Ever Start With the Title?

[Stuart Dren]

Some story names are hard to think up, while others just fit. Sometimes they come to us near the beginning, or the middle, or long after the end while a working title, or codename / project number gives us something to refer to in the meantime. What about when it's the first component, sometimes serving as a testament to the tonal or thematic spark?

I've written two short stories where I started with the story's name and worked from there. I've also done it with one novella, and surprisingly a few poems which I don't even normally write. Never with a novel, though.

What about you all? Have you ever started a project with just its title as the leaping-off point?

 

[ps102]

I give all of my projects a code name and never a final name from the get-go. This is because at the start, very early on, or even late into something like the fourth draft, I just don't have a "full" understanding or grasp on everything. There are still plot holes, inconsistencies, or that one "something" that I can feel is missing. It doesn't make sense to title something I don't understand. But a name is a necessity so I just pick whatever sounds cooler. It isn't like anyone will know.

Microsoft did the same with Windows. They had internal code names for their projects and then picked proper names for public release. Windows 95 was internally known as Windows Chicago! I think I actually got inspiration for this practice from them.

That said, on the rare occasion where I do have a full picture of the story from the get-go, the code name turns into the proper name. But that generally doesn't happen due to my discovery writer nature.