Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Title Envy

I've said it before:  I sometimes wish I had picked a different name for my blog.  Maybe something more clever.  Something that would draw readers like a blog magnet.

I know, I know. It's like saying you don't like the name of your child.  But you picked it, and you have to take responsibility. 

When I started to blog, in 2009, I didn't do that much research on how to name a blog. The name "Ramblin' with AM" reminded me of a radio show of my youth.  I do write about anything that crosses my mind.  My initials are "AM".

So here I am, almost six years later, with Title Envy.

There are certain blogs, certain books, certain stories, that have titles so perfect- or so different, that you just HAVE to check them out.

If there was a Best Title Causing Envy Award, my nominations would be as follows.

Best Blog Titles

Vomiting Chicken.  Yes.  This blogger owns chickens.  She also blogs about so many other things.  And, two of her grown daughters blog, too.  It's a farm blog!  It's a family blog!  It's a blogging dynasty!

Cut the Crap Solutions  She blogs to teach and delight. She does both.

Best Book Titles (and yes, I've read these books).

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee  - possibly the best book written in the 20th century.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K Dick. Phillip K. Dick is an experience.  Go treat yourself. (This sounds vaguely dirty, but it's not.)

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil:  A Savannah Story, by John Berendt.  You will want to visit Savannah, Georgia after reading this book.  I did.  Twice.
Waving Girl Statue, Savannah, Georgia

Best Short Story Titles (I've read the first one.  I haven't read the second one)

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson (possibly the best short story written in the 20th century).

A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O' Conner

Perfect titles.  Great writing.  I can only aspire to both.

If you were a judge in a Title Envy Contest, which titles would you choose?

Linking back to Write Tribe and a shout out to my other blogging challenges - the Ultimate Blog Challenge and the Ultra Blog Challenge.

11 comments:

  1. Better a title with a clever colloquial verb than those examples you mentioned that focus on body fluids (vomit, crap).

    I started pruning my blog list. Yours made the cut. Keep on Ramblin.'

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    1. I'm honored to make the cut. True, there is certain blog content that will ensure I leave immediately and never return. I will say the two titles I mentioned have unforgettable titles (and have never offended me - no, quite the opposite). No one will ever confuse those blogs with any other blogs.

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  2. Short and sweet Alana :) Enjoyed reading......great titles

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    1. Thanks for stopping by again! (short and sweet response).

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  3. Oh I sooooo feel you!!!!! Some days I'm like "YES, this works." and other days I so wish I could change it but I have so many links floating around the internet now that it would be silly to. But I'm with ya!!

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    1. That's why I feel I could never change my title -too many links, and I would confuse my regular readers.

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  4. My blog name is dull-
    sophiebowns.wordpress.com
    -I mean, it's hardly going to draw my readers in. I'm not sure if Wordpress is the best blog to use either (even though the format suits my fiction.)
    -I love Amy's blog name, it really draws you in!

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    1. There is an author (see my "other blogs I enjoy reading" for the link) by the name of Jo Michaels who has talked about "branding your blog". As a writer, you might be interested in her thoughts. I chose Blogger because it was there, and it was free, and it seemed much less complex than Wordpress. But it is a lot less versatile, to, I suspect.

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  5. I chose my blog name, Tea Leaves, as an appreciation of the small things in life that add up to larger pleasures. I don't always follow that "mission," but as a tea lover, I'm satisfied with the name. As for book and story titles...hmmm, I'm sure I do have favorites, but I'll have to think about them for a while!

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    1. Tea Leaves - it is a pretty blog title, yes. I was more of a tea drinker when I was younger. Now, I am more of a coffee drinker. Enjoyed your blog!

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  6. I have horrible giving my blog post a tittle.
    Coffee is on

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