Make Titles Work Harder

Most writers struggle with thinking of appropriate titles for written work. I’ve become better at thinking of titles that hook a reader, but it isn’t always automatic for me. How can you improve your ability to title and why does it matter?
Writing Tip for Today: Titles matter because they are the first gateway to the reader. A succinct title that speaks to the work as a whole, its theme or an important character can make or break the work. Consider several movies that were titled differently before they became the iconic standards: American Pie originally had a very long title: “Teenage Sex Comedy That Can Be Made For Under $10 Million That Your Reader Will Love But The Executive Will Hate.” Pretty Woman was first called “3000.” And There’s Something About Mary was originally “There’s Something About Sarah.”
Here are some tips to help you make your titles work harder:

Use a cliche with a twist. Cliches are usually off limits, but with titles they give an instant picture and that’s what you need. One of the best I remember is the film, You’ve Got Mail! after the ubiquitous AOL greeting.
Draw from poetry or literature. Poetry distills ideas and can be a rich source as can the Bible or other literature. EX: The Sound and the Fury.
Take theme into consideration. With nonfiction articles, you want to give the reader straight-up info on what the article is about. With essays and fiction, a title should hint at the theme or a detail of the theme. For instance, I wrote a memoir about growing up with the use of only one of my hands (the result of polio paralysis). I call it One Hand Clapping because that title also hints at my childhood efforts to become a famous movie star (still working on that!).
Does your protagonist change attitudes? Titles can reflect those changes. EX: The Education of Miss Jean Brodie, Driving Miss Daisy.
Finally, a character who changes the life of the protagonist or the entire cast can stand for the action and make a memorable title. EX: What else? Moby Dick.