Titles - Writers Forum

GD · 08-23-2005, 07:50 AM

In a lot of cases the title is something which is said in the book / film at some point or other.

The worse example I can think of is A Bridge Too Far, where right at the end the general guy says the line. I recon it could of been a good line, except that is if the title wasn't the same thing.

I personally can't stand including titles in the book.

Whats your view on title inclusion as it were?

mammamaia · 08-23-2005, 08:52 AM

it depends...

in the example you gave, it was the name of the book, which was taken from what general browning actually said, so i don't see what's so bad about its use as both the title and the dialog 'punch line' as it were...

plus, it had since become an oft-quoted/used phrase, so was 'familiar' to readers and film audiences, which is always a bonus in marketing...

i don't have any problem with using a line from a book or a film as the title, if appropriate... i've done it at times and, with other works, used titles that are appropriately suggestive of the content, but not actually contained verbatim in the book/story/screenplay/poem/essay...

what's your objection to it, if i may ask?... why does it annoy you?

GD · 08-23-2005, 09:08 AM

Its just the knowing fact that at some point it will be said.

Like movie adverts which have the best part of the movie in it.

Whats the point of seeing it now you have seen the advert?

mammamaia · 08-23-2005, 09:15 AM

sorry, that rationale doesn't seem rational to me... but, thanks for the explanation...