Drama: September 08, 2010 Issue [#3948] |
Drama
This week: Titles: The Rose Is Not Just a Rose! Edited by: Adriana Noir More Newsletters By This Editor
1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions
First impressions die hard. In this edition, we will discuss the importance of titles and how to make yours shine. |
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Bait & Hook: You’ve penned a masterpiece. Every word is flawless and in order. Now, it needs a title. This may seem trivial and easy compared to the rest of the process, but not so fast! This phase is too important to slap something up in haste.
Titles are the calling cards of a story. Most readers will glance over titles before deciding which ones to read. I do it myself, and a boring title can guarantee it will sit on the shelf or remain unopened. With time being a precious commodity, it’s only natural that we would pick the items that hold the most interest and sound exciting.
Titles often give clues about what to expect inside. This is your first chance to reach out and connect with your target audience. Appeal to their interest, play on the strong suits of your story. Use genre to your benefit. Dynamic titles captivate readers and draw them in to the point that they often open up a book or story and start skimming it on the spot. It doesn’t matter how fantastic the opening hook is if your title doesn’t prompt anyone to start reading! Editors often make changes to titles; many times right up until publication day. They do this to make sure it is as marketable and appealing as possible.
Make sure the title makes sense in connection with your story. Don’t mislead your readers or trick them. They will remember that in the future. If your title speaks of hardship and heartbreak, make sure the story does as well!
Now That the Story is Done: If you’ve written the story and still have no idea what to name it, all is not lost. Good titles are many times taken from the body itself!
Look for a key phrase or theme that sums up what your story, play, poem, or book is about.
Reread your material. Keep your eyes open for any catchy phrases, questions, sentences, or expressions that hold special appeal. These sparkling gems can help you create some great titles!
Browse through other titles. Examine what catches your attention and why. Build off these observations and use them to your advantage!
Titles can also help lead us into other ideas. You may come up with several dazzling headliners before settling on the perfect one. Don’t pitch that scrap heap into the garbage. Think about some of the lines you’ve created and see if any stories can be built around them. Sometimes a few simple words can be deeply inspiring. You may be surprised to find you have your very own list of prompts!
Be on the Look Out and Have Fun!: Make a game out of your title search. Most writers are observant by nature. No matter where we are, our eyes and minds are always searching for new ideas and inspirations, ways to put fresh spins on concepts. Include your title hunts in these quests. You may be surprised by what you come up with. Everything around us offers a small glimmer of potential. Utilize these tools to your advantage.
Types of Titles:
Dramatic
Punch line
Place
Trick
Catch-phrase
Short
Long
Musical
VIP names
Command
Happy
Scary
Sad
Question
Alliterative
Statement
Theme
Your title is the very first impression you will make on a reader. Don’t sell yourself short. Think of it as the frosting on a cake. You know the inside ingredients are good, so make sure the outside is just as appealing. Take the time to be creative and wise in your choices, and the rest will fall in place!
~Best wishes and happy writing!~
Adriana
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| | Noble. (18+) A young boy is faced with a difficult decision after a tragedy occurs at his prep school. #1685842 by H.M. Godwin |
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| | Drama Forum (13+) For those of us drama queens and kings, a forum to swap writing ideas and post questions #1394242 by Joy |
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sarahreed: Thank you for featuring my dramatic piece "Blissful Silence." It's exactly like you said, I don't know why I got the idea to write this, but it burned a hole in my head until I wrote it down and polished it. It's one of my first forays into the dramatic and I'm pleasantly surprised at how good it turned out.
You’re most welcome!
A.T.B: It'sWhatWeDo : I so often find myself at odds with the seemingly prerequisite standards of fiction - characters, conflict, resolution, plot, comedy, tragedy, reality, fantasy...life has all these elements and more but, as I've often asked of readers or professors, are life and fiction mutually exclusive to some degree? I would be lucky if my own conflicts had a chance of resolution, or if my reality was at any point as reliable as most fantasy...
I can't thank you enough for choosing "Our Great Well of Empty Wishes" for your newsletter - that story is a true child of my heart, and it exemplifies everything I've said thus far. Congratulations on an extraordinary newsletter, Adriana. All my best as always.
I think, on some level, they are. Then again, fiction can also be an extension—a way of expressing things we wish could be, or perhaps a way of exploring our deepest hurts and fears. Either way, it’s always an experience for both author and reader!
You’re very welcome. There are some wonderful stories nestled in your port!
Coolhand : Thanks much for including Someday Over Yonder in the newsletter, Adriana. You were one of the first to review it.
My pleasure! I still remember that wonderful tale quite well.
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