Your Almost-Titles

skillet

a frying pan
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Iiiit's procrastination time, everyone! :DD

Just for fun: What were your almost-titles of your current works? By which I mean, what were your "working titles", or the first title(s) that you came up with but ended up changing? (Like how Gone With the Wind's working (original) title was "Baa Baa Black Sheep", haha)
For example, my current novel "They Were All Nobles" didn't have that dramatic a title change, but I did start off planning and writing for it by calling it "He Was A Noble". Still, I think it'll be interesting to see the changes your titles might've gone through, so.....

Have any to share? :blob_hide:
 

ZoeStorm

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My novella Alex was almost called The Transition Zone. It's a pun, you see, because the protagonist is trans and does triathlon, and in that sport a "transition area" or "transition zone" is where you switch from swimming to biking, or from biking to running. However as I planned the story the sports aspect became much less prominent, and it didn't make as much sense to use The Transition Zone as a title.

I later used The Transition Zone as the title for the sequel to Alex, where the protagonist is another trans person triathlete, but sports is featured much more in the plot.
 

ArcadiaBlade

I'm a Lazy Writer, So What?
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Naming is something I'm bad at so I rarely made any cool names and as such, I prefer to make it simple. Plus, I did try out longer names like how JP authors use but since I don't really like to drag things out, I gave up that notion for longer names and stick to what I'm best at.
 

BenJepheneT

Light Up Gold - Parquet Courts
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V.I.A.B
(literally Vigilantes in a Bar)

Imagine a bunch of vigilantes in a bar.

That's it. That's the premise.

Of course, there's more to it, but the idea is that there are vigilantes. They're all in a bar. Two of them are headless. One of them is a twink and another is a hobo. There's also a maid and a bartender, because it is a bar after all.


I Can't Understand The Boxman

It's a fantasy story where there's this guy who wears a box over his head. He's incredibly OP. Like, lifting actual mountains kind of OP. Withstanding death-tier magic spells type OP. Invincible and indestructible kind of OP. Not even a Gary Stu OP, just a straight-up five-year-old-child idea of OP.

Problem is, he is incredibly retarded. He's mute, and doesn't do anything at all. He's literally just an invincible stud wandering across the world, just because. There's no urgency, or some incredible mission. It's just an OP guy with severe autism. I don't even think autism cuts it: he's mentally incapacitated to the point where he just has NO moral compass. He would kill a child if he so desires at that moment, not because it's right or wrong, but because he has no concept of right or wrong. I'd call him a sociopath, but he's not even at that level; he's somewhere between a stunted adult and a wild animal. You can manipulate him into doing your bidding with very simple incentives. Say he wants chicken soup. You promise him some soup if he kills the monarchy of the local metropolis, or cause genocide at the local wyvern population. He would actually do it, all for chicken soup. Of course, that's just a hypothetical. But if you can find out what he wants at the moment, you can convince him to level the Earth, all for a titjob or a dumpling.

The story just revolves around this guy as he gains unprompted companions and frustrates the reader more and more as he eventually realizes the situation and does something about it.
 

CupcakeNinja

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Iiiit's procrastination time, everyone! :DD

Just for fun: What were your almost-titles of your current works? By which I mean, what were your "working titles", or the first title(s) that you came up with but ended up changing? (Like how Gone With the Wind's working (original) title was "Baa Baa Black Sheep", haha)
For example, my current novel "They Were All Nobles" didn't have that dramatic a title change, but I did start off planning and writing for it by calling it "He Was A Noble". Still, I think it'll be interesting to see the changes your titles might've gone through, so.....

Have any to share? :blob_hide:
I dunno. Whenever I make a new story I write the first chapter and summary first, then make a title right before I post it. So it's always the last thing I think of. I go over a few in my head for like a few minutes, then go with what I like best.

So i dont really have "working titles" as I never have to think about what title I want for very long. Like a few minutes, really.
 

JK-Sama

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Saga of the Cosmic Heroes was for a few years called Mobile Troopers and at some points had subtitles like War in the Stars. I also thought about Records of the Mobile Troopers but prior to scrapping the idea of there being 'Mobile Troopers'(really just mobile suits in Gundam terms) I deliberated on simply War in the Stars for a while.

