The Lounge

This is a very good topic for discussion.

The answer for me in general is a very not specific: it depends. While I do believe that the title of a story is important, there are times when I spend effort on getting something and others where I just throw a label on just to have something. I am not a fan of doing something like calling an item "untitled" because we would see so many pieces of art displayed in the art exhibits in college where many things would lack a title. One or two is understandable but after so many it becomes questionable why a title wasn't something that happened.

Problem with doing a placeholder title for a story is that after a while, it can become hard to see the story as anything else. I titled a novel once Hero and took a little time for me to adjust when I came up with a better fitting title. On the other hand, I did a placeholder name for a character because I couldn't think of anything and now that Duke is stuck with Nmael as his name (switched letters around and added an L to the word "name" lol).

I do like when a title relates to something in the story. It doesn't have to be big. One of the movies I like to watch is called Touch of Pink and it's part of a comment made by the main character's mother. If there is absolutely no connection, I get a little confused as the reader because I want there to be any type of reason for the title.

For my own titles, they do depend on the story. Sometimes I take a long time to think about what is fitting and other times, I just go quick. I have to come up with something to save an item here on WDC, so I need something. For a rewrite I am doing, I had just used the characters names at first but now I've developed them so book one is Taking Thomas and book two will be Keeping Kyle. Each involves the character name and an element that is a part of the story too, for example. I would like to do some longer ones but they have to really fit the book. Will see when I write the next one as to how I approach the title.