WRITING; MARCH 2001

Novelist Lois Duncan answers a student's question about creating a good title. The chief purpose of a title is to hook the interest of readers, and it should be a promise of wonderful things to come. Copyright Weekly Reader Corporation Feb/Mar 2001

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Student Adam Berk asks that question. Novelist Lois Duncan provides an answer,

When I write stories, I have trouble creating a good title. How do you find titles for your books? Do you know the title before you begin, or discover it as you write?"

-Adam Berk

Buffalo Grove, IL

Dear Adam,

You've raised a good question, because titles are very important. The title is the "bait" that causes a buyer to reach for one book rather than another. It must grab attention, while at the same time indicating the story's mood and content. That's a big job for a few words.

Since my books are mostly suspense novels, I choose titles that suggest danger and intrigue. Sometimes that gets me into trouble. Killing Mr. Griffin has been banned in some schools because parents, who haven't read it, mistakenly assume it's a "how-to" for students who want to get rid of their teachers. But Daughters of Eve, which I think is a scarier book, almost never gets challenged because it sounds like a gentle love story.

I usually have a "working title" in mind before I start writing. Often, it isn't the final title. For instance, I wrote a story about a family in Louisiana who used voodoo to keep from aging. A hundred years went by, and that family never got older, which led to all kinds of problems. My working title was "Clock with No Hands." I just loved that image, and still do. But my editor wanted to call the book "Frozen in Time." I objected strenuously, since the story was laid in the South in the summer, when anything frozen would have melted immediately. We finally compromised and called the book Locked in. Time.

I've used many sources for titles. Sometimes it's a phrase within the story, like I Know What You Did Last Summer. Other times it's a visual image, like Down a Dark Hall. One of my favorite titles is The Third Eye, because the concept is so strange yet fits the story perfectly.

Remember: The chief purpose of your title is to hook the interest of your readers. Your title is a promise of wonderful things to come-and the content of your story must live up to that promise.

Warm wishes

Lois Duncan