Title and Description

[Writer61]

Thank you to all for a thought-provoking thread.

Until this, I had not considered the role of the title/tagline of stories in attracting attention. My approach so far has been more vague/tease than plot-revealing. Time to ponder!

What I must improve is my use of tagging.

 

[karina_jayde]

I could definitely use a bit of help with a title/description for an upcoming story.

It's set in a fairly generic fantasy setting (basically the Holy Roman Empire and Scandinavia with the serial numbers filed off). The same setting as a few of my other works, but not directly related to them. The fantasy elements are minimal. Other than it being a secondary world, there's not going to be any magical or supernatural stuff (at least not directly).

The main character is a Viking-esque warrior, who is traveling by sea, hunting down a rival warrior. After a storm at sea, the MC is shipwrecked on an island that is home to a convent of nuns. This cult/convent basically practice a form of religious BDSM (working my own religious trauma into some kinks here, lol). The convent is being threatened by a corrupt duke, and the MC teams up with the convent to defend them.

And of course, along the way, lots of femdom and BDSM as the nuns use and punish him, teaching them new things about himself and the wonders of submission. Playing up the contrast of a big, brawny warrior being dominated and used by outwardly proper and pious nuns.

So I wanted a title and a description to convey those themes.

A few thoughts:

I do like titles with a bit of alliteration to them: Conquered by the Convent. The Raider's Reward. Breaking the Barbarian. Binding the Barbarian. Submitting to the Saint.

However those might be a bit clunky and on-the nose, and was thinking of something that connects the religious elements with the bondage. 'The Sacred Chains' or 'The Most Sacred of Chains.'

Any thoughts or recommendations?

 

[StillStunned]

Any thoughts or recommendations?

Sinews and Sinners, or Sinew and Sin?

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I do like titles with a bit of alliteration to them: Conquered by the Convent. The Raider's Reward. Breaking the Barbarian. Binding the Barbarian. Submitting to the Saint.

Raider's Reward is too generic for my tastes.

Breaking the Barbarian hints at submission and Binding the Barbarian directly says bondage and submission, so those are the best ones, especially since it tells how tough the sub is outside the bedroom/dungeon.

I wouldn't worry too much about being too 'on-the-nose' as most readers want to know exactly what they're getting into kink-wise anyways. Plot wise, be arty or even vague, but kink-wise it's better to just hit them over the head with it.

To link the religious aspect, use the description. "A lost Viking explores submission while defending a convent." Even with the period, it's exactly 60 characters. Perhaps something like that.

 

[AG31]

While on this subject;

Is it just me, or did the Short Description section get, well, shorter?

Only allows so many words, makes it tough sometimes to accurately tease the story.

It definitely got shorter. I know this because when I tried to change it via submitting an edit my existing description no longer fit.

 

[SimonDoom]

I could definitely use a bit of help with a title/description for an upcoming story.

It's set in a fairly generic fantasy setting (basically the Holy Roman Empire and Scandinavia with the serial numbers filed off). The same setting as a few of my other works, but not directly related to them. The fantasy elements are minimal. Other than it being a secondary world, there's not going to be any magical or supernatural stuff (at least not directly).

The main character is a Viking-esque warrior, who is traveling by sea, hunting down a rival warrior. After a storm at sea, the MC is shipwrecked on an island that is home to a convent of nuns. This cult/convent basically practice a form of religious BDSM (working my own religious trauma into some kinks here, lol). The convent is being threatened by a corrupt duke, and the MC teams up with the convent to defend them.

And of course, along the way, lots of femdom and BDSM as the nuns use and punish him, teaching them new things about himself and the wonders of submission. Playing up the contrast of a big, brawny warrior being dominated and used by outwardly proper and pious nuns.

So I wanted a title and a description to convey those themes.

A few thoughts:

I do like titles with a bit of alliteration to them: Conquered by the Convent. The Raider's Reward. Breaking the Barbarian. Binding the Barbarian. Submitting to the Saint.

However those might be a bit clunky and on-the nose, and was thinking of something that connects the religious elements with the bondage. 'The Sacred Chains' or 'The Most Sacred of Chains.'

Any thoughts or recommendations?

Here's how I would approach this. What are the dominant erotic/interesting elements? You have a warrior on a quest. A weird convent. And femdom themes. So I'd try to work these into my title. Something like:

The Warrior and the Convent

Convent of Control

Convent of Conquest

Convent of Domination

Convent of Femdom

Nuns On Top

Champion of the Hot Nuns

Bound to the Convent

Bound by the Nuns

 

[MillieDynamite]

Those titles sound like a series of stories, don't ya think?

