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  1. Autumn Lynx

    Autumn Lynx New Member

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    Whats a good title

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by Autumn Lynx, Jun 16, 2017.

    i have been trying titles for me novel but nothing seem to suit the novel at all what are good titles
     
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  2. pat jamerson

    pat jamerson New Member

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    One that is short and relates to the story obliquely, while also creating curiosity as to the meaning.

    When you finish the book the title will often jump out and smack you in the face.
     
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  3. Autumn Lynx

    Autumn Lynx New Member

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    so something to get people hooked
     
  4. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    You want a random title or something that relates to your novel we know nothing about?
     
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  5. Arktaurous34

    Arktaurous34 Active Member

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    This.

    Are you looking for helpful ways to create titles or are you looking for a specific title for your work? We would need some info about your work to create titles for it :)
     
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  6. minstrel

    minstrel Leader of the Insquirrelgency Supporter Contributor

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    War and Peace is good. So is Pride and Prejudice. (Don't use them; they're already taken.) Logic would therefore suggest that any title of the form [NOUN] and [ANOTHER NOUN] would be good. This is, surprisingly, not true. Cars and Trucks is pretty boring. Guitars and Centipedes would have limited appeal. Measles and Transistors? Succotash and Blimps? Your call. o_O

    Seriously, we can't help you unless you tell us what your book is about.
     
  7. Arktaurous34

    Arktaurous34 Active Member

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    LOL I would give those two a chance to hook me :superlaugh:
     
  8. Jacob MIles

    Jacob MIles New Member

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    You should give us information about the book you're writing, then we can give better ideas
     
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  9. pat jamerson

    pat jamerson New Member

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    To provide a title for a specific book one really needs to read it.
    It is possible to do a title from a shorter summary or synopsis but it may not be as good.

    Gone With the Wind had a different title at the start and the author initially had another one until the publisher changed it.

    I took the OP as a question about HOW to create a good title not asking us to provide a title.
     
  10. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    I am Book! :superlaugh:

    War & Pie

    Dragon, Knight, Princess

    There is a Hooker in the Cake

    Read Me, Love Me

    VCR Compatible

    Word Orgy: 80,000 Steamy Words

    Don't Lick Me

    Hey You! Buy Me!

    When Head Met Desk

    Classified: Read it and Die

    IDK, you have given us nothing to work with.
    So do try to fill in the gaping hole you have
    left vacant, so we may be of much better use
    in helping you answer your inquiry. :)
     
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  11. rktho

    rktho Contributor Contributor

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    One-word titles are ALL the rage these days. Also, especially in fantasy, combining two words is also popular. Take the Kingfountain series. Kingfountain. Or the working title for my series, the Swordquest series. So sum up your story based on that. You could name it after a character (for example, Lord of the Rings is named after the villain Sauron) or an important artifact or location (Kingfountain) or give a title to the event (The Clone Wars). That's my two cents.
     
  12. Atrophied_Silence

    Atrophied_Silence Active Member

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    What genre are you writing? That can definitely help with our suggestions lol. The sort of title you are looking for needs to feed curiosity. It doesn't necessarily have to be simple either. One good example I could think of would be: Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
     
  13. Miscellaneous Worker

    Miscellaneous Worker Member

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    Or you can call the fire department in your area and ask what temperature paper burns at. That'll sell. :bigwink:
     
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  14. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Bradbury did it already with Fahrenheit 451.
     
  15. Seven Crowns

    Seven Crowns Moderator Staff Supporter Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    Haven't you heard? You are required to call your book "The _______'s Daughter."

    Many of the good ones are taken, but you still have options. Just think of a career (Moonshiner, Pork Rind Expert, Proctologist). Now add Daughter.

