What's in a title? When you struggle naming your fic.
So you’re staring at that blank draft page, you’ve got 50k words of angst finished, and your brain has officially checked out. Naming your fic is arguably harder than the actual writing, right?
Here is the secret: you’re already doing what the greats did.
Think about Jane Austen. She originally called Pride and Prejudice "First Impressions." It was safe, literal, and honestly? A bit boring. She realized that a title needs to capture the tension of the story, not just a summary of events. Or look at F. Scott Fitzgerald, who agonized over The Great Gatsby, cycling through "Trimalchio in West Egg" before settling on something that sounded iconic. Even the classics were just "working titles" once.
Here is how to bridge the gap between "Untitled Document" and "Posted":
The "Lyrics/Poetry" Pivot: If you’re stuck, grab a book of poetry or your current favorite album. Like John Steinbeck pulling from Robert Burns for Of Mice and Men, you can find a phrase that perfectly captures the "vibe" of your fic’s core theme.
The "One-Word" Punch: Sometimes, the best titles are just the name of the central concept. It’s bold, it’s clean, and it looks great on a cover.
The "Character Focus": If the story is driven by one person’s arc (like Bram Stoker did with Dracula), don’t overthink it. Sometimes the name says it all.
The "Anti-Title": Don’t be afraid to change it later. If your "working title" feels stale, do what George Orwell did—he wanted "The Last Man in Europe," but his editor pushed for 1984. Ask a beta reader or a friend; a fresh pair of eyes usually sees the title you were too close to notice.
Your fic is a labor of love. Take the time to find a title that feels as heavy, funny, or chaotic as the content inside.
Do you have a favorite fanfiction title that you find particularly fitting or intriguing?
