How to come up with a story title
By Writerthreads on Instagram
I’ve identified a few types of story titles, and I’ll briefly describe them below:
Eg. When the Cows Come Home, Cruising for a Bruising
Usually, the saying might describe the events of the book or men’s something
Something with a character’s name
Eg. The Redemption of Fletcher Cheung (my old title), Harry Potter and the _______
Or literally the character’s name
Eg. Oliver Twist, Doctor Strange, Hansel and Gretel
Eg. Schitt’s Creek, The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Secret Garden
Choose an location where a part of the plot takes place. It would help if that location has a unique name (eg. Earhart High School would be boring).
Eg. The Stars are Burning (my WIP lol), To Kill a Mockingbird
Use a memorable or important line, or a version of it. Bonus points if it’s in the first or last sentence of the book!
Eg. These Violent Delights, The Grapes of Wrath
An allusion is a reference to or a phrase taken from an external source. The title usually alludes to something in the plot or a main theme.
Warning: this makes the title less memorable, imo
Use a song title or lyric
Warning: copyright?? Also it might be cliche.
Now that we’ve covered the main types of titles, let me give you some advice on book titles;
They’re hard to remember and hard to type/say, which reduced visibility. Try to shorten the title if you can :)
Titles that use poetic language, vivid imagery, or a bit of mystery tend to be alluring to potential readers.
Eg. The Count of Monte Cristo
Alliteration is especially popular because it’s punchy and sounds good lol.
Anyways, this is all I can think of! Comment below your book title(s) and anything I’ve missed.
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