On the Importance of Titles
I took a writing class in middle-school, and one of the things that was really stood out to me was how to give your work a title. You had to have a title that hinted at the events to come, but without giving away any important part of the story. For example, The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke is, obviously, about an assassin's curse. But is the assassin the main character? Is the assassin male or female? What is the curse? What caused it? How can it be stopped/cured? You have to have a title that gives the readers more questions than answers.
On one website for aspiring writers, there are probably over a hundred stories with a title somewhere along the lines of "The Bad Boy and the Nerd." The title tells readers that there is a bad boy, which leads them to assume the nerd is a girl, the "and" in the title suggests they get together in the end, and the rest of the story is some unoriginal plot to do with the bad boy's "dark past," or the nerd's "deep secret" which isn't important anymore because readers already guessed everything important based on the title. Now, these books won't necessarily be badly written or entirely unoriginal. But the unoriginal title suggests an unoriginal plot and then the story is overall unappealing. This is where the importance of a title comes in.
Titles are something I really love and obsess over, and while I don't judge a book by its cover, I will 100% judge it by its title. The title is the teaser to the story. It's a mystery that will make sense only once you've finished the book. The title is one of the best parts, because it can add to the character's story or development, like in The Glass Swallow by Julia Golding. Books by Rick Riordan typically have titles that focus around one important aspect of the story, but don't reveal anything: The Lightning Thief, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labryinth, etc. While browsing through the library shelves, I look for interesting titles, and then check the descriptions of the books. A few examples currently sitting on my shelf waiting to be read are Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud, and The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey. Just the titles of these books are so intriguing!
Next time you're looking for a book, unsure of what to choose, don't underestimate the importance of titles. Look for the words on the spine that cause you to question the story, or interest you in the contents. Those books are the best ones.
Until next time!
~Kayla
On one website for aspiring writers, there are probably over a hundred stories with a title somewhere along the lines of "The Bad Boy and the Nerd." The title tells readers that there is a bad boy, which leads them to assume the nerd is a girl, the "and" in the title suggests they get together in the end, and the rest of the story is some unoriginal plot to do with the bad boy's "dark past," or the nerd's "deep secret" which isn't important anymore because readers already guessed everything important based on the title. Now, these books won't necessarily be badly written or entirely unoriginal. But the unoriginal title suggests an unoriginal plot and then the story is overall unappealing. This is where the importance of a title comes in.
Titles are something I really love and obsess over, and while I don't judge a book by its cover, I will 100% judge it by its title. The title is the teaser to the story. It's a mystery that will make sense only once you've finished the book. The title is one of the best parts, because it can add to the character's story or development, like in The Glass Swallow by Julia Golding. Books by Rick Riordan typically have titles that focus around one important aspect of the story, but don't reveal anything: The Lightning Thief, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labryinth, etc. While browsing through the library shelves, I look for interesting titles, and then check the descriptions of the books. A few examples currently sitting on my shelf waiting to be read are Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud, and The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey. Just the titles of these books are so intriguing!
Next time you're looking for a book, unsure of what to choose, don't underestimate the importance of titles. Look for the words on the spine that cause you to question the story, or interest you in the contents. Those books are the best ones.
Until next time!
~Kayla
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