I’m putting this here as it’s more of an AnnaLivia begging for opinions thingie than a “look how creative I am” thingie.
I will be participating in a public reading/mauling of our creative writing society this spring, and reading two excerpts from a longer work. The theme appears to be fathers and daughters, with the first selection being a father talking about his daughter, the second a daughter talking about her father and her husband’s relationship with her own daughter.
I am at a loss as to what I am going to call this. Any ideas?
You say both persons are ‘talking’: does that mean they are monologues?
Although I can understand that you’re reluctant to provide more information about the stories, I find it rather hard to name a story without knowing more details. Oftentimes titles suggest themselves from striking phrases in the text, a common metaphor, or an association with a more general theme. The best titles, in my opinion, are themselves memorable and show a strong connection with the content of the text.
If you are happy to settle with more generic titles, how about:
Things I should have told my daughter
It’s that time again (to talk)
Reminiscenses and admonitions
My little girl
Touching
Father mine
Mother and daughter
Mother/daughter
Maughter [in case you want to go fancy and stuff]
On the outside [also with respect to the visible marks of the genders]
Generations [in the double sense of father-daughter, and generating new life]
Laughing mirror [which is a too-literal translation of ‘distorting mirror’]
okay, a bit more light on the situation…they are to be presented like two monologues. I am looking for something I can call the both of them, as the larger thing they are taken from doesn’t have a title- I can’t just call them “excerpts from X”
The father of the first has lost his daughter and the mother of the second was abused by her own father as a child.
I’m just looking for something nice and pretentious
Given the subject matter I think this may fare better in Cafe Society, especially since it’s not really are debate or poll per se.
I’ll move it on over for you.
If the theme is “Fathers and Daughters” won’t every other piece be called something like that? Wouldn’t it be better to come up with a provisional name for the longer piece, or some theme specific to your extracts, and use that?
