I’m putting together another collection of my short stories. All the stories will have birds and/or animals in them, some real and some not-so-real. I’m struggling with the title right now.
The stories in it will be:
The Day the Dog Ate Popcorn
Out of the Cradle
Craw
Dog Show
Follow Your Bliss
For a Few Bottles More
Millefleurs
Truth in a Tale
Born Again
Essay About My Mother
Turtle Love
Home on the Range
Meanwhile, I’m posting today at Fatal Foodies: Tofu Is Not A Radioactive Japanese Monster.
WRITING PROMPT: How do you choose titles for your books or stories, website or posts? If you don’t write or blog, if you had to choose a new name, how would you go about it?
MA
Carol Kilgore
March 6, 2012 at 2:33pmIf I’m blogging about more than one thing I try to combine two or more of them into something catchy. With your list of stories, something like Dogs in the Cradle. My blog title for tomorrow is Stringy Melons. Titles are hard.
Marian Allen
March 6, 2012 at 3:16pmHmmmm…. Food for thought, there. Thanks!
Helen Ginger
March 7, 2012 at 9:45amAfter years of blogging, it’s not always easy to come up with new titles. I like to do something catchy, but it still has to go with the topic.
Marian Allen
March 7, 2012 at 9:58amI’m glad you think so, too, Helen! I thought EEL’S REVERENCE was the perfect title for that novel, but people are all, “Eee! Eels!” :/
Maryann Miller
March 7, 2012 at 10:34amTitles for a collection are harder for me to select than titles for a complete novel, and I really do struggle with blog titles. Do you go for something cute to catch a reader’s attention, or for something that the search engines will pick up on. Sometimes those are not the same.
I like Carol’s suggestion for your title.
Marian Allen
March 7, 2012 at 11:27amMaryann, I don’t think I’m going to use that one, but I do think I’m going to use her idea. I’m thinking of Turtle Feathers. It sounds funny and weird, and some of these stories are one or the other or both.
Morgan Mandel
March 7, 2012 at 11:21amTitles are almost as important as cover art. It’s very difficult to pick out good ones!
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
Marian Allen
March 7, 2012 at 11:28amRight, Morgan — And you have to consider what will pop and be readable in a thumbnail, too.
Bob Sanchez
March 7, 2012 at 12:06pmMaybe “Wagging the Tale”?
Marian Allen
March 7, 2012 at 12:25pmCute, Bob! 🙂
Nicholle Olores
March 7, 2012 at 11:39pmHi Marian, I almost agree most of the comments above that titles are really important it must be catchy and interesting.
Marian Allen
March 8, 2012 at 8:21amOkay, Nicholle, do you like these? Why or why not?
EEL’S REVERENCE
FORCE OF HABIT
LONNIE, ME AND THE HOUND OF HELL
THE KING OF CHEROKEE CREEK
HOT FLASHES
TURTLE FEATHERS
Nicholle Olores
March 13, 2012 at 12:25amDefinitely Marian, I like it. They are all interesting and hope to read this all. 🙂
Marian Allen
March 13, 2012 at 9:25amIt’s happening, Nicholle! Maybe as soon as April! Thanks for all your encouragement. 🙂
MA
Jane
March 9, 2012 at 10:52amHi, I am really drawn to Wagging the Tale,
BUT Turtle Feathers is very compelling, too.
Marian Allen
March 9, 2012 at 10:58amThe trouble with Wagging the Tale is that it implies dog stories, and not all of these stories have dogs in. Of course, NONE of the stories have feathered turtles.