Confession time:
I HATE coming up with titles for my manuscripts. It was so much easier when I was in grad school and my thesis title, “Five Chinese and Taiwanese Families in St. Louis: A New Chapter in Immigration,” was, if not inspired, what everyone wanted.
Now that I’m in the publishing world, that doesn’t work and I am truly bad at titles. Even when I come up with a title I like, it is usually bad because it gives away too much.
But then I saw this in “A Fiction Writers Checklist” by Renee Heiss:
My conclusion links to my opening or title.
While I’m good at linking my conclusion to my opening (circular structure), I had never considered looking specifically at my conclusion for inspiration in naming my work. Maybe this will be the key for me.
What inspires your titles?
–SueBE
One Writer's Journey 