Thread: Titles!

I'm about seventy-five pages into my first, serious novel draft, and I still have yet to come up with a title for my book. Sometimes I think that I won't be able to title it until I'm nearly finished writing it, but then there are other times where I think that I may never come up with a title that satisfies me.
What do other people do in regards to titling? Do you come up with a title first, before even writing a draft? Or does it take you until you're done to even begin thinking about it?
The issue isn't a big one, but it's been bugging me recently because I want to tell my friends about my book, and many ask "What's it called?" I end up going into an explanation of the story/short synopsis instead, but it would be far more satisfying to have at least a working title that I like.
I'll keep thinking about it, but I just wondered what everyone else's strategies for titling their work are. When in the process do you title your story, how many times do you change that title (if you do), and what's your process for coming up with a title in the first place?

I would not bother too much about a title at this stage, just have a working title to be going on with. At some point during the writing a title may pop off the page, if it doesn't; then put your thinking cap on.

If you are willing to give some clue as to what your book is about, the forum's members may come up with something.

Don't worry about it. If you have a working title, your conversations will go like this:

"What's your novel called?"

"The Strange People of Batmanshill."

"What's that about then?"

And you'll end up having to explain anyway.

That said, a title is important for me. They usually come early and are open to change. Sometimes they come before the story has begun.

I have a working title, just because I needed something to name the saved document and then the file folder where I keep my scribbles. It's just the name of the location where the first part of the story is set, and honestly I picked it as a joke. For a while I seriously considered using it as the real title, but there are numerous issues: a) it comes from another work, b) opinions of that work might prejudice people against this work, and most importantly c) I think it no longer fits the larger overarching theme of the novel. So I'll probably choose a real title when the first draft is complete.

I have about ten working titles for my novel right now; it's natural. Just write down each new one you think up and see which one fits best at the end.

Originally Posted by Bilston Blue

"What's that about then?"

^ This, to me, is what matters most.

The title for my WIP came to me pretty early on in writing it. In fact, I think I came up with it while I was still working on its detailed outline. I already have the titles ready for my next three books because I already know what they are going to be about and the names I found to fit them are pretty awesome. It's different for everyone, though, and different for every work. I wouldn't fret about it.

"I'm working on a story!"

"Oh, cool. What's it called?"

"The Greatest Story Ever Written in the History of the Universe."

"Wow. That's, uh... an ambitious title."

"Yup."

"What's it about?"

"Who cares! Check out that title!"

Titles are fickle things. I say don't worry about it until you have an actual finished piece to name. Chances are the title will change when the project is complete anyway, so why stress about it? If an idea jumps out at you, write it down, but don't feel like you have to have a title.

The theme running throughout essentially decided my title. Upon its conception, long ago, when all that existed of the novel was just a side of A4 paper, it was originally under the working title: 'My Journey Through France'. After the notes had amounted to several dozen pages; characters had been fleshed out, events decided, places settled upon, and after much research had been undertaken, the simplistic, though affectionate, and rather apt name, 'The Francophile' emerged. That stuck for about four months, up until a fortnight ago, actually, when it was changed to 'The Thousand Nothings of the Hour'. A title that will almost certainly remain, due to its extreme relevance.

Thinking of those three titles, I've noticed something: the first, chosen completely on the vague concept I had floating in my head, meant almost nothing to me, and only served to give a very slight idea of what the novel was about. Boring, really. The second was much more relevant, and over time, both I and a friend had grown accustomed to it (and he was sorry to see it go!). However, once the idea of finding a title from a poem, especially one in which the author had poured their heart out on the topic (for which there were many), I finally decided on an excerpt from a Matthew Arnold poem, hence, The Thousand Nothings of the Hour.

Of course, for my short stories, I don't go through nearly the same amount of mental frustration to find a suitable title. I guess it's because this novel is ever-so-slightly autobiographical, and serious, for lack of a better word- that it deserves some deep thought. If one were to read the novel, then read the poem, they would definitely see that connection. It's just perfect, man.

I am about 108 pages into my book and have not been able to think of a good title. Of course, I have not even given it much thought. I figured it would come to me when I was writing. I do know I want to make it a series, possibly three books, so I want them to have a common name.

Some books titles reflects the story, while others are just catchy names that portray nothing from the book. Some are simply a cool line in the book shortened.

Maybe take an object frequantly used and put that in the title. Or maybe an emotion, persons name, or location.

I am just throwing out ideas, but like I said, I know it will come to me as I write.

Good luck!

What's the main theme? Could you work that into some sort of title. Or perhaps name it after the location it is set it. One of my stories is set in a fictional town so I just named the story after it. Another way is to name it after the primary character. Good luck!