How to come up with a great story title?

As a writer, I am often plagued by the fear that my story could do with a better title. A good title can make all the difference when you want people to pick up your book.

Here is what I found through my research on this topic. A practical guide and set of questions to ask yourself when generating the greatest title for your book.

1. Identify the CORE themes of your story:

• What is the message being delivered through your book?
• The title should reflect on the theme most evident in your book.
• Examples of themes can include, loss, high school romance, survival, redemption.

2. Brainstorm with others.

• This can come in handy if you're in contact with other writers, perhaps through a writing support group.
• If you don't know many writers, that's okay! You can ask for some input from a friend or family member who is willing to help you.
• Use word association, free-writing, or other brainstorming techniques to generate ideas.

3. Research- Browsing other titles in your genre for inspiration.

In an era, where it can take two minutes to research any topic online, try using the internet or your local book store as a tool to inspire some ideas.

Look around at titles that grab your attention.

Why do they grab your attention? What's different about them?

If you figured the answers to those questions then great, you've become your own ideal reader. Let this spark your imagination and think about what you can come up with.

4. From the story itself.

Sometimes stories include memorable quotes, objects or symbols. Including that in your title may tie a ribbon around your story a little more securely. It may also make your readers curious to find out more about the reason for the title, leading them to delve further into your book to find out more.

Identify a key phrase or image that resonates with the story and use it as the title.

Scan through your manuscript for lines of dialogue or narration that jump out at you.

5. Simple titles may work better.

Titles rarely need to be complex and lengthy. When they work, they work. But when they don't, even readers might forget the name of the book they were reading.

6. Consider the intended audience.

Think about the genre of their story and the audience you are trying to reach. Use language and style that appeal to your target audience.

7. Use strong and evocative language

A great title should grab the reader's attention and evoke a sense of curiosity or intrigue. Try using powerful words that convey the tone or mood of your story. And don't forget to be creative!

8. Play with words.

Consider the use of clever play on words, alliteration, or other literary devices. This can create a memorable and unique title that stands out to readers.

Look up examples of writers who may have used this method before.

9. Testing

Once you have a few potential titles in mind, test them out by saying them out loud, visualizing them on a book cover or getting feedback from beta readers.

This will help rule out the ones that don't work and you'll be more confident with the title that comes out on top.

10. Use metaphor or symbolism

If there is a particular symbol or image that runs throughout your book, consider using it in your title. Alternatively, you could use a metaphor to convey the overall theme of your book in a more abstract way.

This could lead to a title that is much more creative in style.

Thanks for reading, follow for more writing tips and tricks.