Titles are NOT important

[Zechs Merquise]

Until your done writing. A title is a mere label for the story. Until it's done, you don't know what you are titling. It's going to change.

So many stress over it. I understand why. They want it now so they can call it by it's true name, but it's true name doesn't exist yet. I call my stories by whatever the thought was to write it was. School, Torture, Bunnies. Just something to label it until I'm done. Then I spend my time coming up with a title.

Discuss:
Titles and you.
How you feel about titles: before, during, and after writing.
Why my first topic on gaia ever is a stupid one.

[The Butter]

Agreed.

Random fact: Scott Fitzgerald didn't even like the title of The Great Gatsby, which his publisher or editor came up with, not him. But nobody could come up with a good enough title so that's what it is.


Wait, this is your first thread on gaia?

[malice MACHINE]

Exactly. Who knows what will happen to the story from the first chapter to the last? It's always best to make the title come last, especially since it's not even the most important part of the story. The title's just an accessory.

[Zechs Merquise]

The Butter

Wait, this is your first thread on gaia?

Scary, isn't it? I know the feeling. I don't like quite a few of my titles. I suspect editors will change the names of my short stories to make them nicer, but oh well. I have a book titled that I haven't even written yet and won't for a year. It just works sometimes like that.

[The Butter]

Zechs Merquise

The Butter

Wait, this is your first thread on gaia?

Scary, isn't it? I know the feeling. I don't like quite a few of my titles. I suspect editors will change the names of my short stories to make them nicer, but oh well. I have a book titled that I haven't even written yet and won't for a year. It just works sometimes like that.

Oh, most of my stories have half-working titles, like Project 154.

As in, I could publish the story under the title if I couldn't find a better one, but it's still a working title.

[The Draken]

Zechs Merquise

Discuss:
Titles and you.

I think about them briefly in the beginning so I have something to call the word document. My current story is TGK.doc or something. That stands for The God Killer which I might end up keeping anyway since it sums up the story nicely.

Quote:

How you feel about titles: before, during, and after writing.

I keep the thought on the back burner while writing. Just so that when I finish I have a nice pool of concepts to draw from. Afterwards, I might do some research. I have an Oxford Dictionary of Allusions which I sometimes refer to. I put some thought into them since they're obviously the first thing a reader sees, but.

And I think you've probably heard me say this in regard to people asking for titles, but I'll repeat it. "If you have enough creativity to write an entire story, you have enough to come up with a title for it."

Quote:

Why my first topic on gaia ever is a stupid one.

...wat

I gotta say. Didn't know that.

[Charcoal Fireworks]

I agree completely. I don't stress over names, they usually come to me while I'm actually writing the book.

[Dream The Sentience]

Congratulations on your first topic. I still haven't had mine, so...yeah.

Anyway: titles.

I try to make it as alluring as possible, but I fail at that. I also try to make it short but believable. I'm such an inexperienced person, so I must doubt myself.

Before writing, to me it's what I want it to be about in a catchy way. Then again, I'm not catchy whatsoever, so it's just what I want a minute theme of it to be.

During writing, I either feel like it's a good title or it's absolutely terrible. Nevertheless, I don't change it until the end. I know the plot will try changing with a different title. Adaptibility only goes so far with me.

After writing, I change it and get ready for editing. It is a pain to edit, but necessary and give a great sense of accomplishment once you are (sort-of) done with it.

Your first topic is not stupid. Have faith in yourself. And if it is stupid, it's the kind of stupid no one really cares about because you're oh-so respected. biggrin

I think the question is, why is my answer stupid?

[Z0MBIE BUNNY]

♫...She Speaks...♫

I'm always at a loss with titles. I wait till I finish writing it and then think up a title. It sometimes takes me longer than writing the bloody thing itself.

PS. Congrats on first topic

♫...But is she heard?...♫

[The Phoenix Rises Again]

My fantasy book has had no title until lately and I've thought of a few titles now and then. Never changed the story in the slightest.

[Kira hates Oranges]

I label WIPs by key words, and when I finally do come up with a title in the end, it's usually quick just so people will know what the story is called.






I expect this habit will die if I ever get into the market for stuff.

[Steampunk Lullaby]

My pieces don't usually even have working titles until I get about a quarter through the first draft. They're usually just files labeled by the date I started, or sometimes the name of the main character (which I would never leave as the title. Name titles irk me).

[Ludera]

I've changed the title of my newest big thingy at least three times since May. Before I actually named it, it was That Vague Idea About Dead People for many months/years/something like that. Now it's Down. I like this one the most because it is very vague and simple but has multiple meanings. It may or may not change at least sixty more times before I finish planning.

For short stories I'll name the Word document gibberish until I'm done with it. For longer ones I'll start with a gibberish title and typically I come up with one I stick with in the middle of writing. Can't do it with Down this time, though, because I think its destined format is a comic and I can't change the title as I work like usual.

Titles I come up with before I start hardly ever stick. I'd say that it's useless to stress over a title before you write the story, but if it works for someone, it works for someone. Wasting time trying to find one is rather useless since the actual project deserves more attention than its perfect name, though.

Zechs Merquise

Why my first topic on gaia ever is a stupid one.

Don't feel bad, it could be worse. You could have made a "plz hlp me with my title its rely hard 2 come up w/ them" thread as a newbie. And at least you've made one, I've been here four years (collectively) and I have not one topic to my name. Er, many names.

[Zechs Merquise]

Ludera

Zechs Merquise

Why my first topic on gaia ever is a stupid one.

Don't feel bad, it could be worse. You could have made a "plz hlp me with my title its rely hard 2 come up w/ them" thread as a newbie. And at least you've made one, I've been here four years (collectively) and I have not one topic to my name. Er, many names.

I've been her since '03. xD The last line was poking fun at myself and far from being serious.