Choosing the Best Title for Your Story

Titles Are the First Thing Editors and Readers See of Your Work.

Dec 1, 2008 Nina Munteanu

The title is also how readers will describe your work. Choose it wisely. Your story might never get read by an editor or reader if the title doesn't do its job.

The best titles are those that grow naturally out of the subject matter and capture the emotion and heart of the story. Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, author of The Crystal Rose, asserted in her 1999 article, “Taming the Fictional Wilds” in the April issue of Fiction Writer, that “titles can determine whether a story is read, in what spirit it’s read, and whether it’s remembered by name or forgotten.” They can be like store windows that offer a tantalizing glimpse of what’s inside, or they can give away the entire inventory.”

Kinds of Titles

They can be a play on words (e.g., You Only Live Twice), a metaphor or a contradiction or irony, or convey several meanings. The title can be a popular expression (e.g., Good as Gold) or harbor a hidden meaning that unfolds later in the story (e.g., The Shipping News). Titles can also be named after a person or place (e.g., Doctor Zhivago or Jurassic Park). A title may come from an existing work or be a memorable line from the story itself (e.g., To Kill a Mockingbird).

Tried and True Titles

Think of the titles of some of your favorite books; how do they convey the core of the story without giving it away? Think of these titles and what they convey, and don’t give away: Gone With the Wind. White Oleander. The Golden Compass. The Return of the Native. Doctor Zhivago. A Tale of Two Cities. The Prisoner of Azkaban. Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The Illiad. Pale Fire. Lord of the Flies.

The Title is the Ultimate Headline

Think of your title as the ultimate headline. It should be:

• Original: choose something original, preferably unusual (certainly not dull). The perfect combination is something that is different enough to stand out but not so different an unusual that it will be difficult to remember
• Easy to remember: it should “role” off the tongue easily and not be too long; read it out loud to gauge the ease with which it will be read or conveyed. Various publicists have suggested that the title should be short enough to be read from across the room. Many bestsellers are one or two word titles for this reason
• Appropriate: the title should reflect the subject of your story, without giving everything away. It is the ultimate tease. It is the ultimate promise

Using Working TItles

Writers often use a working title when writing a story. It’s a good idea to wait until the story 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 story once it's finished. Also keep in mind that the publishing house that accepts your story may wish to change the title as well.

The copyright of the article Choosing the Best Title for Your Story in Writing Fiction is owned by Nina Munteanu. Permission to republish Choosing the Best Title for Your Story in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The Task of Choosing