If you wish to be a writer, write. - Naming Your Story

Written by writ-write-wrote

"This is one thing I love to give advice and ponder about, but absolutely stink at doing. Titles can make or break your story?they can be the deciding factor of whether or not a potential reader becomes a reader. There isn?t a surefire formula with which you can get the perfect name, but there are some key points you might want to keep in mind while naming your story.

? Creativity

If you?re lacking in creativity, naming your story will take more effort. I know most (hopefully all) writers have creativity; I?ll elaborate. Naming a story generally requires the short-and-sweet, right-to-the-point sort of creativity. You can be the most creative writer in the world, with swirly words and beautiful descriptions, amazing plot twists and intriguing characters? and a title could be the most difficult part of your story, because you can?t think of a way to capture your story in seven words or less.

? Length

I would suggest not making your title an entire paragraph, or even a full sentence. As I?ve said above, I think seven words is a nice limiter, when you include conjunctions (and, but, or) and articles (a/an, the). (I didn?t realize this until after writing this, but even the Harry Potter books follow this rule.)

? The Mood

I have a hard time expressing how the mood effects your title possibilities. I?m starting to think it doesn?t, actually. It?s just that different titles give different impressions. A story called ?A Visit With Dad? about a girl who has to go to a jail to get her monthly visit with her mother-murdering father would suggest that it?s not an odd occurrence to her. Maybe it happened when she was such a little kid that she?s been doing this all her life. If you called the story ?Gathering Memories of Mom?, it might suggest that she?s only visiting to learn about her mother, or perhaps she?s trying to find out who she is, and looking into her ancestry is somewhere she thinks she needs to start.

Basically, with the mood, you?ll have to go with your instinct?does the title fit? (Now I?m wondering why I made you read that long paragraph only to tell you that I?ll be no help? Sorry about that.)

? Symbolism

Using symbolism in your title could be a very good thing. I would suggest using symbolism from a turning point in your story. For example, if the plot is that the main character rushes into a corporation of assassins to save her brother, and while doing so ends up losing the ribbon holding up her hair, a good title might be ?As the Blue [or whatever other color; or no color] Ribbon Falls?. In this case, the title would be in reference to the drastic lifestyle change from ?average high school girl? to ?girl on the run with her brother trying not to be killed by a corporation of assassins?.

Symbolism could also be for a key item, person, or place. If a key character is thought of as a fox by someone else important to the story (it could be the main character; or it could just be a general thought of the community), your title could be based around that person. With this, titles could be metaphors or similes as well. I suggested that the thought be from a main character only because, if it?s just the thought of one old farmer who?s merely someone who gives information?especially if that old farmer never appears before or after this?it doesn?t mean much to the story. It would be like calling your story about a slave seeking revenge for her husband?s cruel death ?Aussie? because she once used a random citizen?s shower and used the Aussie conditioner.

~

I could go on with all the little things I?ve come up with. The most important things about a title are that it fits, and it?s something that could make you stop scanning all the books on the store?s shelf (or wherever it?s being shared) and think ?This sounds interesting?? If you think of your story as an essay, your title is probably the most important attention grabber."

Source: http://writersplace.livejournal.com/20243.html

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