I heard it before and again recently: R. L. Stine begins with a title. Apparently, he has done things this way for years. And he is very successful.
One of the first writing rules I was taught said, "Title last, write now". Before I heard it, I would frequently title my works without one word written. It gave me a place to stay in touch with the motif/theme, like traffic lights keep drivers safe.
I suppose it is bad to do because it limits possibility in some people's eyes but I never saw it that way. A poet often challenges himself/herself by trying demanding forms limiting lines or syllables; he/she does so to stretch in confinement and see what may bloom in mere inches of space.
Many writing rules have their exceptions or opposites. Could you benefit from a Title Tryst? Have you tried this approach before? What writing rules have you broken?
The title doesn't usually come to me right away. Sometimes I can almost have the whole thing written and then it pops into my head.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, have some great titles lingering in my head that are great. I just don't know the stories behind them.