ROAD TRIP, ALONE. HE SETS OUT ON THE CROSS COUNTRY TOUR AND
MAKES IT ALL THE WAY TO TEXAS(THE SMALL TOWN OF FRANKLIN) UNABLE TO FIND THE NON FUNCTIONING PART TO HIS JEEP, HE’S FORCED TO STAY THERE, UNSURE OF WHERE
CONSIDERING THERE AREN’T ANY AMENITIES AVAILABLE EXCEPT FOR THE ADVERTISEMENT
OF A ROOM IN THE LOCAL PAPER. WALLAH! A STORY IS BORN WITH A WORKING TITLE.
I GUESS YOU COULD SAY I’VE BEEN
FORTUNATE IN HOW I RECEIVE MY IDEAS FOR BOOK TITLES. AND CAN HONESTLY SAY I’VE
NOT STRUGGLED MUCH IN OBTAINING THEM. I CAN’T SWEAR THAT IT WILL ALWAYS BE THIS
WAY, BUT I AM THANKFUL THAT SO FAR, THIS IS THE PROCESS.
NOW I KNOW THIS IS NOT
THE NORM FOR MOST PEOPLE, AND THEY DO STRUGGLE WITH APPLICABLE TITLES. I’VE
READ BOOKS THAT ARE A TESTAMENT TO THIS TRUTH AND WONDERED HOW IN THE WORLD DID
THEY COME UP WITH THE TITLE? BECAUSE IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STORY, TALK
ABOUT HALF-BAKED IDEAS, THOSE WERE PERFECT EXAMPLES, NEVERTHELESS, OTHERS THAT
NAILED IT PERFECTLY. EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN SYSTEM OR IDEAS OF HOW THEY CREATE
A TITLE. AS WELL, I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTY OF COMING UP WITH A GOOD ONE.
IT
IS NOT EASY, I GET IT. I WISH I HAD A SOLUTION FOR THOSE WHO DO STRUGGLE
BECAUSE IT IS A VERY REAL SITUATION.
I’M ASSOCIATED WITH MANY WRITING GROUPS,
AND SOMEONE ASKED THE QUESTION, HOW DO YOU NAME YOUR BOOK? OR COME UP WITH A GOOD
TITLE? THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION, AND IS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE. I GAVE YOU MY
ANSWER, BUT I WENT A LITTLE FURTHER AND CONSULTED GOOGLE, AND FOUND AN ARTICLE
WRITTEN BY WRITERS DIGEST THAT MIGHT PROVE TO BE HELPFUL WITH THOSE WHO
STRUGGLE WITH THIS TOPIC. SO HERE THEY ARE:
- GOOGLE IT.
THEY SAY THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO INSURE YOU HAVE AND ORIGINAL TITLE. I
DISAGREE BECAUSE EVERY TITLE IS ORIGINAL AS IT FITS THE PREMISE OF YOUR
STORY. BUT IF YOU DO DECIDE TO FOLLOW THIS GUIDELINE, DON’T WORRY ABOUT
COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT, YOU CAN’T COPYRIGHT AN IDEA OR TITLE.
- MAXIMIZE
YOUR CHOICES. THEY SAY YOU SHOULD MAKE A LIST OF AT LEAST FIVE DIFFERENT
TITLES BEFORE YOU DECIDE. HMM, THIS MIGHT WORK SO GIVE IT A SHOT.
- DON’T
FORGET VOICE OR POV (POINT OF VIEW) THIS PARTNERS WHAT I SAID ABOUT THE
STORY AND TITLE BEING RELEVANT. THE TITLE SHOULD MIRROR THE STORY.
- INCLUDE
PRECISE NOUNS AND ACTIVE VERBS, IN OTHER WORDS ATTENTION GRABBERS. FOR
EXAMPLE: ROOM IN THE ATTIC, THIS LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE SOMETHING CLIMATIC
IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE. A VERY DRAMATIC TITLE, THAT CREATES INTEREST.
- CRAFT TWO
MEANINGS. THEY SAY MOST READERS CONSIDER YOUR TITLE TWICE, ONCE BEFORE
THEY READ AND AFTERWARDS. THIS IS VERY TRUE. I READ OFTEN, AND THE THING
THAT IMPACTS ME THE MOST IS WHAT THE TITLE SAYS TO ME. THIS IS WHAT I SAID
EARLIER ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A GOOD WORKING TITLE THAT REFLECTS
THE STORY. SO I MOST CERTAINLY AGREE WITH THIS IDEA.
- AVOID
SABOTAGING YOUR PLOT WITH YOUR TITLE.
MAKES SENSE AS IT APPLIES TO MYSTERY OR SUSPENSE. IF YOU GIVE AWAY
THE ENDING IN THE TITLE WHAT’S THE POINT OF READING THE BOOK?
- MAKES SURE
YOUR TITLE MATCHES YOUR STORY. DIDN’T I SAY THIS AT THE BEGINNING? THIS IS
THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE OF ALL. MOST STORIES ARE CENTERED AROUND THE
TITLE. THIS DRIVES THE STORY, IT SOLIDIFIES THE ENTIRE PREMISE AND ONE OF
THE DETERMINING FACTORS OF TITLE, STORY COHESIVENESS.
I HOPE THE DISCUSSION TODAY HAS BEEN HELPFUL EVEN IF IT
DIDN’T DISTINCTIVELY TELL YOU HOW TO CHOSE AN APPROPRIATE TITLE FOR YOUR BOOK.
ALL IN ALL I TRIED TO GIVE YOU A FEW TIPS OR RELATIVE INFORMATION ON THE
PROCESS. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO DECIDE ON A NAME.
KEEP
IN MIND THESE ARE ONLY SUGGESTIONS, AND THE FINAL DECISION TO MAKE IS YOURS.
HOWEVER AND WHATEVER YOUR PROCESS.
BUT I ON A PERSONAL LEVEL RELATE THINGS TO
MOTHERHOOD, PRETTY MUCH ALL THE TIME. WHEN I WAS PREGNANT WITH MY CHILDREN AND
EVEN BEFORE THEIR SEX WAS DETERMINED, I CHOSE NAMES FOR THEM. I CHOSE NAMES
THAT MEANT SOMETHING, POWERFUL AND DISTINCTIVE, NAMES THAT WOULD STAND OUT ON
THE RESUME OF THEIR LIVES. NAMES THAT TOLD THE WORLD WHO THEY WOULD BECOME AS
INDIVIDUALS, THAT TOLD THE STORY OF WHO THEY ARE AND THE IMPACT THEY WOULD ONE
DAY HAVE ON THE WORLD. VISIONARY, AND POWERFUL. NAMES THAT DISTINGUISHED THEM,
SET THEM APART FROM ANYONE ELSE, DIVERSE AND UNIQUE.
SO MY POINT IS, JUST AS WE
CHOOSE NAMES FOR OUR CHILDREN BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO SUCCEED IN LIFE, WHY NOT
USE THE SAME PROCESS FOR NAMING OUR BOOKS.
IF WE FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES, AND
PUT THOUGHT INTO WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO TELL THE READERS IN THREE OR MORE WORDS,
YOU WILL NOT FAIL.
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