Just had a story title pop into my head with no story to go with it. Anybody else ever do that?
Anyway, in case anybody wants to use it, the title is:
"Granny was a mean old man."
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
Oh yeah, I'm waiting for that story that will go with "To Follow the Lost Gander" and "Possum Crossing the Road Drunk."
Posted by goatboy (Member # 2062) on :
When you get done with "Possum crossing the road drunk" be sure to let me know. I'd like to see how that one goes. Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
I think it might be intended for a bluegrass tune, but I don't write music.
Posted by goatboy (Member # 2062) on :
Bluegrass? That tune was called "Dead skunk in the middle of the road." (I'm not kidding, that's a real song.)
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
I've played that one as well as "Whiskey Before Breakfast" and "You married my daughter, but you didn't."
Posted by Balthasar (Member # 5399) on :
Have you read much Harlen Ellison?
Harlen Ellison is a big fan of the strange story titles, because for Ellison the story's title is the first line of your story. The more intriguing the title, the better, according to Ellison.
I don't completely agree with him--well, perhaps I should say that I'm not a big fan of strange titles for the sake of strange titles. But this isn't the point.
I suspect my point is this: Go and read Ellison, and see how the story connects to his title, and perhaps you'll be able to think up a story that will fit your title.
Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :
I do this all the time. It comes in handy when looking for story ideas for articles. I write the headline first and it helps with the rest.
I've also done it with fiction but it doesn't always work.
My current novel WIP started out as a title only idea and I was able to flesh it out from there.
Posted by shadowynd (Member # 2077) on :
The short story I'm currently working on started out this way. It came from a combination of seeing corn fields, some lush, green and healthy, some sickly and yellowish, and the phrase that popped into my head: Blood Red Green Corn. That is now the working title of this piece.
