Writing a Novel: Choosing a Title

Many, many writers will tell you that choosing a title is the hardest part. Sometimes we choose a title before we start writing, but most of the time the title changes a few times. Maybe we never had one at all. But now the book is written. The characters are fluid and real. The plot is exciting and entertaining. But what do we call it?

In my estimation, titles should be simple in fiction. You want to grab a reader's attention, not bog them down with details. The title needs to be attractive and eye catching, but also intriguing or even shocking, perhaps. It should sound good when spoken aloud and it should have some kind of emotion behind it. And it absolutely should make you ask a question.

A really good title will undergo a metamorphosis or sorts as the reader works their way through the story. When they begin the tale, the title will have one meaning. But by the time they've finished the book, the title will mean something else entirely. A powerful title will evoke emotion even as the reader closes the book at the end.

So how do you choose a title? That's really up to you but there are some things you should consider. Perhaps you wish to name your book after the catalyst in your novel. The catalyst is the thing that is the reason the entire story starts. The inciting incident, if you will, but it does not necessarily have to be an event. It can be a thing or person. Sometimes there is more than one catalyst. It may also be the goal. think about the novel The Sword of Shannara. The title is basically the catalyst. It's the reason Allanon recruits Shea Ohmsford in the first place. If you know nothing of the book, seeing that title will make you wonder what this sword is and why a guy or girl named Shannara might be important. The story answers this question, but you leave the novel feeling quite differently about the title. It's an effective title.

Perhaps you'd like your book title to have an aura of mystery. In this case, try a single word or phrase with a defined meaning. Think of Twilight. By now, everyone knows exactly what the book is about. There's little mystery to it. But imagine you knew nothing about the book. What is twilight? A time of day. Nothing more than that. By the time you've finished the book, however, it's far more than just the time between full dark and sunrise. Whether you like the book or not, the title is effective.

Other novels have titles that are either based on a familiar phrase, a play on words, or even a puzzle. You can use irony in your title, perhaps an irony that isn't revealed until later in the story. For example, a story called Road Trip seems like it would be fun and exciting and full of unexpected adventures and hilarious moments. But what if it wasn't? What if instead that road trip turned into a horror show? Taking something benign and turning it on its head is a great way to find a title for your book.

However you choose to title your book, you should try to make sure that your climax, denouement, and title work together in some way. It will give a further cohesive nature to your novel. Even if you start with a title you think works, be open to changing it. Make it work for your story. You may have a wonderful title, a title you love and cherish, but it just won't work for the story you've got. So shelf that title and come up with a new one. The old title isn't going anywhere. You can always use it for another story, one it fits better. You don't need to be protective of a title. It's just a title. It serves a purpose.

Writing a Novel: The Denouement

When discussing the traditional structure of a novel, you may come across the word denouement. This is the word describing the part of the story that happens after the climax. The denouement is the place where you can tie up the lose ends. And there always are lose ends. Unless you're writing a series and using those lose ends to spawn another novel, you need to wrap them all up in a neat little package so your readers leave satisfied.

Think about The Lord of the Rings. The climax of the story is when Frodo destroys the Ring, but that's hardly the end. There's a lot to wrap up after that, a lot you need to know about what the characters are doing and if any of them even survive. If the story ended right after the Ring was destroyed, the readers would have been really, really, upset. And justifiably so. Is anyone alive? What about Aragorn? What is up with Gandalf? We wouldn't know anything if the story just ended, and that would leave a foul taste in our mouths.

And so the denouement is necessary in almost all cases. It's a weird kind of thing that varies from story to story. And it's not as connected to plot as the rest of the book is. Often it is a place where the emotions of the story are resolved, or not resolved as the case may be. It is also the place where we learn that the lives of the characters will go on beyond the final page (unless that character was killed off in the climax; he's going nowhere). The future, what might be, is often the entire focus of the denouement.

This final bit of the story is also about saying goodbye. If the book did its job, you have grown to care about the characters. You love them, you hate them, you cry with them, and you're about to grieve as you say goodbye to them. A proper denouement will let you move on, finding another book to love, even as you reflect on the journey of the book you put down.

