"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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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?
7. 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.