Although it may seem trivial, the title has a significant impact on the delivery of the story. Often, the title can determine whether someone will read your story or ignore it. Fortunately (or unfortunately), it's often the title of the story that grabs your attention, no matter how much time and effort you put into writing the story. So even if you feel tempted to belittle the title, don't do it.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Getting Inspired from Stories
Step 1. Get inspired by the main theme of your story
A good title should fit the story in a precise but evocative way.
Think about the main theme of your story-is your story about revenge? Sadness? Alienation? –and think of a title that evokes that theme. For example, if your theme is about atonement, you could give your story a title like, “Fall into Grace”
Step 2. Give a title based on an important background
If a particular setting plays an important role in the story, consider making that setting the title of your story.
For example, if the core of your story is an incident that happened on an island called Banda Neira, you could create a title “Banda Neira” for your story. Or, you can get inspiration from the events that happened in that place as the title of your story, such as “Ombak in Banda Neira” or “Menantang Alam Banda Neira”
Step 3. Choose a title that is inspired by an important event in the story
If there is a particular event that dominates the story or becomes the main key in the movement of the story, consider using it as title inspiration.
For example, you could create a title like, “What Happened That Morning” or “Dead Among Thieves”
Step 4. Use the main character of your story as the title
Naming a book using the names of important characters in the story can give your title an attractive simplicity. It helps a lot if your main character's name is memorable and important.
A number of well-known writers use this method, for example: Marah Roesli with Sitti Nurbaya, Hilman with Lupus, Pidi Baiq with Dilan. In western countries, famous writers who use this technique are Charles Dickens with David Copperfield and Oliver Twist, Charlotte Bronte with Jane Eyre, and Miguel de Cervantes with Don Quixote
Step 5. Title it based on a memorable quote from your story
If you have an original, catchy sentence or phrase that captures an important element or theme of your story, use that sentence or a different version of it as the title of the story.
For example, novels like Tere Liye's Falling Leaves Never Hate the Wind, or in America, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird all use words from the story itself
Part 2 of 3: Getting Inspired From Elsewhere
Step 1. Do your research
Take note of the main elements of your story, especially objects and places. Research these places and objects and look for inspiration for the title of the story.
For example, if your story focuses on Solomon's agate passed down from generation to generation in a family, you might research agate and find that Solomon's agate is considered a stone associated with Prophet Solomon and believed to protect the wearer. So, you can create a title like, “Stone of the Prophet”
Step 2. Check your own bookshelf
Look at the titles on your own bookshelf and write down the ones that interest you.
- Write down the titles that you see first and that catch your attention.
- Review your list and try to determine what the good titles have in common. For example, do the titles appeal to your senses, and appeal to the reader's imagination, etc.?
Step 3. Use allusions
Allusions are things or phrases that refer to or are taken from external sources such as other literary works, song titles, or even a brand or slogan.
- Many writers draw inspiration from classical literary works. Examples are many in western literature, namely William Faulkner with his work entitled Sound and the Fury which was inspired by a dialogue in Shakespeare's play Macbeth, and John Steinbeck with his work entitled Grapes of Wrath which is an allusion to the lyrics of the song "The Battle Hymn of Wrath". the Republic".
- Many other western writers also drew inspiration from local vernacular terms, such as the term used in the London Cockney area, namely "queer as a clockwork orange" (meaning: something very strange) which inspired Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange.
- Some writers have also used allusions from popular culture, such as Kurt Vonnegut using the slogan Wheaties for his book Breakfast of Champions.
Part 3 of 3: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Step 1. Create a title that fits the genre of your story
If you choose a title that sounds appropriate for a genre but your story is in another, you're not only confusing potential readers, you're also making them feel alien.
For example, if the title of your story sounds like a fantasy story, such as “Dragons in the Old Tower”, but your story is about accountants in the modern world, you will alienate people who choose your story to read fantasy stories and you will lose readers looking for stories about modern life accounting world, and others
Step 2. Limit the length of the title
Usually, a very short but high-impact title works better than a long, hard-to-remember title.
For example, “Men Find Danger While Crossing the Equator” may seem less attractive to potential readers. Meanwhile, “Signing the Fire” looks shorter and more imaginative
Step 3. Create a catchy title
Titles that use poetic language, clear imagery, or a bit of mystery tend to be more appealing to potential readers.
- Poetic language in a title, such as “Flower Rose for Jasmine” or “Lost Like Swallowed by the Earth” can grab the reader's attention with elegant phrases that promise an equally poetic story or style.
- A title that shows a clear imagery can attract readers because it can bring out something real and meaningful. Titles such as "Midnight in the Garden of Virtue and Evil," while lengthy, can create a direct and clear picture that conjures up the idea of a war between good and evil.
- Creating a title with a bit of mystery can also grab the reader's attention. Titles such as The Title of This Book is a Secret (a translation of the work of P. Bosch) provide enough information to make the reader wonder and then be interested in reading your story.
Step 4. Use alliteration sparingly and with care
While alliteration-the repetition of sounds at the beginning of words-can make a title more interesting or memorable, it can also make a title sound “stale” if not executed properly.
- Alliteration that doesn't really look like God Never Sleeps (translation by Regina Brett) can add an interesting touch to the title of the story.
- On the other hand, overly forced and obvious alliteration-such as “The Story of My Love and My Classmates” or “Looking at the Beautiful Sun in Malang”-can discourage potential readers from reading your story.
Tips
- If a title sounds familiar to you, it's probably been used-and possibly overused-so you should avoid it.
- If you're feeling stuck, try brainstorming techniques: freewriting, grouping, and making lists to find the title that works best for you.
- Don't choose a very long title. Keep the title simple.
- Just because you like a certain title, don't decide to use it right away. Look for other titles if any are more suitable for your story before deciding on a title.
- You can also create a title from something that appears in your book, like a magic toy in a book.
- Think of an important event in your story and think of a word that describes it perfectly (look up a few words in a dictionary if needed, or use a thesaurus).
