Quick question about Title usage - Writers Forum

AkiraTenshi · 10-28-2006, 09:43 PM

I hope that I am posting this in the correct forum, I am new and haven't finished looking around the entire site yet.

I have been bouncing a story idea around for many years and have finally decided to write it and commit it to paper. The major problem that I have run into is about the title of my story. I finally came to a decision on the title, and out of curiosity I did a quick search on google and found that it was the title of a published short story. I work in a book store, so I know that there are books out there with the same title, or very, very similar, but at the same time I'm exceptionally apprehensive to use the title without seeking advice. I would greatly appreciate your help

Talia_Brie · 10-28-2006, 09:49 PM

I don't see any problems with duplicate titles. If you are going to be competing (in terms of genre) with the other story, then it might be worth making an adjustment to ensure there aren't any cross-over issues.

But, other than that, there's no reason to change the title.

On another matter, please do not let small things like this lay pause on your writing. Titles, Chapter titles, character names, all these things are incidental in relation to the real work, which is creating.

AkiraTenshi · 10-28-2006, 09:57 PM

Thanks so much. I have most of the story complete, (well, that basics), and have just recently started kicking around title ideas, I'm sick of staring at "untitled" on my screen whenever I edit it :p

mwd · 10-28-2006, 10:02 PM

I'd only change the name if it was a fairly well known short story. Otherwise it doesn't matter. Even if it is well known, if it's a simple (i.e., one word pulled out of the dictionary) title, I'd still keep it.

It probably won't matter much in any event, though. If you get your work published, the editor might want to change your title anyway.

mammamaia · 10-29-2006, 12:59 PM

i'll have to step in on the other side here... if you know there's a published story out there with the same title, why not just change yours a bit, so there can be no confusion?... don't you want your work to stand out from others'?... it's not as if you'd submitted your story and then found out the title was in use... you haven't even finished yours, so can easily come up with an original title...