"Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."
My Boog Pages
Sunday, May 12
What's In A Name?
Haven't written in forever, so here's a short one to break the ice...
Titles are funny things for writers. When you're starting out, the title seems just as important as the story. Later, you realize it doesn't really matter that much, and will probably be changed by the Powers That Be anyway - especially if it's a really good one. My last two stories, the best two I've written, didn't have titles until they were complete, and even then I had a tough time coming up with something.
On the other hand, I was going through the stuff on my computer the other day and came across an unfinished story without a title. It's a murder mystery (of course), specifically a police procedural. In this case a man comes home and finds his wife dead and his house virtually torn to pieces. Someone was looking for something, but what?
Well, this was written before I finally "got it" and started writing really well, but even back then I could tell it lacked something. I always liked it, though, and after I ran across it I thought about it for awhile, then *boom* inspiration struck, and I had a title that helped shape the story and give it a little direction: "The Broken Home". More than anything, this helps me stay interested long enough to finish the thing.
