Qualities of My Favourite Titles

Note: Most examples here are from books, especially novels, but I would apply the same to most 'story' content, from films to articles to tabletop roleplaying adventures or video games. Different from [[!How to name a product]].

Hooks you into story intrigue

  • Ex: John Dies at the End --> This seems bland and straightforward but instead provides a huge mystery by giving you only the ending. How does John die? Surely he can't really?
  • Ex: And Then There Were None --> None of what? What happened? What was before? Only way to find out is to read.

Hint at a mysterious world

  • The best [[!worldbuilding]] is the kind that happens without needing to explain anything. The words themselves spark the imagination and tell you about the world. Why can't a title do the same?
  • Ex: This is How You Lose the Time War --> implies there is a time war, a fascinating bit of worldbuilding, and it is going to be lost somehow, a point of plot intrigue.

Features a play on words, concepts, or impossibility

  • Ex: Now Wait for Last Year --> What at first seems normal is actually impossible. How can you wait for next year?
  • Ex: Weapons of Math Destruction

Forces you to stop to unravel a hidden mystery

  • Ex: This is Not a Novel --> So what is it? Clearly it is a book but it claims not to be a novel. Only way to find out is to pick it up.

Juxtaposes tone and content

  • Ex: We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families --> A formal and pleasant tone that juxtaposes (and so makes infinitely more impactful) the shocking, unexpected content.

Shock tactics and tactical 'clickbait'

  • Ex: This is Your Brain on Parasites --> Parasites + brain = shivers but you can't help but be morbidly curious.

Long titles

  • I'm a sucker for impossibly long titles, especially of a whimsical or juxtaposing nature.
  • Ex: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales - Oliver Sacks
  • Ex: [[R-How To Build A Universe That Doesn’t Fall Apart Two Days Later]]

For some examples of my favourite titles that do (or perhaps don't) display these qualities, see Best titles.

Topics to Pursue

  • Why do these qualities in titles attract interest? Specific psychological principles? #researchTopic #researchPsychology