by Shannon Lausch

Created on: July 17, 2009

Naming a piece of work - whether it's a screenplay, short story, novel, or poem - intimidates many writers. Finishing your work almost seems like a punishment when you have a blank title looming over you.

Relax. Once you've completed your work, the hard part is over. Consider taking a break. When you're ready, you'll be able read your work with a fresh outlook. While reading, ask yourself what your work's overall message or meaning is and what you want to convey to your audience about your work.

If no title comes to mind, a brainstorming session may be just what you need. Try the following eight sources for naming ideas.

Title Idea 1: THEME or SYMBOLISM

Is there a moral or lesson you wish to impart? A repeated motif you want to point out? Think about the essence of your work. If you can distill it into a few words, you have your title.

Example: Audition, by Barbara Walters

Title Idea 2: CHARACTER

A title can be the name of a key character. You can also indirectly refer to the character by describing an attribute. These attributes can include the character's job title, a physical feature, or a personality trait.

Example: The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

Title Idea 3: ACTION

Use a gerund (a verb ending in -ing) to describe a repeated action or the overall plot. This action can also be purely thematic or symbolic.

Example: Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett

Title Idea 4: SETTING

If your work is set in one prominent place, consider using the location as the title. Like character titles, you can use an attribute describing the location instead of the place name itself.

Example: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne

Title Idea 5: OBJECTS or POSSESSION

Name your work after a key object that plays a significant role in your plot. You can also use a possessive, and combine both a character and an object for your title. Keep in mind the possession can be abstract.

Example: Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card

Title Idea 6: A LINE

Sometimes the perfect title is already lurking in your work. Your characters may even say it. Look for lines that you believe epitomizes your work's message or theme.

Example: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen

Title Idea 7: TURNS OF PHRASES

Take existing axioms, proverbs, sayings, cliches, or expressions and give them a twist. Sometimes a twist may not even be necessary if your work's genre or nature inherently contradicts it. An example of such an inherent contradiction is James Patterson's penchant for naming his books after nursery rhymes.

Example: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, by Toby Young

Title Idea 8: TIME or NUMBERS

If the time is critically significant in your work, you can name it after the year, century, or millennium. Referencing a time limit can also work for a title.

You can also use numbers to illustrate a significant address, measurement, or age.

Example: Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

SOURCES:

Clough, Brenda. "The Theory and Practice of Titles." http://www.sfwa.org/bulletin/articles/clough.htm

Floyd, John. "Choosing the Right Name for your Story." http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/titles.shtml

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