Talking of Titles, or, When Titles Talk Back

Let’s face it: One of the first things which entices you to pick up a book or read a certain article is its title.  A title can make or break a person’s first encounter with a book.  It’s like meeting someone for the first time.  If you were to encounter someone on the street who was wearing ski goggles, a furry parka, rainbow tights, and had a pet monkey on his shoulder…well, you’d probably run away in terror.  But!  You’d want to know his backstory, surely?  Of course you would.

A title does sort of the same thing.  Choosing the right title can make a big difference in the way in which a book is received.  It can evoke certain emotions or make someone interested in the book even if the actual subject matter may not be to their taste.  In fact, the title may be downright misleading (thank you, Naked Lunch), but if it’s creative enough, chances are you’ll at least pick it up and have a look at the back cover.  Here are some of my personal favorite book titles:

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
•   To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler
•  The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin (I swear this is a real book.  I haven’t read it yet, but just for the title alone, I really think I should!)

I could go on and on; titles are just so much fun, not only to read but to create!  I’d assume it’s like naming a baby; a name gives something its whole identity.

With that in mind, I had to think long and hard about what I would name my blog once I decided to create it.  I didn’t want it to be something that everyone else already had.  I wanted it to be something that people would remember, something that would make people stop and want to read it.  Since I knew my blog was going to center on writing, I also wanted the title to give some indication of the subject matter.

I based some of my original ideas around puns, creating titles that played around with famous quotes and sayings.  My favorites, of course, involved lines from Shakespeare, the original word wizard himself.  However, most of these were already taken by other blogs and therefore scrapped almost immediately.

That’s when I stumbled upon what would become my current title, Polka Dot Prose.  A play on the phrase “purple prose,” Polka Dot Prose not only had the literary backing but also the alliteration.  It was enough of a twist on the original phrase to be inviting in a witty way, and once I had the title, I was on my way to actually creating the blog.

That’s sometimes how the writing process goes, as well.  There are times when you just don’t have any ideas in your mind, and it’s frustrating because all you really need is that one little spark to create a roaring blaze of awesome. 

Well, titles can do that, too.  A fun writing exercise which I like to try every now and then when my writer’s block starts flaring up is just to create titles.  Sometimes I try to think of the goofiest, silliest titles I can, and you know what?  I’ve gotten some of my best stories out of them.  Once, I just really wanted to write a story called “Pudding.”  I didn’t know what the story was going to be about yet; I just knew that I wanted to write about pudding.  So I did.

So if you’re having a major case of writer’s block, try coming up with titles.  It’s wicked fun and so much easier than staring at a blank screen for two hours.  Just start making stuff up, and pretty soon, you’ll have an idea for a story! 

And now, before I wrap this up, I present some titles I just made up on the spot:

• Kamikaze Penguins
• When the Pillars Rise Above the Water
•  Silver Tarnishes (Except on Duct Tape)
•  We Two, in the Absence of Ourselves
•  Paper Ships Never Sink

And, of course:

• The Blimp That Wanted to be a Tea Kettle

 Happy writing,

Shannon