Choose a title for its ability to intrigue, inspire wonder, or even confuse the reader into your story, essay or poem. Try not to tell too much about content in your title. Make the first words entice your reader to read on. Let your title establish new territory.
Here's an article on titles:
http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/newsgathering-storytelling/writing-tools/146150/what-song-titles-teach-us-about-the-importance-of-good-headlines/
Play with ideas:
l. Look through your story for phrases that might work as a title. Do any sentences change the way you see the story?
2. Check out your favorite book or story titles. Do they intrigue the reader? What questions do they ask of the reader?
3. Does your title reveal expectations in plot, theme and or tone?
4. Does the title capture an important image? Consider these: Steel Magnolias, Atlas Shrugged, The Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, Angle of Repose, White Oleander, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Crossing to Safety.
5. Look also at bits of dialogue and if they encapsulate an idea for your title.
6. Think of titles as advertising. How would Nike title your story? Or Coke?
7. Flip through a poetry book to see titles poets use. Could you borrow a line? Credit the poet, of course.
8. Would humor work in your title?
9. Ask the reader a question in your title.
10. Try re-arranging words in your title in an unexpected order for a different approach.
Work with your title to transform a sense of what the story reveals.
Creative Write: Share a few of your favorites with us and why you feel they work.
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