Latest Lists

Writers, how do you decide on a title for your book?

If you have a list of titles you like and that fit your book, how do you decide which to use? And I know the publishers have the final say in the title when publishing, but I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about in general, like when you're talking to a friend about the story(a bad example, but whatever). How do you decide what to call it?

Public Comments

1. I think of a snazzy last line for my story and use that. If your story ends with the main character dieing in a car crash and throughout the story she says, "That is all." when she leaves make the last line, "That was all" (notice I said was) and call the story That Is All Get it?
2. I decide by calling it what's catchy and memorable and fitting. There's always just that one that sticks out or just comes to you. Something that hasn't been done a million times.
3. whatever stands out to you. I have written plenty and there I still change my title often. Just think of something catchy or creative. You don't have to exactly focus on something important in your book. If you still can't choose just use the main characters name or something
4. Something mysterious that sums up the cause of the plot. My current story, a fantasy adventure, is called "Serenity", from the name of an elf, Serene, that appears near the main character's house. Chasing Serene is the main cause of the main character's trouble. Also, it has a certain ring to it (because the main character is looking for true love).
5. I like to come up with a long running metaphor and theme for the book to title it by. Some of my favourites to give you an example. Moon Among Stars-- it's the final novel in a fantasy series I'm writing and I've titled it so because the element I've based it on is darkness and the main character stands out as a glimmer of hope in the pools of despond for others, like the moon among the starry night sky. Vertigo-- It's the second novel in the same series, and I've titled it because the element is air and the moral is about fear, and my main character has to face a lot of her fears, one of which is heights, by being forced to live on a mountain and it also describes the dizzy feeling of her mind in the clouds as she gets kissed by the love interest. That's how I come up with them. I like ominous sounding titles, and have no patience for the queer one word titles like "Hunger" or "Silence" or "Insatiable". And I don't like the ones that are like "Why I only date guys on the swim team" or "Jessica's guide to dating the undead". Answer mine? It's actually about titles too! http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhxTcfTvsgg0SKooywAASOPsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100826131919AAB1gz6