My response:
Ginny and the Mystery Doll, which I read when I was in second grade. It was the first book I read on my own, separate from my class, and that was truly exciting. Plus, it made me fall in love with mysteries, which I still find engaging and relaxing to read.
What’s your response?
The first sentence of your book is not what grabs your readers’ attention — it’s your title. Here are some great tips for writing great titles.
Get spunky
Some titles are just plain fun. Even though you may only get a hint of what they’re about, they reveal a writer’s spunk and style. Head over to the just released section of your bookstore and you’ll find great examples for fiction and nonfiction books alike.
Be intriguing
Some titles are more ethereal, even atmospheric. They elicit an emotional resonance, create unusual images and string together words in unconventional ways. They draw you to them, even though you may not have heard of the books or authors.
Be authoritative
If you’re writing to position yourself as an expert, set the record straight or have the final word, use a title that leaves little doubt as to who’s in charge. Use strong verbs, nouns and powerful phrasing. And be brief. Your title should say it all. (Click on the links to see how each book delivers on its title.)
Offer a benefit
What’s in it for me? That’s the question readers ask, even if subconsciously, when they pick up a book, most especially a nonfiction one. Your title must provide the answer.
Use subtitles
Depending on your subject, you may want to go with a title and subtitle. This works well when you can’t cram all you want or need to say into a single title; or when you want to give top billing to just a few, but intriguing words.
To read the full-length version of this article, go to:
My friend Ann Vanino, a career coach, recently wrote on her MovingForward.net blog about how trying to identify passion often leads to paralysis. She put into words what I think I’ve known all along but couldn’t articulate: that the relationship between passion and paralysis is subtle but potent.
As a writer, I know this all too well, which is why her words resonate. As a kindred soul, you likely will agree.
Clients have shared with me that the question “What is your passion?” paralyzes them. It puts them in a place of not knowing and seems too big a question to answer. That’s interesting to me because, often, the unknown is the exact starting point for finding your passion. Our society loves certainty. Whether what you are certain about is true or not is secondary to the feeling of safety that certainty can provide. Do you want to find your passion? Start in the unknown. Allow yourself a blank slate. Do not pressure yourself to find an answer. Explore. Create. Note what you love doing. Start the journey and enjoy the ride.
Often we replace generic words with those that draw too much attention to themselves. The result? We interrupt our flow and that of our readers. For example:
Generic: walk
Embellished: saunter, meander, amble, ambulate, etc.
True, sometimes our characters really do shuffle, but you get the picture. This week’s challenge then is to take a perfectly ordinary word and replace it with a fancy-dancy ones.
Feel free to propose a writing competitional!
My response:
The physical act of getting published: Researching markets, contacting agents, editors and other gatekeepers; preparing packets; making sure I have the right amount of postage … . This stuff is draining, joyless and, at times, painful.
What’s your response?