Titles

[dotfic]

Does anyone else reach a state of mild panic after a fic is written because it looks like it's going to take longer to find a title than to write the actual fic

Comments

[dotfic]

That's really fascinating, that if you get the title too soon, it throws you off.

Some of my own favorite titles were a last minute rummage of panic, and some of them were a leisurely search, and some just CAME TO ME before I'd even got past the outlining stage. I think I just like the feeling of that, but it's not really necessary to the story.

Could do without the last minute panic, though...*g*

[billa1]

I cheat because I always have music playing somewhere around me. Most of my titles come from song lyrics which I generally settle on about half way through the finished story. My early stuff was all Fleetwood Mac. My later stuff was Three Dog Night, Paul Simon, Billy Joel and Elton John. A phrase from a verse of an obscure "B side" song generally focuses my title to my work.

But I confess that more than once I had the title long before I had the story, for example, "Once Upon a Time in the Future."

Wish you luck. :)

[dotfic]

I do turn to song lyrics a lot. Bruce Springsteen's my go-to guy. I've also used the Rolling Stones. Although I don't actually listen to music while I'm writing, which I personally find odd, since I do associate songs strongly with certain characters and shows. But I find if I listen to music while writing it's too much noise in my head and I can't hear what I'm thinking about. I do use songs as inspiration while writing--things I was listening to while not!writing but thinking about the story, and every once in a while there's a song I played on repeat while writing the story (this usually happens with novellas).

[pheebs1]

I hate titling. IT stresses me out beyond belief, and I am crap at it. I wish there was a Magic Titling Device. I would so use it!

[dotfic]

SO stressful. I like your idea of a Magic Titling Device. You should patent it!