    The Abortionist’s Daughter, by Elisabeth Hyde (2006)
    The Activist’s Daughter, by Ellyn Bache (1997)
    The Admiral’s Daughter, by Sandra Madden (2003)
    The Advocate’s Daughter, by Anthony Franze (2016)
    The Alchemist’s Daughter, by Katharine McMahon (2006)
    The Ambassador’s Daughter, by Pam Jenoff (2012)
    The Apothecary’s Daughter, by Julie Klassen (2009)
    The Astrologer’s Daughter, by Rebecca Lim (2014)
    The Bean King’s Daughter, by Jennifer J. Stewart (2002)
    The Beekeeper’s Daughter, by Santa Montefiore (2014)
    The Blind Astronomer’s Daughter, by John Pipkin (2016)
    The Bloodletter’s Daughter, by Linda Lafferty (2012)
    The Bonesetter’s Daughter, by Amy Tan (2001)
    The Bookmaker’s Daughter, by Shirley Abbott (1991)
    The Bookseller’s Daughter, by Pam Rosenthal (2004)
    The Butterfly’s Daughter, by Mary Alice Monroe (2011)
    The Calligrapher’s Daughter, by Eugenia Kim (2009)
    The Colonel’s Daughter, by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2005)
    The Communist’s Daughter, by Dennis Bock (2007)
    The Concubine’s Daughter, by Pai Kit Fai (2009)
    The Courtesan’s Daughter, by Claudia Dain (2007)
    The Courtesan’s Daughter, by Priscilla Galloway (2002)
    The Coven’s Daughter, by Lucy Jago (2011)
    The Demon Trapper’s Daughter, by Jana Oliver (2011)
    The Demon’s Daughter, by Emma Holly (2004)
    The Diplomat’s Daughter, by William Kinsolving (1993)
    The Doctor’s Daughter, by Donna MacQuigg (2007)
    The Doctor’s Daughter, by Hilma Wolitzer (2006)
    The Dreamthief’s Daughter, by Michael Moorcock (2001)
    The Eagle’s Daughter, by Judith Tarr (1995)
    The Executioner’s Daughter, by Jane Hardstaff (2014)
    The Executioner’s Daughter, by Laura Williams (2000)
    The Farmer’s Daughter, by Jim Harrison (2009)
    The Fat Man’s Daughter, by Caroline Petit (2005)
    The Firework-Maker’s Daughter, by Philip Pullman (1995)
    The Florist’s Daughter, by Patricia Hampl (2007)
    The Fortune Teller’s Daughter, by Lila Shaara (2008)
    The Fortune Teller’s Daughter, by Susan Wilson (2002)
    The General’s Daughter, by Nelson DeMille (1992)
    The Glass Maker’s Daughter, by V. Briceland (2009)
    The Gold Miner’s Daughter, by Jackie Mims Hopkins (2006)
    The Goldsmith’s Daughter, by Tanya Landman (2008)
    The Goldsmith’s Daughter, by Kate Sedley (2002)
    The Gravedigger’s Daughter, by Joyce Carol Oates (2007)
    The Gun Runner’s Daughter, by Neil Gordon (1998)
    The Gurkha’s Daughter, by Prajwal Parajuly (2014)
    The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter, by Sharyn McCrumb (1992)
    The Hangman’s Daughter, by Oliver Potzsch (2008)
    The Headhunter’s Daughter, by Tamar Myers (2011)
    The Heretic’s Daughter, by Kathleen Kent (2008)
    The Housemaid’s Daughter, by Barbara Mutch (2013)
    The Khan’s Daughter, by Laurence Yep (1997)
    The Kingmaker’s Daughter, by Philippa Gregory (2012)
    The King’s Daughters, by Nathalie Mallet (2008)
    The Light-Bearer’s Daughter, by O.R. Melling (2001)
    The Lightkeeper’s Daughter, by Iain Lawrence (2002)
    The Lord-Protector’s Daughter, by L.E. Modesitt (2008)
    The Madman’s Daughter, by Megan Shepherd (2013)
    The Major’s Daughter, by J.P. Francis (2014)
    The Mapmaker’s Daughter, by Laurel Corona (2014)
    The Mapmaker’s Daughter, by John Pilkington (2005)
    The Martian General’s Daughter, by Theodore Judson (2008)
    The Mayor’s Daughter, by James Hoggard (2011)
    The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards (2005)
    The Merchant’s Daughter, by Melanie Dickerson (2011)
    The Miner’s Daughter, by Gretchen Moran Laskas (2007)
    The Minister’s Daughter, by Julie Hearn (2005)
    The Mistress’s Daughter, by A.M. Homes (2007)
    The Moneylender’s Daughter, by V.A. Richardson (2006)
    The Mortician’s Daughter, by Elizabeth Bloom (2006)
    The Murderer’s Daughter, by Jonathan Kellerman (2015)
    The Murderer’s Daughters, by Randy Susan Meyers (2010)
    The Musician’s Daughter, by Susanne Dunlap (2008)
    The Naqib’s Daughter, by Samia Serageldin (2010)
    The Narcissist’s Daughter, by Craig Holden (2005)
    The Painter’s Daughter, by Julie Klassen (2015)
    The Painter’s Daughter, by Carolyn Street LaFond (2015)
    The Piano Man’s Daughter, by Timothy Findley (1995)
    The Pirate Captain’s Daughter, by Eve Bunting (2011)
    The Poacher’s Daughter, by Michael Zimmer (2014)
    The President’s Daughter, by Barbara Chase-Riboud (1994)
    The President’s Daughter, by Jack Higgins (1997)
    The President’s Daughter, by Mariah Stewart (2002)
    The President’s Daughter, by Ellen Emerson White (2008)
    The Printmaker’s Daughter, by Katherine Govier (2011)
    The Producer’s Daughter, by Lindsay Marcott (2015)
    The Professor’s Daughter, by Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert (2006)
    The Professor’s Daughter, by Emily Raboteau (2005)
    The Queen’s Daughter, by Susan Coventry (2010)
    The Rats’ Daughter, by Joel Cook (1993)
    The Red Queen’s Daughter, by Jacqueline Kolosov (2007)
    The Schoolmaster’s Daughter, by John Smolens (2011)
    The Sailmaker’s Daughter, by Stephanie Johnson (2003)
    The Salt God’s Daughter, by Ilie Ruby (2012)
    The Samurai’s Daughter, by Sujata Massey (2003)
    The Samurai’s Daughter, by Robert D. San Souci (1992)
    The Sea Keeper’s Daughters, by Lisa Wingate (2015)
    The Seadragon’s Daughter, by Alan F. Troop (2004)
    The Senator’s Daughter, by Christine Carroll (2008)
    The Senator’s Daughter, by Victoria Gotti (1997)
    The Senator’s Other Daughter, by Stephen Bly (2001)
    The Serial Killer’s Daughter, by Heywood Gould (2011)
    The Serpent’s Daughter, by Suzanne Arruda (2008)
    The Shamer’s Daughter, by Lene Kaaberbøl (2004)
    The Shogun’s Daughter, by Laura Joh Rowland (2013)
    The Snake Catcher’s Daughter, by Michael Pearce (2003)
    The Sin Eater’s Daughter, by Melinda Salisbury (2015)
    The Spinner’s Daughter, by Amy Littlesugar (1994)
    The Stationmaster’s Daughter, by Harriet Hudson (2005)
    The Stonecutter’s Daughter, by Janet Woods (2005)
    The Storyteller’s Daughter, by Saira Shah (2003)
    The Storyteller’s Daughter, by Jean Thesman (1997)
    The Sun’s Daughter, by Pat Sherman (2005)
    The Tailor’s Daughter, by Maggie Bennett (2006)
    The Tailor’s Daughter, by Janice Graham (2006)
    The Taxidermist’s Daughter, by Kate Mosse (2016)
    The Thief Queen’s Daughter, by Elizabeth Haydon (2007)
    The Tinker’s Daughter, by Shelia Hayes (1995)
    The Towman’s Daughters, by David J. Walker (2011)
    The Traitor’s Daughter, by Paula Brandon (2011)
    The Tutor’s Daughter, by Julie Klassen (2013)
    The Tyrant’s Daughter, by J.C. Carleson (2014)
    The Twin’s Daughter, Lauren Baratz-Logsted (2010)
    The Victim’s Daughter, by Robley Wilson (1991)
    The Vintner’s Daughter, by Kristen Harnisch (2014)
    The Virgin Queen’s Daughter, by Ella March Chase (audio link) (2008)
    The Warden’s Daughter, by Anne Douglas (2011)
    The Watchmaker’s Daughter, by Sonia Taitz (2012)
    The Weatherman’s Daughter, by Richard Hoyt (2003)
    The Widow’s Daughter, by Nicholas Edlin (2012)
    The Winemaker’s Daughter, by Timothy Egan (2004)
    The Witch’s Daughter, by Paula Brackston (2011)
    The Woodsman’s Daughter, by Gwyn Hyman Rubio (2005)

