The road to the title

Subject: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 2:29 am

Argh, I am stuck!
I am just finishing a non-fiction book and struggling with the title. So far I have 2 working titles and frankly, they both stink. Well they don't really stink, but they are long and boring and I am unable to kick off something witty and compelling.

I've tried brainstorming, alcohol, ice cream, rhyming and every naming game I could think of. I've walked on the beach, in the woods and hung out over the edge of a cliff in the highlands. I've stared at it, re-read the thing 14 times, and I've also shut it in the back of a drawer for over a month. So far, no catchy title, and now I'm up against a deadline.

So my question is, What process to you go through to come up with titles and chapter names,whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction?

I'm lookin' forward to your suggestions! bounce

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Pam Robertson

http://andthebandplayedonmylawn.blogspot.com

Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 3:14 am

This will be no help at all...

I think up the title first, then write the book. It may change during
the writing process, but rarely. I lay awake at night (listening to
Coast to Coast AM) and think of titles... lol
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Brew
My website:http://www.philwhitley.com
"Let us dare to read, think, speak and write." ~ John Adams, 1765

Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 6:01 am

PAM,

since it is non-fiction, I would think that the title reflect the content of the story - at least in some way.

The title to my story changed several times. It started out as "Perpetual Struggle," which is what my story was about, but that was too vague. When I submitted my ms, I had changed it to "The Will To Risk." That was rejected since there was another book on the market with the same or similar title. I then came up with a list of other titles and asked the publisher for their input/preference. They favored, "To Beirut and Back - An American in the Middle East," and that became the title.

I think one must be prepared with more than one title should there be a conflict with copywrite issues. You may take your top three and pick one for a working title and then send along two others for their input. Marketing the book has much to do with the title.

Abe
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"To Beirut and Back"
http://www.freewebs.com/abemarch

Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 7:22 am

I kind of like Brainstorming Alcohol Ice Cream actually.
WOuldn't you buy a book with that title?
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Admin Joined : 11 Jan 2008 Posts : 2068 Location : UK

There is no copyright infringement of titles:

Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 12:24 pm

Thanks for this folks. Shelagh I didn't know about the copyrights on titles, so that is really helpful since I was also playing with twisting a song title or too.
Phil although not terribly helpful, I spent last night doing what you do; laying in bed thinking about it, and although I did have a couple of new scribbles when I awoke this morning, nothing really stands out in my brain.
Lin, you could be on to something...perhaps this will work itself out over breakfast.
Abe my working titles reflect the content, but I am not sure they are captivating enought to stand out from the crowd.
Thinking...thinking....thinking...
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Pam Robertson

http://andthebandplayedonmylawn.blogspot.com

Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 1:27 pm

The title for my first book I thought of while listening to a song. The second while sitting on a beach in Florida and thinking about the outline for my third book. The third is about deception in a marriage - the title for that was easy - Ring of Lies.

Pam, try focusing on something else - you might find something appropriate will just "pop" into your mind.
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Jenny
Writing as Victoria Howard

www.victoriahoward.co.uk

Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 1:35 pm

Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 1:41 pm

I am not helpful either.

For my first novel I came up with a list of eight titles ... and hated them all.

Then ziiiiing! the title popped into my head while I was driving along I-80 one night.

The titles that followed were just built on the original
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~ JoElle ~
http://www.joellemartin.com

Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 4:21 pm

Yep, you can call your book or song "War and Peace" or "White Christmas" if you feel like it.

One caveat from that general rule: there are certain phrases and characters and such that ARE protected, often as trademarks, rather than copyrights.

You might have trouble using "The Smurfs" or "Fly the Friendly Skies" or "Rhett and Scarlett" in certain circumstances because they are protected in other ways, often through other media or licenced properties such as toys.

You could probably call it "The Bible" without being sued, but watch out for thunderbolts and plagues.
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Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 4:58 pm

Yeah, those thunderbolts can really fry any creative genius too. I like Jenny's suggestion about being on the beach...oh yeah, I did that already. And of course I set the thing aside to ignore it for quite a while which hasn't helped.

Maybe I ought to run a naming contenst. Nah, that won't work because the prize would be food and we've already established that there are too many calories on this forum some days...
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Pam Robertson

http://andthebandplayedonmylawn.blogspot.com

Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 6:52 pm

Even though titles cannot be copyrighted, they still may be protected under trademark law. Names, titles, sayings, mattos, and the like can be trademarked, so make sure the title you want to use hasn't been claimed as a trademark. For mre info, see www.uspto.gov

Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 6:55 pm

Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 7:21 pm

Again I am late on the upswing. *grin*

Pam: I am sorry I don't think I can be much help. My title started out to be Plunging In because I was going to use an incident that happened with a plunger in the book. Then when the episode with the cookies happened, the title just changed on its own. For some reason titles just come to me. I don't know if it is because I meditate or what. They usually come to me just as I am waking up or in the shower (Water is a great conductor of thought).

Phil: We listen to Coast to Coast AM everynight!!!!!!!

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Subject: Re: The road to the title Thu May 22, 2008 7:27 pm

Well, if you're going to have a naming contest, you'll have to spill what the book's about.

So why not clue us in and see what we come up with?
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