Novel Titles

[Velka]

I have no idea how to come up with a title for my novel.

I have no problem coming up with titles for my short stories, but they're concise and neatly wrapped packages. It's easy to tie a bow made of a few words around them. A novel is a sprawling beast that you can barely jam into a gift bag (and even then, an odd bit sticks out of the side so you have to cover it up with tissue paper). How do I make a ribbon of words for that?!

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

I like for my titles to come from the piece itself. That might spring from one line of dialogue, or character thought, which encompasses the whole.

It could come from the overall concept. In that case I prefer subtlety until the story unfolds. The meaning becomes clear during the climax or another revealing moment of high tension.

If you aren't yet done with the story, don't sweat the title too much. Pick a working title, something that feels right, & run with it. As you're writing, keep an eye out for ideas and turns of phrase that suit, like the kind I mentioned above.

 

[K.S. Crooks]

You can use the name of the main character {Harry Potter}; the goal/quest of the character(s) {10 000 Leagues Under the Sea}; if you created a world that can easily be the name {Chronicles of Narnia}. Even some unique and important quality of your story can be the title {Lord of the Rings}. In a series you can use sub-titles based on their adventure within. There are probably other ways that I have not mentioned. Hope this helps.

 

[Gabcy]

I like for my titles to come from the piece itself. That might spring from one line of dialogue, or character thought, which encompasses the whole.

It could come from the overall concept. In that case I prefer subtlety until the story unfolds. The meaning becomes clear during the climax or another revealing moment of high tension.

If you aren't yet done with the story, don't sweat the title too much. Pick a working title, something that feels right, & run with it. As you're writing, keep an eye out for ideas and turns of phrase that suit, like the kind I mentioned above.

A very good viewpoint to have on this subject.

The title isn't something permanent -- if later on you don't like how it feels, then change it.

 

[Penpilot]

What T.A.S. said is pretty much how I work.

Also if don't come up with anything you really like, don't sweat it. If you manage to catch the interest of a publisher, if they don't like your title, they'll come up with one themselves. So there's a likely possibility the title will change anyway, so why waste too much time on it?

 

[Ayaka Di'rutia]

You could draw a title from a theme/themes in your story, or symbols and metaphors you may have.

One series I drafted I drew part of the titles from the formal title of the main character, and then added a noun to it that represented the main objective of each of the stories. The character's formal title is "Incarnate," so the books became "Incarnate Journey," "Incarnate Dream," "Incarnate Memory," etc., and the series is titled "The Legacy Incarnate."

 

[TWErvin2]

If it's part of a series, choosing a title can be a little trickier. Many authors/publishers have titles in a series that are similar, or in some way tie the books together. Also, the series often has a name.

If you're not finished with the novel, just write using a working title. Something will come to you. Just like cover art, the title should suggest to potential readers the contents/tone of the book, but doesn't have to be an exact description or detailed/fully accurate portrayal, if that makes sense.

Like the cover, the title has an important marketing aspect. If you decide to self-publish, then the full decision will fall upon you. If you find a publisher, then the publisher (and editor) will at a minimum provide experienced guidance with this concern. With larger publishers, they will consult but may ultimately decide upon the title.

 

[Caged Maiden]

I think the same theory applies to short stories or novels. In fact, the simpler, the better. Something unique, not too drawn out, and intriguing. There are loads of words overused. Titles like Dragon Mountain might aptly describe the setting, but it may be too mundane when compared to other titles of similar subject matter. Often, a small change makes a big difference. Dragon Cavern, Dragon Gorge, Sea of Dragons.

On that same train of thought, clarity is good but mystery is better. A title that has deeper meaning during the reading often sticks better in a reader's mind. A couple years ago I asked the scribes whether they liked these titles better:

Unseen Wisdom OR The Silk Scarf
Unspoken Truth OR The Satin Dress
Unwritten Words OR The Velvet Slipper

...and it met with mixed answers. Some folks liked the garments better because they felt the titles were unique and elicited a "hm, what significance do those items have to the story" responses. I'm still torn which titles to use, but I was surprised how many people answered with really thoughtful responses. What I learned was that titles are important and often snag a reader's attention before the first sentence of the story.

The other thing I learned, was that I'm not very good at creating titles. Hope my rambling thoughts help you in some way. I too think I'm better at naming short stories, but then I probably write the short stories better themselves, because I'm often less "invested" in them and therefore they turn out more natural, organic, and less "tampered with" as novels often become in adding and editing and reworking. Maybe that's the same with titles...go with your gut and maybe your first inclination is a winner.

 

[Russ]

There is actually some weird marketing data out there about effective titles. I can't remember it precisely but is said that one word or three word titles worked the best, but don't hold me to it.

I good internet search might find it but I am tight for time these days.

Also, as noted above publishers have no compunction about changing your title if they don't like it.

 

[Reilith]

This is a very interesting thread and I put myself in your position - I am really bad with creating titles. With my current novel I am just going with the working title which is the name of the kingdom where the story occurs. I've also noticed what the others have already said - that usually series have a name and then each part of the series has a separate one which describes something crucial to the plot of that book only. Also the use of the world 'chronicles' is very common, that even I am considering it if I don't think of anything better.

 

[Velka]

Thanks for the ideas and input. I always told myself while writing the story that eventually a title would come out of it. Now that its basically 'finished' I'm still staring blankly at the file name (which, at this moment is a very original "Story.scriv").

I'm like the person who first saw an orange growing on a tree and couldn't think of a name for it, so they just ended up naming it for its colour.