Like many aspects of writing picking the title seems, at first glance, the be a trivial piece of the puzzle. Unless you come up with a fantastic title from the start, choosing one may be a bit of a problem; and as I learnt, even if you know the title from the get-go, you may change your mind.
Now, I can’t tell you what title to choose, that’s your job; You know your story and what it’s all about. What I can suggest to you is the rule I use, which is:
The golden rule when picking a title is don’t pick one!
I’m kidding, right? Well partly. Don’t necessarily get hung up on picking the title from the start.
Why? Simple! I learnt that during the writing process, the flow of the story might change, new scenes might develop that you didn’t anticipate when you first start planning the story. I had a rock-solid title from the start, but once I got further on in the stories development, I changed my mind and picked a new title, which I quickly changed again. This constant change distracted me from the creative process. I got to the point where I was trying to work out the title before I’d even finished the first draft.
As I’ve discussed in other posts, the first draft should be a ‘brain dump’, and you should resist the temptation of being distracted. When writing, you will often come up with various ideas, including titles, in two main situations:
Scenario One – The repetitive task stray thought: These ideas can pop out of the woodwork without warning at any time. Many writers will tell you they get their best ideas while showering or doing trivial tasks like mowing the lawn or drying the pots (as happened to me last Sunday).
Scenario Two – Sub thoughts when creating: In this scenario, the ideas will surface in reaction to the narrative you are working on. This occurs because your mind is working on the story, so you will naturally come up with various new ideas, story arcs and possibly title ideas.
Now, there is a golden rule for these two scenarios:
WRITE IT DOWN AND MOVE ON!
Don’t explore the idea and let it interrupt your flow. On the other hand, don’t forget the idea. The number of times I’ve had a great idea, so good that I’d never forget it, only to find that a short while later it’s gone – and for good!
After learning this lesson the hard way, I always ensure I have my trusty old-school notepad or phone handy. So wherever I am, I have the opportunity to record the idea. Once the brain dumping (first draft) is complete, I’ll revisit any title ideas I’ve had, trim out the ones I don’t like and then place the remaining in order of favourite.
But that’s not the end of the story. Then comes the delightful task of editing and doing your second draft – and potentially many more. During this process, keep an eye out for new title ideas that cross your mind’s eye and note them down. Keep going until the work is finished. By then you should have either the title you are after or at least a good list of favourites to choose from.
In summary: Don’t get bogged down with choosing a title from the start. Note down ideas into a list and pick the most suitable towards the end of the project.
Take care,
– Scrib
PJ Scribbans Author 