I think everyone has trouble with titles. They’re tough. Finding the right title is like finding the perfect balance between “Gee, that’s Cheesy” and “Could use more Umph”. I love titles when they’re actually coming to me, but when they aren’t….. it’s bad.

http://io9.com/5511250/is-your-book-publishable-consult-this-insanely-detailed-poster

Fred Hicks and I engaged in a bit of this for game design purposes. We called it the Title Game.

The first player tosses a made-up game title. The second player has to come up with a game idea that fits that title. Whether that’s a synopsis of a setting, a premise, a game mechanic… Just come up with some kinda gamey thing. Then pitch a new title which the first player has to come up with a game for, and so on, back and forth until one of you dies.

Or until you come across a really juicy game idea like Fred did.

The title I pitched was “Dinocalypse.” That led Fred down a crazy three-part game concept that will some day see the light of day from Evil Hat. (I still pester him about it.)

Also saying: YOU MUST READ A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE SERIES!

My enthusiasm trumps all rules of grammar. The fourth book was flawed and he’s taking forever with Book 5, but DUDE. Great stuff.

In my search for titles I sometimes go to quotation websites and search under a word that I think I might want in the title. Lately that’s been “shadow” and “moon.” Then I see what cool or lousy quotations come up and steal from them. “The Blade Itself” is from a quote, likewise “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” and so on. I haven’t found the perfect title yet (because, see above, I hate titling) but it helps generate ideas.

@Fred: I figured it was something to do with the series and, moreover, something put on the series by the publisher. And you’re right, it is a little liberating. Even still, the title is also the thing you’re marketing to agents and editors before representation and purchase, so it still deserves reasonable consideration.

@Gina: We definitely shouldn’t twist in the wind about it, but ultimately the publisher decides just about everything if you let ‘em; doesn’t mean we can’t attempt to take early ownership. If we knock it out of the park with a good title, it might be one we actually get to keep, which is pretty cool. And I think I’m off of games for a while. Back to writing topics.

– c.

That said, currently, one of my favorite titles is “Werewolf: The Forsaken”, because the shorthand, WTF, is just oh so appropriate. I swear, it’s like someone at White Wolf has met my friends, and named this book for them. It’s either that or they have a surveillance camera installed at my friendly local game store. Perhaps all people who play WTF are completely insane?

Personally, I’m terrible with titles. I think that everything I come up with sounds absolutely cheesy, which is probably owing to the fact that I watch B Movies by choice…and like them.