Blog Titles that are INTERESTING? Who woulda thunk?

I came across a blog (here) I like as I plan my shopping for the next two weeks. The blog’s author, Michael Erin Strong, implies a good blog title is essentially the blog’s “life-force.” Very cool. Strong prefaces her blog post with: “Everyone who has watched a cursor blink for minutes on end knows what it’s like to pull an empty bucket up from a deep well. Finding the perfect title is sometimes more difficult than developing the concept and executing the project, combined. Why is that?” [the italics are Strong’s]. Strong is recreating through simile the struggle to not only write captivating titles, but the struggle to write a thesis. I think next week when I discuss the final paper with my juniors and seniors, I’ll use this article in class. Ooooooo!!! A handout.

Look at my blog title. Obviously no thought there. Strong is cool. I have to think about what changes are required, particularly when I’m teaching high school kids to write (they might read my blog one day).

Another amazing thing about this article is the picture to the left. My TA walked by as I was reading and said the guy looks just like me. Whatever. My hair is shorter and my glasses are rimless. I also have more freckles. My TA said I could use the picture in facebook, once I get a facebook account.

In concluding, Strong reinforces her point by saying: “While writing requires learning, research, passion, and much more, writing titles requires even more of content producers. To write a good title, one must know the audience, know the niche of the audience where content will be promoted, and know current trends. Add to those necessities an insight into human motives, and you might have a good title writer.” These three facets — 1) audience analysis, 2) publication analysis and 3) trend analysis — are all subjects we have discussed in class. Weak-titleness is why my blog isn’t getting a lot of attention. I haven’t considered 1) who my audience should be, 2) where I would to be linked to and 3) discover what blog-readers are looking for from me.