I've got a theme rolling on titles this week, thanks to my latest Goodreads blog, which asks How Influential are Book Titles for You?
My CFT post has one of those titles which tie in with an event! There is a blood moon tonight and my post is called Judgement Day! I hadn't planned that, honestly, but I like the idea of the link! The actual post is about judging for writers, especially in terms of reviews and critiques. I also share some hints and tips.
How do you find titles for your stories? I use a mixture of proverbs, well known sayings, as well as phrases used frequently. I like open titles where I could go in a number of directions - there are several examples of this in my From Light to Dark and Back Again. For example: The Outcome and Expecting. Expecting what? The outcome of what? The whole idea, of course, is that the reader will want to find out so they read the stories.
The rest of the story has got to follow through on the promise an intriguing title gives its reader. So it's no good thinking up the best title in the world only for the story itself to let it down. People remember that!
Also, never be afraid to change the title if you feel it is not quite strong enough or just doesn't feel right for the story. I don't often change mine but when I do, it is always because a better, stronger title has popped into my head. Sometimes you need to start writing the story to find out what the real title is.
Happy writing!
My CFT post has one of those titles which tie in with an event! There is a blood moon tonight and my post is called Judgement Day! I hadn't planned that, honestly, but I like the idea of the link! The actual post is about judging for writers, especially in terms of reviews and critiques. I also share some hints and tips.
How do you find titles for your stories? I use a mixture of proverbs, well known sayings, as well as phrases used frequently. I like open titles where I could go in a number of directions - there are several examples of this in my From Light to Dark and Back Again. For example: The Outcome and Expecting. Expecting what? The outcome of what? The whole idea, of course, is that the reader will want to find out so they read the stories.
The rest of the story has got to follow through on the promise an intriguing title gives its reader. So it's no good thinking up the best title in the world only for the story itself to let it down. People remember that!
Also, never be afraid to change the title if you feel it is not quite strong enough or just doesn't feel right for the story. I don't often change mine but when I do, it is always because a better, stronger title has popped into my head. Sometimes you need to start writing the story to find out what the real title is.
Happy writing!
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