After I finished watching both Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Saga of Tanya the Evil by ~September 2019 I ultimately went with the tile I have now. Every now and then I sometimes get suggestions to change it to something else (because of the similarity with LotGH, but I've always considered it a homage to the series) but it's a title I'm sticking with.

Edit, I found a few text documents from around 2015 and as late as 2018 of titles I had in mine (as a long ass "saga" series, haha)

Armored Cavaliers
Martyrs of Perdenes
The Ogre and the Demon
Sins of an Demon
The Pezette Crisis
Another Act
Another Act II
Gotterdammerung
The Scourge from the West

Armored Core Cavaliers
Perdenes, Once More
Black Bombardiers
Dog Days
Days of Liberation

Prelude to the Stars (PotS)
Discord in the Stars (DotS)
War in the Stars (WotS)
Martyrs of the Stars (MotS)
Ode to the Stars (Otts)
Crisis in the Stars (CitS)
Liberation of the Stars: Ambitions of Francesica (LotS: AoF)

Scourge of the Stars (SotS)
Bastion of the Stars (BotS)
Conquest of the Stars (CotS)
War in the Stars: Gotterdammerung (WotS: G)
Reconquista of the Stars (RotS)
Legacy of the Stars (LotS)

Armored Cavaliers: Company 182
Martyrs of Perdenes
Crossing the Bolivet River
Road to Bhamen
Red Cross, Iron Heart: Operation Oneru
The Long Walk
Betrayal from the East
Black Bombardiers: Pilots of Perdenes
Like An Anvil: Sonet Offensive
Dog Days
Days of Liberation


alternative

DISCORD IN THE STARS
DIVIDED STARS
WAR IN THE STARS
MARTYRS OF THE STARS
ODE TO THE STARS
CRISIS IN THE STARS
A LAST HURRAH TO THE STARS
PEACE IN THE STARS

War in the Perdenes
The Shots at Ulyassa
The Unsung Martyrs
Bolivet Offense
Road to Bahamen
A Place in the Sun

Red Cross, Iron Heart: Operation Oneru
The Long Walk
Betrayal from the East
Squadron 182: Black Bombardiers
Like An Anvil: Sonet Offensive
Dog Days
Cruz Company: Days of Liberation

Cosmos: Prelude to War
Cosmos: Calamity in the Stars
Cosmos: War in the Stars
Cosmos: Martyrs of the Stars
Cosmos: A Bitter Peace
Cosmos: Back to War
Cosmos: Operation Babylonia
Cosmos: A Martyr to the Stars
Cosmos: A Crisis in the Stars
Cosmos: Martyrs of Perdenes
Cosmos: Wars in the Perdenes
Cosmos: One Last Hurrah
Cosmos: From West They Came
Cosmos: Scourge of the Stars
Cosmos: Gotterdammerung
Cosmos II: Crusades in the Stars
Cosmos II: Reconquista of the Stars
Cosmos II: End Game
Cosmos III: Genesis
Cosmos III: Dissent in the Stars
Cosmos III: Revolution in the Stars
Cosmos III: War for the Stars
Cosmos III: Emperors of the Stars
Cosmos III: Peace in the Stars
Cosmos III: Awakening of the Stars

Mobile Trooper
Mobile Trooper: Calamity in the Stars
Mobile Trooper: War in the Stars
Mobile Trooper: Martyrs of the Stars
Mobile Trooper: A Bitter Peace
Mobile Trooper: Back to War
Mobile Trooper: Operation Babylonia
Mobile Trooper:

Mobile Troopers: War in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Martyrs of the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Titans in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Congress in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Thousand Days in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Crisis in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Wars in the Perdenes
Mobile Troopers: A Hurrah from the Stars

Mobile Troopers: Wars for the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Revolutions in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Emperors of the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Springtime in the Stars

Mobile Troopers: Succession in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Empress of the Stars
Mobile Troopers:
Mobile Troopers: Conquest of the Stars
Mobile Tropers: Twilight of the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Crusades in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Reconquista of the Stars

