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How to Write an Effective Original Title for My Essays

The title is one of the most important -- yet overlooked -- parts of an essay. A good title draws in readers and gives them a concise summary of what the essay is going to discuss. A poor title will cause readers to skip over your essay or become frustrated if the topic is not accurately reflected by the title. Writing a good title requires being able to accurately summarize your essay into smaller and smaller phrases until you have a concise summary of the essay, and then restating the summary in an interesting way.

Instructions

    • 1

      Write the first draft of your essay. Coming up with a title after will allow you to more accurately summarize what is discussed in the paper.

    • 2

      Make a bullet point list of the major points in your essay. Each point should be summarized in a few words. Look for memorable phrases or words in the text that entice the reader to read further.

    • 3

      Turn these bullet points into titles by using phrases that cleverly reference the main points. Subtitles can be used to clarify interesting titles. For example, an essay on The Beatles' White Album could be titled "Happiness is a Diamond Record: Creating the White Album."

    • 4

      Narrow your list down to a few titles that sound memorable and interesting. Use the one that would most interest you. Asking peers or family members for their opinions can help you get an objective view.

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