As a writer, it is your job to give all of this to your readers. You must give them a sense of completion and the knowledge that the story they were reading has truly come to an end. If you intend a sequel, you may tease it, of course, but be fair. If you're never going to write that sequel, don't leave crumbs. Leave satisfaction.

Writing a Novel: The Climax

When you're writing a novel, your entire story is going somewhere. It's leading to something. That something is the climax of your story, the high point, the entire point of the novel. If you're reading Lord of the Rings (and treating the trilogy as one large book), for example, the climax is when Frodo and Sam finally reach Mount Doom and the ring is destroyed. That's a very obvious example, but all stories reach a peak. That is your climax.


Whatever the climax of your story, it should generally affect the protagonist in a deep and meaningful way. It should be a pivot point, a point where everything changes for your characters. What this means will differ based on the context of your story. Going back to Lord of the Rings, Frodo not only almost dies at Mount Doom, but he is forever changed.


So how do you craft this climax? Well that will depend entirely on your story and what the point of your novel was. It's a good idea to have your climax in mind before you even begin writing your story. That way you can guide your story towards your climax. You can put hints and allusions throughout your story that almost foreshadow your climax. Your climax might even be clear from the beginning. Sticking with the Lord of the Rings example, you know quite early on what the climax of the entire story is. The Council of Elrond makes it clear that Frodo is going to take the rings to Mount Doom and destroy it. That's the climax. It's revealed early on. You know where the story's going.


That can be a blessing. It gives your readers something to look forward to. They know what to expect, know where they're going, and just need to see how you're going to take them there. But this isn't the only way to get to your climax. You can be more subtle, you can even outright mislead your readers if that's what serves the story you're trying to tell. If you're writing a mystery, for example, you can often surprise your readers with the climax. Perhaps the perpetrator isn't who anyone thought. Or is exactly who everything thought it could be. There are so many ways to approach the climax of your story.


The really important part of the climax is that it be satisfying. It should be the payoff for sticking with the story or an entire novel. It should also wrap up the vast majority of loose ends. It doesn't have to address them all. That's what the denouement is for.

Practice Writing: Many Beginnings

You can't get good at something unless you practice, practice, practice. This is true of just about everything, including beginning a story. If you want to improve the beginnings you write, you must practice writing beginnings over and over again. You have to practice different types of beginnings as well.


To practice, pick a beginning you have already written or write a new beginning to a story that is burning to be written. There are no rules to this beginning at first. Just get it down on paper, or on the computer screen, as the case may be.


Now take this beginning and rewrite it several times. Start by rewriting it in a way that puts your main character in the middle of the action. Make sure this beginning leaves the reader with at least one unanswered question, but it should not be confusing. Action, not confusion. Tweak your beginning several times until you have accomplished this.


Rewrite it again, but this time not with a main character performing an action. Instead, begin your story by focusing on an important thing, place, or animal. Make your beginning full of description. Bring it to life with your words. But also include some type of catalyst. Maybe the location or thing is what springs the story into action. Maybe it's the motivation for your main character. Whatever it is, try to begin the story absent any actual characters. It may not always be a practical way to begin a story, but it's good practice.


Begin the story again, but this time try being funny. Write amusing lines or anecdotes. Have characters amused by everything. Intrigue the reader with all that is funny. Make sure this leads to interest. Keep the reader reading by amusing while at the same time leaving questions unanswered.


Finally, rewrite the story beginning by adding an essay or prologue. Perhaps it's the main character reflecting on what happens in the story before you actually get to telling the story. Perhaps it's the narrator giving information that the reader needs in order to understand the story that will follow. It might just be the history of the setting you're using. It doesn't matter. Begin with exposition. It may sound dreary sometimes, but it can also be helpful..


Look back on the beginnings you've written. They should all be to the same basic story, but they will vary dramatically. Return to these beginnings. Pursue them. See which one takes you further. Perhaps you are now well on your way to writing a novel.