LEARNING TO WRITE: THINKING OF A TITLE
- Tweet
From Failure To Success
I didn’t realize how difficult it was to find a title to a novel until I did a historical analysis of the problem. Many famous works that fill the shelves of libraries, colleges, and private homes would not be recognizable today under their original or previous moniker. Some examples are as follows:
- Gone With The Wind …….Tomorrow Is Another Day
- To Kill A Mockingbird…….Atticus
- The Sun Also Rises….. …..Fiesta
- War And Peace…………….All’s Well That Ends Well
- Of Mice And Men…………..Something That Happened
- All The Presidents Men….At This Point In Time
- The Great Gatsby………….Among Ash-Heaps And Millionaires
If you really want a laugh, how about the title “Jaws” sitting on a bookshelf with the words ‘What’s Noshin’ On My Leg’ emblazoned across the book cover? I admit that I haven’t done a full investigation of this issue facing all writers, but these original titles seem totally uninspired and even hilarious in some ways when you think about it.
Research Caveats
I did a random search on the internet to find out what you should provide in a title if you want any measure of success. Some of the rules that I found include the following:
- Keep the title short and easy easy to read (5 words or less).
- Make it memorable and easy to remember.
- Keep it simple within a basic concept that conveys meaning.
- Make it describe your story and add some intrigue.
- Give it lasting appeal.
- Allude to the book’s genre and attract the desired audience.
- Provide a preview or hint to the context of your story.
- Compliment it with striking cover art.
Reference: iuniverse
This list presents multiple challenges. And those issues are difficult to address. The author for Gone With The Wind had to approach 38 different publishers before she got one to accept her novel. “Tomorrow Is Another Day” sounds good to me, but not to all those who rejected that particular choice.
My Novel’s Challenge
I find the initial problem to be as follows:
- The identification of the traits of your protagonist (main character).
- The overall thrust of your story.
- The key element that conveys interest to the potential reader.
I tried to create a name for my manuscript during the initial rough drafting stage to keep things flowing. However, I kept changing it to reflect my current ideas about the flow of the story each time I did a major edit.
Since I created a former Navy Seal Soldier who both ‘experiences’ and ’causes’ catastrophic events to occur, I wanted the title to have either the word ‘Soldier’ or ‘Man’ in the wording. The adjective that best describes said main character is where I tested different words to fit my requirements, but my final choice remained illusive.
I then engaged with the process of doing one final massive, all-encompassing, and somewhat frustrating super edit with the help of the grammar editing software that I noted in my first Learning To Write article. The name of the program is called ProWritingAid. I used the free version to start, but have since purchased their “InfoStack” promotional offering which included massive training resources for writers and 1 full year of their Premium version for $49.
What this means is that I now had more tools available for a full blown edit that helped draw me closer to an acceptable title for my novel. This article will not discuss the details of what is involved in a full scale extensive premium edit. That is for another blog.
Seeking Alpha
Since this blog, and others like it, fall under the category of “On Building My Website”, I may have to create a new category called “Learning To Write” or “My Writers Newbie Corner”. Since everything I do in this arena is evolving and will continue to do so, no category or blog series will be an end in itself.
These are my experiences and I am sharing them with my readers. If you thing I am biting off more than I can chew, you are right. Maybe I am, but I don’t care. It’s what I do. I write, work on my house, and fix meals for my wife who broke her arm on Father’s Day weekend.
With that said, I write my unique articles to share what I learn as a writer along with the other things I do. There is not enough time in the day, so everything takes longer. It’s better than sitting around doing nothing, hanging out on the back porch in a rocker all day, or polluting my mind with endless bobs of fake news on TV.
I hope all of you readers continue to benefit from what I provide on this website. It’s what I live for and I appreciate every comment posted, whether it be positive or negative. I also try to respond when I can. So until the next time, Arrivederci!
I am requesting that my readers click on the links provided and download a sample read of each book and give a review on Amazon. You will have free access to the first four chapters of each book. My hope is that you will like the story lines enough to obtain either an eBook version or a paperback copy that you can put on your bookshelf as a masterpiece when you are done. FATE STALKS A HERO I: RESURGENCE, FATE STALKS A HERO II:THE FIJI FULCRUM, and THE SAGA OF HERACLES PENOIT. I will be giving excerpts on these works in upcoming blogs to familiarize you the reader with exciting details about the contents of each one. Thank you!
- Tweet
-
Related Posts
Ahaa, its pleasant conversation concerning this post at this place at this blog, I have read all that, so now me also commenting here.|
I simply want to say I am just newbie to blogging and site-building and honestly enjoyed you’re website. Likely I’m planning to bookmark your blog . You actually come with wonderful posts. Regards for revealing your webpage.
This is a topic that’s near to my heart… Take care! Where are your contact details though?|
Every weekend i used to go to see this site, because i wish for enjoyment, as this this web site conations actually pleasant funny information too.|
Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! However, how can we communicate?|
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you writing this write-up and also the rest of the site is extremely good.|
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate your efforts and I will be waiting for your further post thanks once again.|
Hi there great website! Does running a blog such as this require a massive amount work? I have virtually no knowledge of computer programming however I was hoping to start my own blog soon. Anyways, should you have any recommendations or techniques for new blog owners please share. I know this is off topic but I simply had to ask. Thanks a lot!|
Every weekend i used to visit this web page, as i want enjoyment, as this this website conations genuinely pleasant funny information too.|
It’s very easy to find out any topic on net as compared to textbooks, as I found this post at this web page.|
It is appropriate time to make some plans for the long run and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I may just I want to recommend you few fascinating things or tips. Perhaps you could write next articles regarding this article. I desire to read more issues approximately it!|
Saved as a favorite, I like your web site!|
Woah! I’m really digging the template/theme of this website. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s hard to get that “perfect balance” between superb usability and visual appearance. I must say you have done a fantastic job with this. In addition, the blog loads super quick for me on Opera. Excellent Blog!|
Attractive element of content. I simply stumbled upon your web site and in accession capital to claim that I get actually enjoyed account your weblog posts. Anyway I will be subscribing to your augment and even I success you get right of entry to consistently rapidly.|
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back later on. Many thanks|
I visited various websites however the audio feature for audio songs existing at this website is in fact superb.|
Woah! I’m really digging the template/theme of this site. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s very difficult to get that “perfect balance” between superb usability and visual appeal. I must say you’ve done a fantastic job with this. In addition, the blog loads super fast for me on Opera. Outstanding Blog!|
Great news once again!
This is a great blog.
good show, I love sjkeychronicles.com !
https://sjkeychronicles.com/learning-to-write-finding-a-title/