I hate titles. Okay, I don’t hate them. I am extremely apathetic towards titles. Ever since I was a younger I never cared about titles, especially with music. I can’t even tell you the titles of some of my favourite songs. I know it’s track 8, but I have no idea what the title is. I don’t think you should be apathetic about titles. Titles are important. They are there to catch the eye and inform the reader (hopefully). But I always want to jump into the content. Give me the meat. Give me the veggies.
Lee is really good with titles. He came up with the title for All Bloggers are Liars. That was a great title. Otherwise, Lee just comes up with solid titles. Titles really aren’t that difficult. What’s your post about? Sum it up into 5 descriptive words and put them in a coherent order. If you can do that and add a little creativity you are even better off.
So what is more important than titles? Content. How do you get someone to read your brilliant content? The title? Maybe. I would say it’s mostly in the first line or two. I think you could define the first line or two as the hook. That seems like a bit of a violent image and perhaps even a corporate one, but it works and I can’t think of anything better.
A lot of people make a very common mistake with their opening line. They start talking about their subject. They launch into their post without thinking about the performance. And you have to perform, at least a little, if you want to catch anyones attention. If you haven’t come to grips with this yet let me break it down for you—we are putting on a show. We are storytellers. We are actors. We perpetuate our own drama. So let me ask—how are your acting skills?
I have no melodrama in my life. Maybe that’s why I watch TV, go to the theatre and like performing myself for whomever will watch me, in what ever venue, with any content. The most drama I have in my day is when my wife gets mad at me because—for the eight hundredth time—I have put my dirty dishes in the sink instead of two feet away in the dishwasher. Our writing and my life needs a splash of drama.
Your first line should be dramatic. It should be engaging. Maybe even preposterous. Not necessarily short, but shorter usually works better. Once you catch someones eye they won’t stop reading. Did you notice my first line: I hate titles. It is completely ridiculous. Who could honestly hate titles. You would be a very silly person and we have no time for silly people here at Epiblogger.
I have taken a brief survey from a couple of blogs that I read. First, some good ones:
DigiKev never disappoints.
There is a bug going around Birmingham at the moment and I have caught it.
Leo at Zen Habits is eloquent and inviting.
Parenting is equal parts skill and art.
Usually, I don’t go for all caps, but Ben Gray at openswitch pulled it off nicely.
FAIL, FAIL, FAIL, FAIL, FAIL, FAIL, FAIL, FAIL, FAIL, FAIL, FAIL.
Adam Kayce at Monk at Work gives a subtle, yet compelling intro. And it’s funny.
When I was in my early twenties, I was learning Chinese martial arts from a Taoist teacher (known as a “Shr Fu”). In addition to teaching us how to
seriously maim anyone who might want to mess with usdefend ourselves, there were also some lesser publicized teachings available to the student who knew to ask.
And here are a couple that need a little more drama:
Seth Godin came up with a near miss. Imagine if he removed everything after the comma and just ended the sentence at friends. That would have really packed a punch.
I was talking today in a teleconference about how ‘friends’ aren’t really friends, at least not in most social graphs.
I really like Skellie. I think she is a great blogger. But I would like to see something a little more eye-catching in the first line.
While I’ve already discussed the benefits of trying to grow a blog in a competitive, crowded niche, I want to devote some attention to how you can best grow a blog in an empty or under-served niche.
Of course, because Melissa wrote a list post I feel it is necessary to pick on her. In truth, it’s actually a great post, but it could use a pinch of spice to get us going.
Here’s a fun, quick list of things ten you need to do to become a screenwriter.
I know, at times, that I am over the top. Some times it’s beneficial to be over the top. But you can still hook your audience with subtly. I think it is important to realize the impact your initial words will have and that they are the first impression for your post (aside from the title). Take some time to warm up your audience to your content. I know people like to jump in, headfirst (don’t do that unless you can see the bottom), but when I do that I usually find out it’s way too cold and then jump back out. Ease the audience in and they will stay a while.
Photo by Richard Hook
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4 Comments
Thanks, Rhett… I had fun writing that one, too.
Brian Clark (of Copyblogger fame) once wrote that the purpose of the first sentence is to get the next sentence read. And so on, and so on.
Ever since I read that, I’m scrutinizing my intros more.
Thanks for stopping by Adam. I definitely agree with Brian in that regard and I am glad you have taken it too heart—it’s one of the things that keeps me reading your blog.
Your post reminded me of some old creative writing advice I got in college: “Start in the middle”.
I find after I write out a post, the most impactful headline or first sentence can usually be found after I’ve done a couple of what I feel to be those obligatory set up sentences. I then cut those out and use the third or fourth sentence as my real first sentence, or my title.
On titles, I always write one and save the post. But then when I come back to the post, I usually find the last thing I do before hitting publish is to write a more succinct title. Your five word limit is a good discipline.
Absolutely Paul. That completely reminded me of my peer workshopping days. Not that those days are behind me, but that I don’t have any writing peers in Calgary. Anyway. That is great advice. Usually by the fourth or fifth line you have finally discovered what it is you are trying to say.
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[...] realize when you get it that you don’t actually want it? The other day I might have mentioned wanting a little more drama. But I only meant in the writing. I don’t actually want drama. Drama is [...]