What grabs ya?

[EmeliaBell]

I've written a story. Its current title, whilst appropriate and amusing, could perhaps be slightly lacking in 'grab', especially for a porn story.

So... I need help re-titling.
It's about two ex lovers whose lives collide again 10 years after an acrimonious split. He feels a resurgence of the feelings he used to have for her and starts to pursue her, to the detriment of both their current relationships.
The sex is hetero, non-con and reluctance, masturbatory and the whole thing has a gritty, cold, lusty feel, very little pink and rosy romance.

Now... do any of the below titles fit or do you have a better suggestion? (and we're looking for porn grab here...)

- Don't Look Back <-- this sounds familiar though, is there a film or book already called this?

- No Going Back

- Mistaken <--not sure if this is relevant to the story, but 'Mistake' sounded silly...

- Second Chance

- Twisted <-- I like this one and it kind of fits, I could even throw in a couple of extra lines to make it more relevant... would you buy a story called 'Twisted'? Or would you expect it to be kinkier than non-con?

~E~

 

[Guest]

Oooh. I like Twisted.

But then I am.

And I would expect it to contain a little more kink.

(So would the average reader, and they may react negatively if it doesn't.)

 

[OzoneRed]

Assuming that you intend to publish on Lit...

I've seen a lot of misleading titles on Lit, so many that I really don't pay much attention to the title any more. When I'm looking at the New Stories list, the synopsis and the category are more important than the title. When I'm looking for older stories I might have missed, I search by tag (love that feature). I'd say, put your time and effort into picking the right tags, and comming up with a catchy synopsis.

 

[neonlyte]

Split covers a multitude of 'sins'. Catchy tags and description should cover it (not the split)

 

[jomar]

Collision?

When Love Collides?

 

[where]

I clearly need to think more about my titles. They are either purely descriptive or obscure. I like "don't look back"

It's a bit don't look back in anger and don't look now so should be confusing and familiar at once

 

[Guest]

"Twisted" is good. I might read it. One word titles have the impact for erotica/porn to grab a reader's attention.

A lot of authors on Lit lack skills in titling their stories so it's good you're putting thought into it like you are.

 

[SemiColon]

I hate picking titles. I never have one until I am about to submit something somewhere and then I hope for a flash of brilliant inspiration. (which usually eludes me) I agree though- most titles here are sort of irelevant to whether I'll read the story, unless it's something that turns me off in the title.

I don't think it sounds twisted enough to be twisted. I would tend towards the second chance theme myself... for some reasonthe word that comes to my mind reading your scenerio is Revert/ reversion (maybe because it is so close to pervert that it resonates with me?)

 

[EmeliaBell]

Assuming that you intend to publish on Lit...

I've seen a lot of misleading titles on Lit, so many that I really don't pay much attention to the title any more. When I'm looking at the New Stories list, the synopsis and the category are more important than the title. When I'm looking for older stories I might have missed, I search by tag (love that feature). I'd say, put your time and effort into picking the right tags, and comming up with a catchy synopsis.

No, it's not for Lit. This is for publication so it's a bit more important that the title be catchy. Twisted is still my favourite... maybe I could qualify it in the blurb by saying something about when love goes twisted...?

Thanks for the advice all, and keep it coming...
~E~

 

[EmeliaBell]

"Twisted" is good. I might read it. One word titles have the impact for erotica/porn to grab a reader's attention.

A lot of authors on Lit lack skills in titling their stories so it's good you're putting thought into it like you are.

I can title them appropriately, I'm just not sure that I can do it so that people would pick it out of a list as being exciting and worth reading the blurb/paying for...

I love the title of the one I'm working on atm - "A Bad Influence" because it does manage to be slightly dirty sounding and encapsulates the story perfectly... I'm having more trouble with the story I mentioned above, currently entitled 'Cold Feet'. I know, not very sexy, is it?

~E~

 

[rachlou]

I rather like Don't Look Back , but for the record, i'm totally rubbish at coming up with titles. I agonise far longer over the title that I ever do over the damn story!

Whilst I like Twisted as a title, it does kinda suggest deeply kinky and perverted, and having read the story, unless you've made significant changes, I don't think it really falls into that cat. It's dark, true, but not totally kinky.

 

[Weird Harold]

Now... do any of the below titles fit or do you have a better suggestion? (and we're looking for porn grab here...)

- Don't Look Back <-- this sounds familiar though, is there a film or book already called this?

- No Going Back

Those two suggest an anal emphasis that isn't there in your synopsis.

- Mistaken <--not sure if this is relevant to the story, but 'Mistake' sounded silly...

- Second Chance

These two don't do anything for me and I can't quite see a connection to the plot described.

- Twisted

This is the best choice of your ideas.

I'd go for something more along the lines of:

Reassertion
Reclaimed
Repitition(s)

Something that points to the repeating of past mistakes.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I probably would not read anything titled "Don't Look back"; there are so many variants of that phrase that it just seems clichéd to me.

"Twisted" has a very specific semantic meaning to me, the same as Rachlou's.
What about "Twist of Fate" or "Fate Twists" or "Braided Fate" or something along those lines?

Hmm, "Cold Feet."
How about "Misgivings" "An Uneasy Truce" "A matter of memory"

 

[Weird Harold]

He feels a resurgence of the feelings he used to have for her and starts to pursue her, to the detriment of both their current relationships.

I just realized that you've used the perfect title to what drives him -- Resurgence.

An Old Obsession
Renewed Obsession
Stalking Anew

 

[Vermilion]

Taking Harold's idea - how about just Obsession

Clear, simple, dark and relevant. Right?

x
V

 

[Gentlelover1]

Your own word "resurgence" sounds good to me, but I think it implies a successful renewal. ("Renewal" doesn't have the energy that "Resurgence" has.) How 'bout borrowing from the English title of the excellent Chinese movie Se, jie which is Lust, Caution and titleing the story "Resurgence, Caution"

 

[rachlou]

Taking Harold's idea - how about just Obsession

Clear, simple, dark and relevant. Right?

x
V

Great minds think alike - that's the title of my latest work on here.

Liked Stella's ideas. Slight variation - how about Twist of Fate?

 

[janiexx]

Don't Look Back was a film starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie based on a short story by Daphne Du Maurier...

I wouldn't use that one...just my personal opinion!

 

[janiexx]

Ooops! Sorry! That was Don't Look Now! But there is a film called Don't Look Back about Bob Dylan!

 

[sethp]

Ooops! Sorry! That was Don't Look Now! But there is a film called Don't Look Back about Bob Dylan!

not bob dylan! lol

 

[janiexx]

I blame it on the wine...

 

[Weird Harold]

Taking Harold's idea - how about just Obsession

Clear, simple, dark and relevant. Right?

x
V

Obsession, unqualified, is a perfume. It also doesn't convey the "second time" context either.

 

[patrick1]

You only lust twice.