The Power of Words

QUESTION

Dear Joey, I’m a 40-year-old writer who’s been at it for at least 30 of those years. I’ve kept a journal for most of my life; penned everything from poetry to obituary, essays, memoir, reviews, marketing copy, and more, but there is one thing that has just never gotten easier for me: titles.

In my understanding, a "good" title should add value to the piece, some detail, or focus toward a greater meaning in the work. AND it has to catch the reader’s attention enough to lure them in and keep them reading. So no pressure, right?

How do you compose or discover your titles?

—Fannie N. from NYC

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ANSWER

Dear Fannie, words are an often neglected aspect of ideation. Not necessarily in creating something—you of all people know that—but in encapsulating ideas. You’ve mastered the art of using words as building blocks. But how do we use them as nameplates?

Every time I start a new project, I first give it a name. Even if it’ll change. That name represents everything that I’m aiming to stick inside of the concept. For example, we knew that we wanted to make a space-themed Squire pen—but what aspect of space? Exploration? Astronomy? Physics? Stars?

After discussion, it was apparent the vastness of space was an idea we were all fascinated by. The mystery of space. So we called it Mysterium, and even commissioned an author to write a short story about “a crew of voyagers who traverse the vastness of space to find something they’re not even sure exists.”

Since you’re coming at it from the other side, with the creation already made, I recommend this: Write a list of 50 names for your essay or short story or whatever you’re working on. No matter what, fill the list. Aim for quantity, not quality. As soon as an idea hits your mind, write it down. Do not filter during the writing process.

Here’s what’s going to happen: You’re going to throw out a bunch of terrible names at first. Then you’re going to have to start thinking harder in between each idea. Finally, you’ll be throwing out wild ideas just to hit the 50 mark. It’s at that point, with all the obvious and bad and easy thoughts written, that you’re much more likely to find something that gets you excited.

If you like a title from your list, great. You’re all set. If not, write another 50. I guarantee you’ll get something you like if you keep going.

—Joey

Notes:

1. To be clear on what I'm suggesting: You build a high-quality library of courses and lessons that students can subscribe to, with a lower monthly fee than the cost of four weekly live lessons.

The Mysterium pen we ended up creating.