A life story doesn't necessarily need a title, like a traditional book. The ideal title for your story might be clear and straightforward: 'Anne Smith, My Life'.
However, if you want to give it a memorable and engaging title you may have some creative work ahead of you!
Finding the ideal title for your story can be tricky and there is no formula. Having worked in publishing for many years and dealing with hundreds of authors in my experience there are several ways the right title appears, but usually, it’s a matter of time!
Trying to find the ideal title for your story can be stressful. Worrying about not having the ideal title that presents your life and experiences won't help. So, here are some ...
Tips for the ideal title
- Stress is the friend of stagnation; calm is the friend of creativity. In time the ideal title will come to you.
- Talk about your book with family members or close friends who know you well. Tell them you’re writing your story and ask for their input on title ideas.
- Open it up as a topic for conversation at a dinner or lunch when you have the family or friends over.
- Put it to the back of your mind and wait until you have some of your story written.
- From experience, the title for a story often emerges from a sentence you’ve already written – it might just need a little refining to make it catchy.
- Start noting down words or phrases relating to stories you’re including in the book or words you think relate to you and your life. No matter how much we think we’ll remember a good idea, it can often disappear. So there’s nothing like having a list of words and ideas that you can reorganise, jumble around on the page, and add to over time.
- Keep a notebook or your phone beside your bed and note ideas as they come to you; sometimes great ideas come to us in our sub-conscience or as part of a dream – and like many dreams, you probably won’t recall what it was when you wake in the morning!
- As you write your story, you may be creating chapter titles for themes or events you cover. There’s a chance one of those might be a good title, or can be reworded to become a title.
- Think about your favourite book titles, and use them as inspiration to rewrite and inspire the ideal title for your life story.
- A great title often goes hand-in-hand with a great image that you might wish to use in your story – or on the cover if you are printing copies. When you’ve selected images that represent aspects and events to include in your story, look over them with words in mind that might become a title.
- Google quotes from books you love or words from famous people for inspiration. You might be able to rework one into a relevant title for you.
A few inspired titles to inspire you
Nobody Knows the Truffles I’ve Seen, restauranteur, George Lang
Me, actor, Katherine Hepburn
Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela
My Booky Wook, UK media celebrity, Russell Brand
sTORI Telling, actor, Tori Spelling
Don’t Hassel the Hoff, actor, David Hasselhoff
Losing My Virginity, entrepreneur, Richard Branson
Trowel and Error, British media gardner, Alan Titchmarsh
Pryor Convictions, actor, Richard Pryor
I Am Not Spock, Star Trek actor, Leonard Nimoy
Whether or not you want to pursue the ideal title for your book with creativity and flair is up to you. Either way, try not to agonize over it. Good things will come in time.
Read more and join our discussion on Facebook or Instagram for more inspiration about writing your life story.