On titling fics

[themostepotente]

I'm hard pressed to admit -- sometimes the title of a fic is the deciding factor on whether or not I read it.

Titles can be very eye catching, and sometimes I need that stimulus (can I call it this?) to attract my attention.

Witty, clever, thought provoking -- anything really. I just need to make that connection.

To me, there is nothing worse than a poorly titled fic. Does anyone else share these sentiments?

Do poor titles affect your judgement? Does the word 'Untitled' tend to turn you off?

How do you go about choosing an appropriate title for your fic? Song titles, catchy phrases?

What about sharing story titles with a well-known author? So many fics out there. It has to happen more often than not.

Share your thoughts, please :-)

--P

Comments

[moshi.livejournal.com]

I'm not fussed about titles whatsoever. Perhaps it's the 'never judge a book by its cover' thing, but if I'm happy about the summary, the category, the author (or hell, if I've nothing else to read) I'll read it. I might not like it, but I don't honestly see how a deep and profound/lyrical/in your face/vague/whatever title is going to make me not read a fic, considering that almost all authors give us something else to go on.

As for titling my own fics - it's a bastard. Really, the title and summary are my biggest obstacle. I'd love to name all my fics 'Untitled - I'll get back to you', but alas, that would be annoying. But likewise, I'm not going to stress myself out over something that I find fun - if someone doesn't read my fic because of the title, then so be it. I'm very easy going when it comes to HP fandom. :)