Here's how I would approach this. What are the dominant erotic/interesting elements? You have a warrior on a quest. A weird convent. And femdom themes. So I'd try to work these into my title. Something like:

The Warrior and the Convent

Convent of Control

Convent of Conquest

Convent of Domination

Convent of Femdom

Nuns On Top

Champion of the Hot Nuns

Bound to the Convent

Bound by the Nuns

 

[SimonDoom]

Those titles sound like a series of stories, don't ya think?

Very much agree! It sounded like an epic series or long story.

 

[Jmanchu]

When it comes to descriptions and titles, I'm absolutely garbage at coming up with good ones. I always struggle. They are my least favorite thing to do when writing a story. The 30 character limit for titles and 60 char limit for descriptions is brutal for me.

 

[Jmanchu]

I could definitely use a bit of help with a title/description for an upcoming story.

It's set in a fairly generic fantasy setting (basically the Holy Roman Empire and Scandinavia with the serial numbers filed off). The same setting as a few of my other works, but not directly related to them. The fantasy elements are minimal. Other than it being a secondary world, there's not going to be any magical or supernatural stuff (at least not directly).

The main character is a Viking-esque warrior, who is traveling by sea, hunting down a rival warrior. After a storm at sea, the MC is shipwrecked on an island that is home to a convent of nuns. This cult/convent basically practice a form of religious BDSM (working my own religious trauma into some kinks here, lol). The convent is being threatened by a corrupt duke, and the MC teams up with the convent to defend them.

And of course, along the way, lots of femdom and BDSM as the nuns use and punish him, teaching them new things about himself and the wonders of submission. Playing up the contrast of a big, brawny warrior being dominated and used by outwardly proper and pious nuns.

So I wanted a title and a description to convey those themes.

A few thoughts:

I do like titles with a bit of alliteration to them: Conquered by the Convent. The Raider's Reward. Breaking the Barbarian. Binding the Barbarian. Submitting to the Saint.

However those might be a bit clunky and on-the nose, and was thinking of something that connects the religious elements with the bondage. 'The Sacred Chains' or 'The Most Sacred of Chains.'

Any thoughts or recommendations?

I probably am not one to talk since I'm not better at all at titles... but I'd suggest some of the alternative titles over "Sacred Chains." They resonate strongest emotionally and most directly with your story themes, in my opinion. A lot of the alternative titles you mentioned I wouldn't dismiss them regardless of whether not they could be a bit on-the-nose. Nothing wrong with being a bit on-the-nose in my opinion.

Sacred Chains is a little vague. "Sacred" gives the feeling that the chains are holy, like they have the characteristics of being divine and pure and to be cherished and treated with reverence, which your nuns don't sound like they are pure saints at the core despite their possibly saintly outward demeanor. My mind thinks of the stuff of saints and sinners, and dark secrets (like the darkness the nuns have here, under their outward appearance of sainthood) and forced submission when I read your story summary.

Conquered by the Convent or Binding the Barbarian are better choices even if you find them on the nose. Binding the Barbarian is probably one of the stronger contenders since it has "Binding" in it, which the viking seems bound to these nuns in the story, helping them, and not to mention the BDSM scenes you mention where he is forced to submit. Bind is a very good word for your story title since that seems to be one of the most important themes of your story, binding and submission/domination.

Simon's suggestions are really good. I personally like "Bound to the Convent." Simple, straight to the point, and it hits all the right spots and themes for your story, especially the BDSM and the specific naming of the main stars of your erotic plot focus, the order of nuns forcing the viking to submit to them, being bound to them, literally and figuratively, as well as the overall relationship to them beyond the BDSM since he seems to be subservient to their needs (saving them from the duke).

 

[MillieDynamite]

So, write it.

Very much agree! It sounded like an epic series or long story.

 

[StillStunned]

Yesterday I submitted a story (title: "Pas de Trois", category: E&V) that I gave what is probably my most straightforward description to date:

"A woman spies on three dancers."

Nothing to make the reader wonder or think. Let's see how it does.

 

[ElectricBlue]

So, write it.

Millie, you do know @SimonDoom's penchant for the great incomplete story, don't you?

Or, "I had a Story Idea once, but I got lost on the way to the Forum."

Simon, did you ever get that "bigger spreadsheet"? You know, the one with the second hundred?

Carry on!