    [​IMG]
     
  16. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    The Taxidermist's Daughter will peel your skin off...
     
  17. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    The Mortician's Daughter, you are dying to be on her slab. :p
     
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  18. rktho

    rktho Contributor Contributor

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    Celsius 233?
     
  19. rktho

    rktho Contributor Contributor

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    Use Celsius. Or Kelvin.
     
  20. The Arcane

    The Arcane Member

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    Moonshot
     
  21. Miscellaneous Worker

    Miscellaneous Worker Member

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    That sounds like the title of an alternate universe story based on Fahrenheit 451 :eek:
     
  22. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    Just use a placeholder title like "The book that's going to be bigger than Harry Potter" until you've written the story, then maybe something will jump out of the text
     
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  23. TWErvin2

    TWErvin2 Contributor Contributor

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    An additional consideration for a title, if the first novel is potential part of a series, is to make sure it's flexible, so that the second and third future novels in the series are in some way connected. It's a sort of branding.

    But as has been mentioned above, use a working title and work on the novel. Likely, something will stride you along the way. If not, your bet a readers and publisher will be in a position to assist. If you self-publish, possibly your editor or beta readers.
     
  24. rktho

    rktho Contributor Contributor

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    The OP didn't use a question mark. Perhaps he was making a statement. I concur. What is a very intriguing title.
     
  25. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    He didn't use an apostrophe either so the title would be "Whats" :D
     
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