Mobile Troopers: War in the Stars 182 - 184
Mobile Troopers: Martyrs of the Stars April 184 - June 185
Mobile Troopers: Sins of the Stars 185 - 189
Mobile Troopers: Crisis in the Stars 190
Mobile Troopers: Wars in the Perdenes 199 - 206
Mobile Troopers: War in the Stars II 210 - 217
Mobile Troopers: War between the Stars 529 - 595
Mobile troopers: Unification of the Stars 595 - 769
Mobile Troopers: Scourge of the Stars 981 - 983
Mobile Troopers: Gotterdammerung 986-1097

Revolution in the Stars
Emperor of the Stars
Conquest of the Stars
War in the Stars
Martyrs of the Stars
Sins of the Stars
Crisis in the Stars
Escalation in the Stars
Armageddon in the Stars
War Between the Stars
Fall of the Stars
Gotterdammerung of the Stars
Reconquista of the Stars

Records of the Old Kingdoms

Revolution in the Stars
Conquest of the Stars
War in the Stars
Martyrs of the Stars
Sins of the Stars
Incursion of the Stars
Armageddon in the Stars
War Between the Stars
Gotterdammerung of the Stars
Reconguistia of the Stars
 
Last edited:

AliceShiki

Magical Girl of Love and Justice
Joined
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Messages
3,530
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This novel isn't live on Scribbly yet, but here are the title changes it went through as I wrote and rewrote it:

1) I died and reincarnated as an Otome Game's... Villager A!?
2) Villager A Reincarnation
3) The Princess' Maid

1st title was written years ago, when I was just getting started on writing... Nowadays I don't like titles that have more than 3-5 words though, so I changed it for the 2nd title.

2nd title was fine and dandy and did its job, but I scrapped the whole isekai premise on the process of rewriting the story, so I arrived at the 3rd title~
 

skillet

a frying pan
Joined
Jan 17, 2020
Messages
211
Points
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My novella Alex was almost called The Transition Zone. It's a pun, you see, because the protagonist is trans and does triathlon, and in that sport a "transition area" or "transition zone" is where you switch from swimming to biking, or from biking to running. However as I planned the story the sports aspect became much less prominent, and it didn't make as much sense to use The Transition Zone as a title.

I later used The Transition Zone as the title for the sequel to Alex, where the protagonist is another trans person triathlete, but sports is featured much more in the plot.
oh I love how you got to reuse your original title in a sequel-- that's pretty cool!! You got to still use that pun, lol (those are my favorite titles haha)

Saga of the Cosmic Heroes was for a few years called Mobile Troopers and at some points had subtitles like War in the Stars. I also thought about Records of the Mobile Troopers but prior to scrapping the idea of there being 'Mobile Troopers'(really just mobile suits in Gundam terms) I deliberated on simply War in the Stars for a while.

After I finished watching both Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Saga of Tanya the Evil by ~September 2019 I ultimately went with the tile I have now. Every now and then I sometimes get suggestions to change it to something else (because of the similarity with LotGH, but I've always considered it a homage to the series) but it's a title I'm sticking with.

Edit, I found a few text documents from around 2015 and as late as 2018 of titles I had in mine (as a long ass "saga" series, haha)

Armored Cavaliers
Martyrs of Perdenes
The Ogre and the Demon
Sins of an Demon
The Pezette Crisis
Another Act
Another Act II
Gotterdammerung
The Scourge from the West

Armored Core Cavaliers
Perdenes, Once More
Black Bombardiers
Dog Days
Days of Liberation

Prelude to the Stars (PotS)
Discord in the Stars (DotS)
War in the Stars (WotS)
Martyrs of the Stars (MotS)
Ode to the Stars (Otts)
Crisis in the Stars (CitS)
Liberation of the Stars: Ambitions of Francesica (LotS: AoF)

Scourge of the Stars (SotS)
Bastion of the Stars (BotS)
Conquest of the Stars (CotS)
War in the Stars: Gotterdammerung (WotS: G)
Reconquista of the Stars (RotS)
Legacy of the Stars (LotS)

