Writing Preparation: Choosing a Title
A title is considered to be one of the most significant parts to a piece of writing. A title is like an opening paragraph, you want it to be intriguing and draw in readers. At the least it should pertain to what your writing is based on.
The title is what represents your hard work to the rest of the world. It is what people will talk about when talking to their friends or when looking for it in bookstores or online. The very first thing they are going to read and speak of is the title.
Titles should not be dull!
We’ve all heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” however, we all judge books by their titles. If a title isn’t catchy and eye-popping, chances are people aren’t even going to bother to read the summary. You want your title to be original and unique. Titles such as “The House” or The Tree” don’t stand a chance against ones such as Fahrenheit 451 and The Color Purple.
Titles should be easy to remember.
For most people, memorization is a difficult task. If you have a title that is long and confusing, chances are people are going to have a hard time remembering it and therefore unable to talk about it. In this case, less is more. Your piece The Up Down Turnaround Dub Step, may be the greatest piece you’ve ever written, but chances are it’s not going to get many hits. Keep titles clear and simple.
Titles should be appropriate.
Don’t name your fan-fiction story of a talented hockey player something vague like Shooter, it could be considered misleading, as people would tend to think of an action story filled with shooting guns. You want your title to attract the right type of readers. Make sure your title fits your subject. Examples: Love Story, In Cold Blood, A Rose For Emily.
Helpful Tips
A title can be a popular expression. Expressions such as Gone With the Wind or Better Safe Than Sorry are examples of popular expressions used as titles. They are catchy and memorable,two things you want for a title.
A title can be a play on words. A twist of an existing expression such as "You only live once" can be spun into something like "You only live twice," making your story intriguing. The goal is to leave people wanting more, and to draw them into your work.
A title can have a hidden meaning. Taking a look at The Green Mile, the literal meaning is referred to the mile long walk that inmates on death row have to take as their final walk. It is referred to as The Green Mile because in this particular hall, the floors are green linoleum. However, taking a deeper look at the meaning, it means that you are heading towards the inevitable.
A title can be a person’s name. In many great pieces of writing there is a main character, someone the piece is based on, whether it be their journey or prior successes. If your piece of writing seems to base entirely around this one person, consider naming your piece after them. Examples include Carrie, Hannibal and Harry Potter.
A title can be a place. Is your piece of writing based solely around a specific landmark or building? Perhaps an entertainment center like the TD Garden? Use it. There’s no harm in titling your story after the setting. However, do not use it if the place is only mentioned a couple times, only use the setting if it plays a major role to the piece you are writing. Examples include Jurassic Park and Cold Mountain.
A title can be possessive. Don’t be shy to make your title about something that a character owns. Your article could be about an article of clothing or the history of the Titanic necklace, use it! Don’t shy away from using inanimate objects as titles, especially if they are intriguing, interesting and different. Examples include Peyton’s Promise and Maddie’s Necklace.
A title can be an event or activity. Perhaps you were thinking of writing about your experience running the Boston Marathon or surviving Hurricane Katrina. Use a catchy title to captivate your experience like Riding Out the Storm or Running Free.
A title can be a trademark. Sometimes in writing people tend to use trademarks. Generally this is used for a continuous series of stories, meaning the plot continues on or you use your same characters in a set of works. Authors such as Janet Evanovich and Sue Grafton use trademarks for theirs, including One For the Money, Two For the Dough, A is for Alibi, and B is for Burglar.
A title can be a working title. Writers often use a working title when writing. It’s a good idea to wait until the piece of writing is finished to come up with a final title. This prevents the writer from getting too attached to a clever title that may end up not being as appropriate to the piece once it's finished.
Originality
Titles are not copyrightable. If your title is fairly common, and doesn't deal with the same subject matter as another story/article/poem with the same name, you shouldn't run into any legal problems. However, don’t do this intentionally. Why confuse a reader by creating a piece with the same name of one that is already established? Try and be unique and memorable to stand out; a league of your own if you will.