Forum: Author Hangout

What to call your stories

Mushroom 🚫

One interesting thing in digging out an old archive with stories I wrote 20+ years ago. It helped me realize how dull my titles were back then!

Margaret, Nancy, Sara, Carol, it is like 1/3 of my stories were just the name of the female character. And most of the others were similar. "Okinawa", "Nightfall", "Beach", "Vegas", "Mallstore". I guess my earliest days on ASSTR really show in the short and rather bland titles I gave them. Of course, back then most of wrote rather bland and throw-away stories so it was not as important as it is today.

Has anybody else had this problem? I know sometimes that is what can take the longest to figure out, what to call something.

And ironically, one of the funniest titles I ever saw put over one of my stories was a thief a few years ago selling my works on Amazon. For some reason he renamed "Okinawa" to "Hot Sake Sue", which I found funny as there is not a Sue in the entire story.

Replies: garymrssn Switch Blayde

shinerdrinker 🚫

Here's a quick story.

I did not have a title for "Mayhem in a Pill" when I started uploading to SOL. I didn't even think about it until the site asked for the name. I took a few minutes and shot down a bunch of ideas and then stuck with the best I could think of while trying to upload it.

I think I did a pretty good job under the deadline I didn't even think I was putting myself under.

--Shinerdrinker

markselias11 🚫

This is currently something I'm struggling with. I'm starting my first story. I'm 4 chapters in and it's still untitled. I can name characters, towns, cities, places, events.... you name it. But force me to give a title to the book I'm writing.... nope... not happening. lol

Replies: Dominions Son AmigaClone

Dominions Son 🚫

@markselias11

But force me to give a title to the book I'm writing.... nope... not happening. lol

No law says the title has to be creative. Call it Fred or Spot. :)

Title it "To Be Determined" or "For Lack of a Better Title"

Replies: markselias11

markselias11 🚫

@Dominions Son

I have a few working titles. The title sort of changes and evolves as I write. I'm currently on the 3rd iteration of the title and I think I have finally settled on something I like. But... then again... we are our own worst critic so I'm sure I'll change it.

AmigaClone 🚫

@markselias11

There is nothing wrong with using 'working title' as a working title for your story. Later on, if you are still having trouble with a title, ask an editor to read your story and ask them for suggestions.

Replies: markselias11 richardshagrin

markselias11 🚫

@AmigaClone

I am currently trying to find an editor who can commit to editing and reviewing my story. I have someone who will try, but can't commit to anything because of commitments he has already made to some rather prolific SoL writers. Some of which are currently writing stories I'm waiting to read more of so.... I'm not going to get in the way of that lol!

richardshagrin 🚫

@AmigaClone

There is nothing wrong with using 'working title' as a working title for your story.

If you are retired, maybe "Retired Title".

Replies: Switch Blayde Vincent Berg

Switch Blayde 🚫

@richardshagrin

maybe "Retired Title".

Those are the ones automatically archived.

Vincent Berg 🚫

@richardshagrin

If you are retired, maybe "Retired Title".

Unappreciated Title, Demeaning Title, The Titular Title, Timorous Title, Delusional Titles, Titles Run Amok, Amoking Running Titles, Incomplete Title, Working Title of Incomplete Story, Temp Title of Story Which May Never Reach a Conclusion or "The Title with No Name". ;)

Replies: Dominions Son

Dominions Son 🚫

@Vincent Berg

You forgot The Story Formerly Known As Title. :)

Ernest Bywater 🚫

I always have some sort of working title so I can identify which file is which. However, it is very rare for that to be the final title. More often the story title will change numerous times as the story is developed, this is mainly because I want the title to convey something about the story and I usually think of a better title while working on it.

Some of my stories that have had the same title from start to finish are:

Star Performance

Always a Marine

Runaway

Play Ball

Replies: StarFleet Carl

StarFleet Carl 🚫

@Ernest Bywater

Always a Marine

Still remains one of my favorite stories.

garymrssn 🚫

@Mushroom

"Nightfall"

Issac Asimov did real well using that title for one of his stories.

Replies: Mushroom

Mushroom 🚫

@garymrssn

Issac Asimov did real well using that title for one of his stories.

Yea, I am familiar with it. As well as the expanded version that Robert Silverberg wrote. But neither of them was writing about a prostitute hitting the streets of LA to make a living.

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Mushroom

Ah, book titles. Not an easy task.

When I started my current novel, the working title was "Sex in the Wild West" or "Wild Sex in the Old West." It ended up being "The Breeder."

"Gone with the Wind" was a line in the novel that she used for the title. I'm sure she didn't know that when she began writing it.

graybyrd 🚫

Call it anything but late for dinner.

Replies: Ernest Bywater

Ernest Bywater 🚫

@graybyrd

Call it anything but late for dinner.

Unless being Late for Dinner is what the story plot is about as the person explains the various mishaps about why he missed the important family dinner due to having get through the traffic hold up caused by a terrorist attack.

Replies: graybyrd

graybyrd 🚫
Updated:

@Ernest Bywater

Then the person could call it, "Nearly Late for Dinner, or How I Dodged the Bullet."

Replies: AmigaClone

AmigaClone 🚫
Updated:

@graybyrd

"Nearly Late for Dinner, or How I Dodged the Bullet."

I could also see that being the name of a chapter in a do-over story where the time traveler originally did not make it in time for dinner, and with that missed the chance to date their crush.

Since the time traveler was not dating, they fell prey to someone who would later be known as the evil ex.

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Forum: Author Hangout

What to call your stories

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