Armored Cavaliers: Company 182
Martyrs of Perdenes
Crossing the Bolivet River
Road to Bhamen
Red Cross, Iron Heart: Operation Oneru
The Long Walk
Betrayal from the East
Black Bombardiers: Pilots of Perdenes
Like An Anvil: Sonet Offensive
Dog Days
Days of Liberation


alternative

DISCORD IN THE STARS
DIVIDED STARS
WAR IN THE STARS
MARTYRS OF THE STARS
ODE TO THE STARS
CRISIS IN THE STARS
A LAST HURRAH TO THE STARS
PEACE IN THE STARS

War in the Perdenes
The Shots at Ulyassa
The Unsung Martyrs
Bolivet Offense
Road to Bahamen
A Place in the Sun

Red Cross, Iron Heart: Operation Oneru
The Long Walk
Betrayal from the East
Squadron 182: Black Bombardiers
Like An Anvil: Sonet Offensive
Dog Days
Cruz Company: Days of Liberation

Cosmos: Prelude to War
Cosmos: Calamity in the Stars
Cosmos: War in the Stars
Cosmos: Martyrs of the Stars
Cosmos: A Bitter Peace
Cosmos: Back to War
Cosmos: Operation Babylonia
Cosmos: A Martyr to the Stars
Cosmos: A Crisis in the Stars
Cosmos: Martyrs of Perdenes
Cosmos: Wars in the Perdenes
Cosmos: One Last Hurrah
Cosmos: From West They Came
Cosmos: Scourge of the Stars
Cosmos: Gotterdammerung
Cosmos II: Crusades in the Stars
Cosmos II: Reconquista of the Stars
Cosmos II: End Game
Cosmos III: Genesis
Cosmos III: Dissent in the Stars
Cosmos III: Revolution in the Stars
Cosmos III: War for the Stars
Cosmos III: Emperors of the Stars
Cosmos III: Peace in the Stars
Cosmos III: Awakening of the Stars

Mobile Trooper
Mobile Trooper: Calamity in the Stars
Mobile Trooper: War in the Stars
Mobile Trooper: Martyrs of the Stars
Mobile Trooper: A Bitter Peace
Mobile Trooper: Back to War
Mobile Trooper: Operation Babylonia
Mobile Trooper:

Mobile Troopers: War in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Martyrs of the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Titans in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Congress in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Thousand Days in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Crisis in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Wars in the Perdenes
Mobile Troopers: A Hurrah from the Stars

Mobile Troopers: Wars for the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Revolutions in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Emperors of the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Springtime in the Stars

Mobile Troopers: Succession in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Empress of the Stars
Mobile Troopers:
Mobile Troopers: Conquest of the Stars
Mobile Tropers: Twilight of the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Crusades in the Stars
Mobile Troopers: Reconquista of the Stars

Mobile Troopers: War in the Stars 182 - 184
Mobile Troopers: Martyrs of the Stars April 184 - June 185
Mobile Troopers: Sins of the Stars 185 - 189
Mobile Troopers: Crisis in the Stars 190
Mobile Troopers: Wars in the Perdenes 199 - 206
Mobile Troopers: War in the Stars II 210 - 217
Mobile Troopers: War between the Stars 529 - 595
Mobile troopers: Unification of the Stars 595 - 769
Mobile Troopers: Scourge of the Stars 981 - 983
Mobile Troopers: Gotterdammerung 986-1097

Revolution in the Stars
Emperor of the Stars
Conquest of the Stars
War in the Stars
Martyrs of the Stars
Sins of the Stars
Crisis in the Stars
Escalation in the Stars
Armageddon in the Stars
War Between the Stars
Fall of the Stars
Gotterdammerung of the Stars
Reconquista of the Stars

Records of the Old Kingdoms

Revolution in the Stars
Conquest of the Stars
War in the Stars
Martyrs of the Stars
Sins of the Stars
Incursion of the Stars
Armageddon in the Stars
War Between the Stars
Gotterdammerung of the Stars
Reconguistia of the Stars
oh wooooow that is a LOT of planning!! Kudos to you lolol that's awesome

This novel isn't live on Scribbly yet, but here are the title changes it went through as I wrote and rewrote it:

1) I died and reincarnated as an Otome Game's... Villager A!?
2) Villager A Reincarnation
3) The Princess' Maid

1st title was written years ago, when I was just getting started on writing... Nowadays I don't like titles that have more than 3-5 words though, so I changed it for the 2nd title.

