The tale of the tantalizing title - The Whats, Whys, and Hows of titling manuscripts

I was counting the other day and it turns out that nearly 20% of my stories have been published under a title different from the one I had originally submitted. I don’t know what the figures on this phenomenon are globally – and in a world inhabited by a gazillion writers of every language and description, I don’t know how anyone would undertake a poll on such a large scale – but I reckon the trend is not uncommon.

If a story is a cake, then its title is like the icing: it is the pièce de résistance of one’s literary chef-d’oeuvre, the crowning glory, so to speak. Whether you’re christening a painting,...

Read the full article in the December 2013 issue of Writing Tomorrow

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3600 words
Nonfiction
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Crowning glory

What do the following have in common: “Gone With The Wind”, “Atlas Shrugged”, “The Silence Of The Lambs” and “Cold Mountain”?

Look closely and you may find that apart from the fact that they are all famous stories, the titles themselves are perfect: apt, elegant, eye-catching and unusual. It is also certain that these unique and highly recognisable titles are never going to grace the cover of any other book again!

A title is the icing on the cake of a composition. An appropriate title is one that hints at the essence of the composition, sets the tone without revealing too much and acts as a hook...

Read the full article in the January/February 2011 issue of Writers' Journal

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1720 words
Humour/Writing
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"I enjoyed reading it, and you make good use of some prominent authors."

Jonathan Telfer

Editor

Writers' News and Writing Magazine

"I like the piece"

Zachary Petit

Associate Editor

Writer's Digest