Story Titles

[Lafayette]

I am reading "Save the Cat" and one of the things the author suggests is writing down story titles. He also suggests pitching ideas to strangers. I'm taking him up on the suggestions in hopes that it will help me focus or give me an idea I haven't thought of.

With that being said here are my titles. Please let me know what you think and/or feel.

Healer Heal Thyself

The Sick Healer

The Price of Glory

Glory Quest

The Quest for Glory

Healer’s Hell

The Healing Mission

Bad Mage Good Mage

Healer’s Quest

Healer’s Redemptions

Tayanna and Reenah

Reenah’s Revenge

The Magette and the Sorceress

Healer’s Journey

The Journey of One

Boredom’s Bliss

The Journey of Two

Horrific Honor

Tayanna’s Testing

Tayanna and Reeshard

Sorceress’s Scorn

​

 

[Droflet]

A little on the tough side without knowing anything about the story. However, Sorceress's Scorn rolls off the tongue easily enough.

Suggestion. At least what I do when I get stuck without a title. If it is a completed work, reread it, and with each page turned, ask yourself, what is this book about? I've had to do that with a few of my books and it usually works. Best of luck with yours.

 

[JS Wiig]

To me a good title is initially captivating, and after I finish the story it makes me say “aha, now I get it!”

Prime example: A Clockwork Orange

 

[mosaix]

Agree with @Droflet on this one. Both the story and genre are important when it comes to judging a title.

 

[tinkerdan]

If your character is finding out how much work or strife it is to gain glory then...
Glory's Bane
Glory's Toll
If your Character is finding out that glory has many flavors colored by ambitions.
Bane's Glory
Vain's Glory(Just a play off of vainglory)


With those in mind I'd say:
The Price of Glory
or just
Price of Glory.

 

[sule]

I think it's a great exercise to free write titles. One thing that struck me as I was reading your list of titles was how much some of them differed in tone. I would expect a much different story from one titled "Healer Heal Thyself" (which seems to me like it would have a more droll, tongue-in-cheek tone) than one titled "Sorceress's Scorn" (which sounds much more like a traditionally told fantasy). I think it's good to come up with a variety of names so you can find the one that captures best the feel of the story you want to tell.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I am reading "Save the Cat”

My commiserations

But on a serious note, I find titles can really help me keep focused on my stories so I think it’s not bad to have something like this to turn to.

I think it’s important to remember STC is for screenplays and that Blake Snyder has little experience beyond Legally Blonde. I’m sure youcan discern what works for you and what doesn’t but I’d recommend writing and completing a story as a way to learn. It beats any how-to books.

I don’t deny there are some good tips in STC but I found it largely a waste of my time unless I wanted to write simplistic, anodyne, plot-by-numbers stories.

 

[Lafayette]

Thank you all for your comments and insights.

I do know that "Save the Cat" is basically for screenwriters (and no, I'm not writing for a movie), however more than one person recommend that I get it and study it which I am process of doing. I know somewhere along the line some of his suggestions and philosophies will not apply to novel writing.

One item I have picked up on is that screenwriters need to be plotters and planners. I'm more of a pantser. It may be more advantageous if I were a plotter, but I'm not and will have to work with it.

One item of his that I can use is the simple concept of: what is it about?

My story is about Tayanna Wahn a pretty thirty year old, slightly overweight, gifted magic healer that failed the testing to become a warrior mage. She cares for and loves her patients, but is bored with Emerald Valley and desires the honor her father and brother (who were knights) had and sees no opportunity to gain it. She sincerely wishes to bring honor to her family, but the real reason she is frustrated with Emerald Valley and her lot (which she won't admit to) is because it reminds her of her failure to cure her brother of a mortal wound. This guilt is worsen by the fact that she was practicing warrior magic (which may or may not have weaken her healing magic.). She was told by the testers that she has Weldon's Woe (which she denies) and that practicing warrior magic can kill her.

Because of her intelligence and healing skills she is sent on a mission by the master mage to aid the resident healer of Cherry Town to stamp out a plague. On her journey she accompanied my a bumbling, but very loyal friend named, John.

On their way to Cherry Town they are attacked by Ords. They are saved by Reeshard and his Rangers. However, John is severely wounded and needs to stay behind. Because, Reeshard is concern about her safety and is sweet on Tayanna (the feeling isn't immediately mutual) he escorts her to Cherry Town.

Upon her arrival she finds the resident healer has died of the plague. She also learns a vindictive sorceress named, Reenah Dahr is the cause of the plague and the Ords.

In the end the town is rid of the plague, the Ords, and Reenah.

 

[paranoid marvin]

From what you've written there, Weldon's Woe sounds like an interesting title or perhaps Tayanna's Woe.

 

[BlueDragonSapphire]

I am reading "Save the Cat" and one of the things the author suggests is writing down story titles. He also suggests pitching ideas to strangers. I'm taking him up on the suggestions in hopes that it will help me focus or give me an idea I haven't thought of.