2nd title was fine and dandy and did its job, but I scrapped the whole isekai premise on the process of rewriting the story, so I arrived at the 3rd title~
hehe it got shorter as it went :blob_happy:
 

Ai-chan

Queen of Yuri Devourer of Traps
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Messages
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Ai-chan's CYOA's original title was My Brother Is An Analist. Unfortunately, there isn't much anal in the story, so Ai-chan changed it into Let Wounds Be Rust.
 

Kuropon

Well-known member
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Nov 24, 2019
Messages
100
Points
68
The Runesmith was supposed to be called Rune Emperor at first if I remember correctly, but that sounded too much like some kind of xianxia xD
 

Freemints30

Well-known member
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Messages
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Manuscript names before I uploaded
________________________

Untitled
Work in progress 5
IDK
Killer of the Court (still keeping that for a future series)

One of these things is not like the others
 

skillet

a frying pan
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Jan 17, 2020
Messages
211
Points
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Manuscript names before I uploaded
________________________

Untitled
Work in progress 5
IDK
Killer of the Court (still keeping that for a future series)

One of these things is not like the others
Sounds similar to how I name everything I have no name for as "that thingy" or "a story" or (my usual go-to) "will I ever finish this" :blobthumbsup: makes for really bad maneuvering later on though haha
 

AliceShiki

Magical Girl of Love and Justice
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Messages
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Sounds similar to how I name everything I have no name for as "that thingy" or "a story" or (my usual go-to) "will I ever finish this" :blobthumbsup: makes for really bad maneuvering later on though haha
Why don't you make a placeholder title that is similar to JP WNs? Like... Those super long titles that are basically a small synopsis?

You can give it a proper title once you have given it more thought, but it would be more organized if your placeholder helped you identify the story I'd say~

Personally speaking, my placeholders just try to capture the essence of my basic plans for the story... Like...

There was one that I tried to write, but didn't like the first chapter much, so I decided to leave it be for a while until I think of a better idea for a 1st chapter. It was about a demon queen that ran away from her queendom to live peacefully in the countryside... The name was just "Runaway Demoness."

Another was about a second chance school life novel where the MC would die multiple times and would keep trying to find a way to survive until the end of her 1st year of High School... I just called it "I want to Live!"... I also disliked the 1st chapter of this one, so I left it be for a while... >.>

I dunno if they're good titles or if I'll keep them by the time I try seriously writing them... But at least I can more easily know what each novel is about if they have proper titles to them~
 

skillet

a frying pan
Joined
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Messages
211
Points
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Why don't you make a placeholder title that is similar to JP WNs? Like... Those super long titles that are basically a small synopsis?

You can give it a proper title once you have given it more thought, but it would be more organized if your placeholder helped you identify the story I'd say~

Personally speaking, my placeholders just try to capture the essence of my basic plans for the story... Like...

There was one that I tried to write, but didn't like the first chapter much, so I decided to leave it be for a while until I think of a better idea for a 1st chapter. It was about a demon queen that ran away from her queendom to live peacefully in the countryside... The name was just "Runaway Demoness."

Another was about a second chance school life novel where the MC would die multiple times and would keep trying to find a way to survive until the end of her 1st year of High School... I just called it "I want to Live!"... I also disliked the 1st chapter of this one, so I left it be for a while... >.>

I dunno if they're good titles or if I'll keep them by the time I try seriously writing them... But at least I can more easily know what each novel is about if they have proper titles to them~
true! this is probably what I should be doing, but these titles are usually from major bouts of laziness (ahahaha) so I end up never doing it lolol
I do change them later once I work on something in earnest, but I really should start doing relevant placeholders like you do :DD
 
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