What's in a name?

[darkfox]

I couldn't find a recent thread with this subject, so sorry if it's a repeat or something already discussed at length.

I've always been oddly facinated with novel titles. Some are pretty straight-forward; named after a character, group or event...while others are more outlandish.

What things do you take into consideration when naming something you're working on? Do you name the work before starting, or does it come to you sometime during writing or when you're finished?

The reason I ask is that I'm right in the middle of a novel and for the life of me, I can't think of a good title for it.

 

[slack]

I prefer to use metaphors as the titles of my stories, or an unusual word-pairing.

One or two word titles are just so boring, in my opinion. I use them when I can't think of anything better. But I really do prefer the unconventional; the seemingly random.

For example, I think Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, (PKD) is a really great title.

 

[chopper]

oooh, now, that's a good (set of) question(s).

depends on the story. sometimes the name comes first, but usually i have to get at least partway into an idea before something suggests itself. usually, that stays as a title until the piece is finished, at which point something more polished turns up.

This Place Sucks: title came boxed with the story.
Heir To The North: originally titled Malessar's Curse, which then became the umbrella title for the two books.
Death of the Occidental Tourist: title created after completion.
The Clockwork Eyeball: appeared halfway through, with the macguffin that steered the story.

I don't think there's a set method. It's a bit like naming a child, i guess. you have all these wonderful ideas beforehand, but then you look down at the little screamer and think - hmm. looks like Harry Hill. and then all bets are off.

 

[HareBrain]

I find them really difficult for novels, because I can't seem to get away from the feeling that the title has to encapsulate the whole story in both a literal and a metaphorical sense.

For my current one, I'm thinking of going with a title my imaginary otter friend and I came up with during a vision-quest-thingy, if only so I can tell people about it at parties and enjoy watching them back away, a slightly panicky smile fixed upon their desperate faces.

Of course, for that to happen I'd have to get invited to parties, but ... you never know.

What was the question again?

 

[Mouse]

I suck at titles. I usually end up calling my work whatever I've saved the file as, as it tends to just stick. So I have lots of short stories with one word titles: Ashes, Snowcombe, Athanasia, Sweeper...

I really love Neil Gaiman's titles.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Give it a provisional title, but maybe let your publisher decide? At the end of the day , they have more idea what will sell as regards the title and cover illustration.

Until your novels sell because of your name , it makes commercial sense to leave it to the experts.

 

[darkfox]

oooo...that's a very good point Marvin.

The reason I ask is I've been working on a steampunk fantasy book about an assassin. for the most part it's based in the mortal world, but every now and then it flashes to the afterlife where her father is watching over her (almost like surreal reality tv).

I thought up and discarded a metric ton of titles at this point because I just can't find anything that makes the hair on my arms stand up...you know? I'm sure I could name it something that suits it fine...but my stubborn need to be unique keeps rearing its ugly head.

The titles for my first two manuscripts came easily enough, but this one is different...probably because I'm starting to really care what happens to my protagonist....which may just be a sign of insanity at this point. lol

 

[j d worthington]

From what I've read by other writers, it depends not only on the individual writer, but often on the individual piece. For example, Lovecraft's original title for The Case of Charles Dexter Ward was "The Madness Out of Time", and it didn't acquire its present title until well into the writing. Other pieces have begun with a title alone, such as (iirc) Ellison's "The Night of Black Glass".

When I was writing fiction (something I seldom do these days; my focus being more on criticism and scholarship now), the title generally came to me quite early in the process; often it was the very first thing, and an image or two would accompany it which were the actual inspiration for the tale -- which is how I ended up with such titles as "A Dream of Frost", "A Day in the Midns", "The Gift of the Soul" (long before I knew Robert S. Hichens had written a story titled "The Return of the Soul"), etc., all the way up to the unwieldy (but central to the story) "Don't Let 'Em Take You In, Boys and Girls, They're Every Bit as Real as the Next Set of Monsters"....

On the other hand, when it comes to titles for my nonfiction, that often comes toward the end of the original writing, or even some time after, and generally is taken from either a phrase I use in the piece, or a concept which emerged during the writing, something which nonetheless seems (to me, at least) to encapsulate the core of what I've done.

I'd say let it ride; if you feel it must have a title, give it something which, at this point, seems germane but not necessarily something you'd want to stick with -- or simply give it a generic title, such as "study #1" or whatever -- and then let the work itself dictate what the final title will be... and that may even be something of which the relationship to the story may be quite obscure to the reader, but which in some way captures the essence of the work nonetheless.

 

[aftonrhodes]

I'm currently in the process of writing my first novel (from a draft I began 7 years ago and recently decided to revamp) and realised that it was due a change of name.

As other people have posted, giving your book a provisional name is an excellent idea, however later down the line if you become attached to it, you may find even later that it wasn't the right title for your book after all.

When you find the one that's right for you, be it before, during of after, I'm sure it will feel right (I hope...).

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I can only think of two times when the title came first. Usually, it comes about halfway through the story. Unfortunately, there have been times when I had a title I liked, but an editor wanted it to be something else.