With that being said here are my titles. Please let me know what you think and/or feel.

Healer Heal Thyself

The Sick Healer

The Price of Glory

Glory Quest

The Quest for Glory

Healer’s Hell

The Healing Mission

Bad Mage Good Mage

Healer’s Quest

Healer’s Redemptions

Tayanna and Reenah

Reenah’s Revenge

The Magette and the Sorceress

Healer’s Journey

The Journey of One

Boredom’s Bliss

The Journey of Two

Horrific Honor

Tayanna’s Testing

Tayanna and Reeshard

Sorceress's Scorn​

Personally, with my book titles, I like to add a key element that's present in the work itself to add an area of mystery for the reader. But I think a good strategy is getting started on the book first then developing the title later because you'll get a better feel for the overall story and can tie all of that information into one simple phrase. But that's just my opinion.
I really like some of yours, they seem really interesting! Using strong and demanding words can be really eye-catching, judging by the titles you already have, you could try something like "Memoirs of a Healer" something simple yet eye-catching.
Good luck with your book! I hope to see it one day!

 

[Parson]

I agree that a title is very important for a book. When I read through the titles you gave in your first post they pointed me in different directions. But hopefully whatever cover the book has it would limit the interpretations of the title to something along the line of what you have in mind.

Going by your blurb, I like Paranoid Marvin's suggestion of Weldon's Woe better than any other I've seen. It picks up a central idea and it makes me wonder if Tayanna is or suffers from it.

 

[G.T.]

Is this book going to be a series? Will Tayanna develop her magic beyond healing?

If so, it might be worth considering Weldon's Woe for a book title and The Price of Glory as a series title. I don't know enough of your entire story arc to say but Sorceress’s Scorn would make a nice sequel if the one responsible for the plague escapes to become a bigger villain of a series.

If this is a one-off book I'd go straight for Tayanna: The Price of Glory and try to work that into the theme.

 

[Lafayette]

I posted this almost a month ago and after a while forgot about it, so I'm a bit surprise and appreciative to see new comments and questions.

My plan was and is to make this a stand a-lone novel. However, after reading some of the comments and doing some deep thinking I may change my mind.

Again thanks to you all.

 

[Cosmic Geoff]

I don't know that writing down random titles is very useful. I think the title should be inspired by the story, and a good question to start with is 'in one sentence or less, what is this story about?' The title also needs to have the right ring to it.
Look at titles of well-known books and see how well they fit the story.
This question is of more consequense for indie authors. If you are a traditionally published author, hopefully you have enough literary skill to select a good title. And if your title sucks, I expect your publisher will pick a more commercial one.
I remember noting that the movie 'Beaches' was called something else for distribution in Iceland. (probably because in Iceland the beach is a nasty freezing place where you go to kill puffins. )

Of your titles, 'Healer's Journey' might be the best.

 

[Lafayette]

I don't know that writing down random titles is very useful. I think the title should be inspired by the story,

I agree with you the story should inspire the title, however sometimes there's too many things happening in the story that makes focusing on naming titles difficult.

and a good question to start with is 'in one sentence or less, what is this story about?'

The story is about Tayanna a magic healer.

The title also needs to have the right ring to it.

Tayanna the Healer is what the story is about, but I'm not sure that it has ring to it.

)

Of your titles, 'Healer's Journey' might be the best.

Thank you. I'll think about it.

By the way, and unfortunately, I'm an indie author and I don't like it, because I have to get involved with marketing.

 

[BT Jones]

@Lafayette, you could have words relating to healing in there, perhaps, in tandem with other aspects of the story. I just thought I would share some possible ideas / related words. Some of them are related to curing, and elements of the story you have mentioned. Others are more abstract, or alliterative phrases with some (vague) reference to what happens.

Elixir, Remedy and Redemption, Song of the Soul, Princess Panacea, The Healer of All Ills, The Catholicon, Redressing the Rift, Beyond the Emerald Valley, Plague Wielder, Cures and Curses in Cherry Town, Reining the Ravage, Taming the Tempest, The Emancipation of Tayanna Wahn.

I also agree with @paranoid marvin and @Parson that Weldon's Woe is a great title too.

 

[BAYLOR]

How about. And Two to Heal the World

 

[Guttersnipe]

"Healer Heal Thyself" and "The Price of Glory" sound especially good to me.

 

[Lafayette]

Thank you all for commenting. I am sorry for not replying sooner,, but I have been absent from here. I will study your comments.

 

[atsouthorn]

I agree with you the story should inspire the title, however sometimes there's too many things happening in the story that makes focusing on naming titles difficult.

I had a similar issue. Is there one main element in the story that, without it, the whole story would collapse and fail to even happen? I had a lot of elements to contend with but ultimately, there was one element (like the ring in Lord of the Rings) that was by far the most important element. Then build the title off that?