I have started writing my first proper novel, and posted the first chapter on this site. However after reading the comments, which I am so glad I received them I decided to remove the chapter to re-write it. In doing so I have decided that I'm not happy with the title that I have picked, so my question is. How do you decide what title to use, and is it best to use something short and snappy, or something discriptive regarding the story your trying to tell. How do you Choose, do you put several in a hat and just pull one out, or do you let somebody pick a title for you. I'm not happy with my original title but unsure where to get the title I want for my novel.
Hi Gordon,
Personally, I did not choose my title until I had finished writing my book. This is because I felt that it was difficult to settle on something that sounded right. The story changes as you write it and it never finishes the way that you planned it to, this means the title (which summarises your book in a few words) does not sound quite right after moving further forward into the book. So I would suggest not considering your title until you have finished and when you publish snippets on sites such as this one, just to entitle it 'Draft Novel - By Gordon Bailey'.
Best Wishes
Georgina Newcomb
I felt this way before my novel was finished. Each of my novels has a working title which can change several times. A lot of it has to do with the emphasis you place on certain parts of the story and what stands out at the end so I think it's something that can only be judged when the book is finished. I know it's more fun to dwell on than other aspects of the job, but I really would advise you call it anything you want for the time being and then give it some proper thought when you are closer to the end or writing the synopsis. Summing up the story on one page will sometimes point to the title.