What's a Good Story Title?

Story titles are the first thing a reader sees about your story. It should be provocative and able to pull the reader in. This means the title should be somehow connected to the story (even if that connection is not initially obvious to the reader). A good title should also be fairly simple and written with regards to proper spelling and grammar.

I've been seeing a lot of story titles that veer closely to short descriptions, that include tags and pairings, like this:

//SLASHY// We Fell in Love at a MCR Concert (Noah/Gerard)*

*This is not an actual story title; just an example.

In my opinion, a good story title includes ten or less words and be properly capitalized.

Try not to copy another story's title because it may be confusing to other readers.

Don't included decorations in your story titles, like asterisks, parenthesis (unless needed), and other random characters/punctuation. For example:

***I'm in love <3*** is not a good story title.

---

What do you think makes a good story title?

I second that but want to add one more thing.

As an author if you are adding proper search tags and writing a good summary than all that other crap isn't needed in your title (ex: SLASHY, *insert pairing name*)

I agree to all of this. It is actually a little bit insulting to me when I see titles like the ones you guys described, because it means that someone didn't think about what to call the story. Titles are the hardest part of the story, for me, and when an author doesn't put any thought into a title and it turns out terribly, I don't feel any pity for them, and I usually just pass over the story like it was never there.

So yes, think about your titles!

Also, kind of stay clear of using titles of songs/song lyrics as titles- mainly cause alot of people already do this, making it confusing as to who wrote what story. But also because it shows that your lack originality if you can't make up a title.

Jenni is a Sad Song:

Also, kind of stay clear of using titles of songs/song lyrics as titles- mainly cause alot of people already do this, making it confusing as to who wrote what story. But also because it shows that your lack originality if you can't make up a title.

Unless it works because sometimes it just does.

Especially if it's not the band you're writing about.

yeah if it works but sometimes you get titles like "Mama we all go to hell" and the story is about sponges mating season.

Jenni is a Sad Song:

yeah if it works but sometimes you get titles like "Mama we all go to hell" and the story is about sponges mating season.

I hear you. Just because your story is about My Chem doesn't mean it needs to be named "The Ghost of You" like every other story out there.

You can put slash and parings in the story summary..
i think the {{slash}}[Ryan}i hope to god [Ross] he [Brendon] was worth it [Urie}
started when there was way to many slash stories that were not warning that they contained slash. - ino after the waycest riot

One Awkward Silence:

You can put slash and parings in the story summary..
i think the {{slash}}[Ryan}i hope to god [Ross] he [Brendon] was worth it [Urie}
started when there was way to many slash stories that were not warning that they contained slash. - ino after the waycest riot

Oh gawd when people wrote titles like that it makes me want to run outside and kill a squirrel. If you HONESTLY need to put the type of pairing, all anyone needs is [Slash] or [Waycest] at the end of the title.

I agree it HATE and steer clear of titles that look like that. I used to cringe when editing over at GSB when I saw titles like that...

You shouldn't even have to do that now(adding a pairing in title)... the pairing name would be a search tag... IMHO

I HATE it when people write stuff like SLASHY in their titles...I try to be original, but sometimes songs just fit...Otherwise I'll try and make up my own. Usually I don't name it till I've finished writing it in the first place though.

I can't stand it when people try and make their titles prettier, either.
[fake title]

xXx OncE UpoN a MidnighT DrearyY xXx

or

***PRETTY*PRETTY*PRINCESS***

I start to twitch when I see this kinda of stuff:

XxXsLaShXxXFerardXxXAnGeLs.NeVeR.dIe.XxX

I saw that on this site and I started twitching, it was weird. Even now the title creeps me out.

^Eck. I hate that in usernames, too. It makes me want to go hide under a table.
And yeah, I saw a story titled "this is 1 of those storys with MCR in it [slash]" or something very similar, and it was extremely popular on INO.
I've been fond of song lyric titles lately, since I've been writing song inspired stories a lot, but I try to make them different.

druscilla.:

Jenni is a Sad Song:

Also, kind of stay clear of using titles of songs/song lyrics as titles- mainly cause alot of people already do this, making it confusing as to who wrote what story. But also because it shows that your lack originality if you can't make up a title.

Unless it works because sometimes it just does.

Especially if it's not the band you're writing about.

EXACTLY! One of my stories have lyrics from MCR as the title but the story isn't a fanfic. I did it because it works.

sometimes I get the title first.
before even having started writing.
wierd hey?

katastrophe;:

sometimes I get the title first.
before even having started writing.
wierd hey?

Sometimes, I get the title first.

And from the title, the whole story line just starts appearing.
( :

ray of light:

katastrophe;:

sometimes I get the title first.
before even having started writing.
wierd hey?

Sometimes, I get the title first.

And from the title, the whole story line just starts appearing.
( :

Same. I have a whole list of titles I'd like to use at some point, and if I don't have inspiration I'll just sit there and look at them. Usually something happens.

Princess:

ray of light:

katastrophe;:

sometimes I get the title first.
before even having started writing.
wierd hey?

Sometimes, I get the title first.

And from the title, the whole story line just starts appearing.
( :

Same. I have a whole list of titles I'd like to use at some point, and if I don't have inspiration I'll just sit there and look at them. Usually something happens.

exactly!

I Heard A Voice:

^Eck. I hate that in usernames, too. It makes me want to go hide under a table.
And yeah, I saw a story titled "this is 1 of those storys with MCR in it [slash]" or something very similar, and it was extremely popular on INO.
I've been fond of song lyric titles lately, since I've been writing song inspired stories a lot, but I try to make them different.

I totally agree wtih everything...I use song titles/lyrics too...

but...Titles are one of the hardest things I can come up with...hehe....