Duplicate story titles

I rather like the idea of duplicate story titles. I've always thought it would be fun for someone to release a music album of over-used titles e.g. "Rock'n'Roll", "Evil Woman", "Going Through The Motions", Back On The Road", etc, etc. A bit Spinal Tap. Maybe I'm just perverse, LOL!

Stories written to a single specified title might make an interesting challenge.

Thanks for the plug for my latest story

Yes, it might indeed, although the trick would be finding a title specific enough to provide some general guidance, but still broad enough to allow varied plot development.

Also, I'm figuring that the authors would have to provide an alternate title, or at least a continuation of the given title, so that the stories could be differentiated once the Challenge was completed... --C.K.

You're most welcome. That's the only reason I mentioned it, for sure.

I'm pretty certain there wasn't. I may not have read all of the stories, but I did get a good look at the titles during the voting period. I think we had 94 different titles, possibly because all of the writers wanted to give something of a hint as to what was in their story.

I don't think this is any problem, in general. Duplicated titles happen often enough in published professional fiction, which is one reason why they are not subject to copyright protection. I prefer not to duplicate my own titles -- or if I do, to provide a number or other mark of distinction, but not every author does even this.


I suppose that I would be reluctant to duplicate a long and very distinctive title, but a more or less generic title like "Cornered" or "Back to School" (which latter is also the title of at least one story from C.F. Publications as well as the 4 here) or "Susie Spanked" I would not hesitate over even a deliberate duplication of. Nor do i usually check to see if a title might be a duplicate.

The idea of a Title challenge is an interesting one, but would be tricky to avoid being TOO restrictive.

-Don L.

njrick
I was thinking the same thing. I think I have three favorites all with that same title. Maybe I'll write a few more just to make it really confusing. lol.

"Back to School" is not only a popular choice for a title amopng authors, it's also a popular choice for readers. My most-read story (though by no means my best) is called... [drum roll please]... "Back to School." My second-most-read story (from among 130-some) is... "Jennie Goes Back to School," a somewhat twisted work. Clearly many readers like that idea.