Craft Tip
Finding the Right Title
Hi, Friend,
Recently I shared a Sparks & Starts post with early drafts of my poem “December 18, 2008.” This poem appears in my fourth collection, Goldenrod, and uses as its title my daughter Violet’s birthday, which was yesterday.
Titles can be tricky. Scratch that: Titles can be downright maddening. Typically the title is the last piece of a poem or essay (or book!) to click into place. Because I never know where a piece of writing is going, or where it will end up, how could I know what the “right” title will be until it’s finished?
“December 18, 2008” explores the “blank slate” experience of being born and being completely new in the world. Other poems in Goldenrod have titles that provide important context to the reader: “Woman, 41, with a History of Alzheimer’s on Both Sides of her Family” and “At the End of My Marriage, I Think of Something My Daughter Said About Trees” are two examples. The titles “Memory” and “Trees” would be competent titles for those two poems, respectively, but wouldn't effectively communicate the stakes.
When you’re “trying on” a title—for a poem, an essay, or even a book—ask yourself: What work is this title doing on the piece’s behalf?
In other words, when titling, think about what the reader needs to know. What information or frame of reference could the title provide upfront so that the piece of writing itself can begin unencumbered by exposition.
My two cents: Think about what details could be shared in the title (and/or epigraph) so that they don’t bog down the piece. What context could you provide in the title so that you can hit the ground running in the very first sentence, confident that the reader has what they need?
Perhaps look back at some drafts and revisit the titles. They may be competent titles, in that they encapsulate something about the poem or essay, but do they communicate the stakes for the speaker or narrator? Do they provide enough context for the reader? Could the title be doing more work on the piece’s behalf? Experiment with other options!
Happy writing (& revising)—
Maggie
Great post. Titles have often mystified me. Your titles are quite inspiring and I love the idea of getting some of the info or import right out there, and then getting out of the way. Looking forward to more posts and tips in 2024. What a generous thing you are doing with For Dear Life.
I love this idea to think about what work the title is doing. Generally, I just aim to intrigue people, and this helps me think more widely. Thank you!