 

[Jake Reynolds]

I generally focus on themes, and I also name each chapter too. I try for double meanings each time, and the naming of chapters has often led to them becoming the title. I think it is best to let them come from what is the core essence of the story. Though I would like more floral titles, I think in the fantasy genre something tha sounds a bit epic that is a 'something of the something' keeps it traditional (if a little trite).

But then again, it comes back to the writing. Name of the Wind, for example.

 

[Glen]

Great question for me, 'cos I struggle with names. Whether it's names of characters or names of books.

To be honest I think the name of the book is somehow easier, because when the name did come to me I knew it was right. For me, at least.

Interesting that in this thread I don't see many methods for defining a name, but more preferences, or names just "coming to me" kind of experiences. I suppose, as we write, our subconscious may be churning over all kinds of names for us...?

 

[Tillane]

It'll probably surprise no one on here to learn that a good number of the titles I've given my stories are lifted and twisted quotes, whether from books, film dialogue, snatches of songs or - as in the case of my latest WiP, What Little Girls Are Made Of - nursery rhymes. Where nothing like that presents itself, I tend to favour shorter, punchier titles - my last three novels being Wirewalker, Multiples of One and First Person Shooter. Either way, there'll always be a strong link in there to either the main theme of the story or to the main character, and most of the time I find that I only start to make good progress on a story once I've got a title firmed up in my head.

 

[darkfox]

I like to name chapters as well, but those definitely come to me easier. It's typically a tongue in cheek observation of what's going on in the chapter. Naming the book seems more...epic in my mind somehow. lol.

 

[kuru]

I read this and thread and immediately thought of sharing this. http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/01/when-publishing-dreams-become-a-nightmare/

Like Tillane said, I tend to 'lift and twist' things I hear from films or music I like. I personally just give my books-in-progress 'working titles' until the right one comes along. I have been working on one in particular for about 3 years now and never liked the title I gave it. Then just a couple of weeks ago the right title just kinda walked into my head. I have a couple of others barely started, though, which already have their perfect title.

What I have trouble with are names for main characters. I think I put too much thought into them and nothing feels right for some characters. In the fantasy I've been working on for a few years now, I have changed the main characters name probably 5 times or so, and it just doesn't fit him. Planning to be finished with the project at the end of this month though, so I need to get it figured out, lol.

 

[GPMorgain]

Titles often are one of the more difficult things. Sometimes, the perfect title appears as if from nowhere either before, during, or after a manuscript is complete. Other times, I'm left sitting for hours trying to come up with something good.

For me, titles can come from anything. Maybe it's the name of the protagonist, or a theme I've discovered in the writing.

As far as Philip K. Dick goes, I believe his publishers usually changed the title he proposed. Dick, I believe, is quoted as saying something along the lines of "If I could think of good titles, I'd be in marketing."

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Interesting thread topic...

Some of my titles have been instantaneous, others more difficult... My debut novel for Orbit was originally called Kray, after the city in which it was set, but close to publication time Orbit decided there was too much linkage with the Kray twins - notorious East End gangsters... so we had to come up with a new title quick. Unfortunately, we couldn't. Then, a couple of weeks before the deadline, a friend of mine came up with Seeds Of Memory, which Tim Holman turned into Memory Seed. Everyone was pleased with that one. The sequel Glass was a no-brainer, as it followed the glass plague of the story. Ditto for Flowercrash.

Hallucinating was intentionally ambiguous because the events of the novel could be real or they could be delusions suffered by Nulight, the main character. Urbis Morpheos I chose to evoke something in the distant past, so that - because the novel is a million years or so in the future - it would have an almost "historical" feeling. Yes, that is one word of Greek and one of Latin...

 

[Jake Reynolds]

I hear you on the main characters, Kuru. Mine are finally set. Initially, when they were formed, I knew jack about writing. Therefore, I fell into what I now call the 'Lord Xaraxaroth and Dave' dilemma, when characters from the same part of the world have radically different names. Just have to bite the bullet and change it, and trust that a perfect one will eventually settle onto their shoulders.

It sounds a little gushy in a "I-went-to-a-writing-camp-to-learn-how-to-write-but can't-be-bothered-doing-any-real-work-and-tell-everyone-I-love-Hemingway-even-though-my-favourite-is-stefanie-meyer" sort of way, but let your characters tell you who they are.

 

[slack]

I read this and thread and immediately thought of sharing this. http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/01/when-publishing-dreams-become-a-nightmare/

Like Tillane said, I tend to 'lift and twist' things I hear from films or music I like. I personally just give my books-in-progress 'working titles' until the right one comes along. I have been working on one in particular for about 3 years now and never liked the title I gave it. Then just a couple of weeks ago the right title just kinda walked into my head. I have a couple of others barely started, though, which already have their perfect title.

What I have trouble with are names for main characters. I think I put too much thought into them and nothing feels right for some characters. In the fantasy I've been working on for a few years now, I have changed the main characters name probably 5 times or so, and it just doesn't fit him. Planning to be finished with the project at the end of this month though, so I need to get it figured out, lol.

Quoted just to say I like your username. I wrote a paper on that disease a few semesters back. Horrible and interesting at the same time.

 

[kuru]

/google...... Well, what's in a name, indeed.

I could be cool and pretend I picked it on purpose, but I didn't. On a side note, it is the name of one of my characters and... it suddenly suits him disturbingly well.