# Titles for stories? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 3, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-for-stories/238097 "2004-04-03T19:44:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AnnaLivia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@AnnaLivia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnnaLivia)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-for-stories/238097/1 "2004-04-03T19:44:59Z")
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? AL ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-for-stories/238097/2 "2004-04-03T21:13:41Z")
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: 1. Things I should have told my daughter It’s that time again (to talk) Reminiscenses and admonitions My little girl Touching 1. 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’] ---
**Author:** ![AnnaLivia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@AnnaLivia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnnaLivia)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-for-stories/238097/3 "2004-04-03T21:51:45Z")
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 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-for-stories/238097/4 "2004-04-04T06:03:31Z")
Maybe it’s because I just came out of the thread about breast fondling, but I can’t help but think that this thread is about “Titties for Stories.” ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-for-stories/238097/5 "2004-04-04T06:34:15Z")
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. TVeblen, IMHO mod ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-for-stories/238097/6 "2004-04-04T10:32:29Z")
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?