Some Title Method Suggestions
I had this discussion with someone in my writing Discord Server a few months back. She was looking for Title ideas for a trilogy she's writing and we boiled titles down to a few key 'types'.
I'm sure we missed some, but it gave the person who was asking for help a good place to start, so I'm going to neaten up the idea's we covered and share them here. I hope they help!
Finding Titles
1. Themes
The first kind of book title is using the themes of your stories. Find a theme or element that runs through the core of the story you want to tell, and use it to influence your title.
Themes are how I named 'Stolen'. Throughout book one there are lots of things being stolen. Objects, hearts, emotions, and there's even a few hidden things that have been stolen that will crop up in the later books, in addition to the whole series centering around a Thief and Thieves Guild.
2. A 'Layout' Title
Layout Titles are where each book in a series follows a pattern of some kind. Layout titles tend to be best for series, as it's the pattern of the title that ties them all together.
Example One:
Blood and Bone
Water and Earth
Mercury and Iron
In Example One, each of the titles follow a "[Liquid] and [Solid]" theme. The liquid and solid chosen would, somehow, link into the story or plot, but the theme remains consistent across the titles.
Example Two:
The Kingdom of Gold
The Wastelands of Sun
The Oceans of Shadow
In Example Two the pattern is "The [Location] of [Material]". Again, the locations and relevant materials of elements should tie into your story in some way, but the consistent layout of the title ties them together as a series.
3. Make The Titles A Clue or Theme
This can be done in several ways. When the Inheritance Cycle (by Christopher Paolini) was being written and published the first book released was called Eragon, and the second was called Eldest. When it came time for book three, every expected the title to be a single word, beginning with "E". Paolini broke the pattern, but the expectation of the fans that the author would continue the pattern stuck in my mind for a long time.
I'm doing a similar thing with my Stolen Series. Book one is called Stolen, book two will be Takeover, book three Origins, book four, Loyalty.
Eventually, the first letter of each title will spell out S-T-O-L-E-N.
Again, this is a technique better saved for series, but hiding a clue in the title can still be done with a stand-alone manuscript. For example, in the TV Show "The Mentalist" each Episode Title contained a word or symbolism that meant 'Red' because the main antagonist of the series was called 'Red John'.
4. Use An Important Moment From The Plot
The title doesn't have to make sense to the reader the first time they see it, it just has to catch their attention and make them read the blurb. Slide something in that will be important to the reader, or make sense to them, after they've read the book.
You just have to look at "Silence of the Lambs". If you've not read the books, (Or see the films), then you've no idea that this is referring to the way Clarice opens up to Doctor Lecter, but for someone who has read the books, it's the turning point in the two main characters relationship.
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I hope at least some of these were helpful, or sparked ideas! <3
