--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is important for me to discover the…" description: "\"It is important for me to discover the ideal title, for without this title the story or novel isn't quite in focus.\" — Joyce Carol Oates" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/443/joyce-carol-oates-344_books_it-is-important-for-me-to-discover-the-i_2108893.png" --- # It is important for me to discover the ideal title, for… ![“It is important for me to discover the ideal title, for without this title the story or novel isn't quite in focus.” quote by Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/443/joyce-carol-oates-344_books_it-is-important-for-me-to-discover-the-i_2108893.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/443/joyce-carol-oates-344_books_it-is-important-for-me-to-discover-the-i_2108893.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/443/joyce-carol-oates-344_books_it-is-important-for-me-to-discover-the-i_2108893.png) > “It is important for me to discover the ideal title, for without this title the story or novel isn't quite in focus.” [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Finding the right title is essential for a story's clarity and direction. **In simple terms:** A good title guides the narrative. Key Takeaway Choose a title that captures the core theme. Themes creativity focus writing Mood reflective determined Type advice literary When to use this quote - author brainstorming - editor feedback - marketing - publishing - reader expectations Key Concepts narrative identity branding clarity Questions to Reflect On - What core idea does your story convey? - How does the title shape reader expectations? A Different Perspective A title alone cannot fix a weak story; content matters too. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [“I tell students, when in doubt, to title their story after the smallest concrete object in their story. I warn them off plays on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-carlson/i-tell-students-when-in-doubt-to-title-their-story-after-the-smallest/) [Ron Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-carlson/) > [The one mindset I have is this title - title or bust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-arreola/the-one-mindset-i-have-is-this-title-title-or-bust/) [Chris Arreola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-arreola/) > [Like I always say, the man makes the title; the title doesn't make the man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-miz/like-i-always-say-the-man-makes-the-title-the-title-doesn-t-make-the/) [The Miz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-miz/) > [The title of my story is death ,and the word as its weapon !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mly-ab/the-title-of-my-story-is-death-and-the-word-as-its-weapon/) MLY AB > [“It is the essence of a good title, in my opinion, that it means more after you have completed the story than before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/it-is-the-essence-of-a-good-title-in-my-opinion-that-it-means-more/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [“A title is a title. It doesn't define the type of person you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nichole-chase/a-title-is-a-title-it-doesn-t-define-the-type-of-person-you-are/) [Nichole Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nichole-chase/) > [A good title is the title of a successful book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/a-good-title-is-the-title-of-a-successful-book/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [When I win, I'll put my title on the line every year, maybe even twice. I'll give players a chance to beat me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/when-i-win-i-ll-put-my-title-on-the-line-every-year-maybe-even-twice/) [Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/) > [I don't actually think 'The Selfish Gene' is a very good title. I think that's one of my worst titles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-don-t-actually-think-the-selfish-gene-is-a-very-good-title-i-think/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Taking your first title is much more complicated and more difficult; it takes years of work - from go-kart to Formula One. The second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-lauda/taking-your-first-title-is-much-more-complicated-and-more-difficult/) [Niki Lauda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-lauda/) > [My bedtime was 8 P.M. But on 'Cosby' nights, I got to stay up until 8:30. Real big deal. This is when they could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lakin/my-bedtime-was-8-p-m-but-on-cosby-nights-i-got-to-stay-up-until-8-30/) [Christine Lakin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lakin/) > [I get called all kinds of things - an investigative comedian, a comedian activist - I've lost track of what my job title is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-thomas/i-get-called-all-kinds-of-things-an-investigative-comedian-a-comedian/) [Mark Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-thomas/) > [I never really know the title of a book until it's finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wesley/i-never-really-know-the-title-of-a-book-until-it-s-finished/) [Mary Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wesley/) > [Success is walking out of here with the title, and anything less is not good enough in my book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sampras/success-is-walking-out-of-here-with-the-title-and-anything-less-is/) [Pete Sampras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sampras/) > [Well, executive producer can mean anything in the world of Hollywood, sadly. It can be a bought title in many instances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-stanton/well-executive-producer-can-mean-anything-in-the-world-of-hollywood/) [Andrew Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-stanton/) ## More by Joyce Carol Oates > [“A woman who has lost her husband is invalid, thus an invalid. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-woman-who-has-lost-her-husband-is-invalid-thus-an-invalid-in/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Running! If there's any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can't think of what it might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/running-if-there-s-any-activity-happier-more-exhilarating-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [You need so much energy and encouragement to write that if someone says something negative, some of that energy goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/you-need-so-much-energy-and-encouragement-to-write-that-if-someone/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Paradox: how do we know what we have failed to see because we have no language to express it, thus we cannot know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/paradox-how-do-we-know-what-we-have-failed-to-see-because-we-have-no/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [At all crucial moments in our lives we want to speak without knowing what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/at-all-crucial-moments-in-our-lives-we-want-to-speak-without-knowing/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [A writer’s life is in his work, and that is the place to find him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-s-life-is-in-his-work-and-that-is-the-place-to-find-him/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The challenge is to resist circumstances. Any idiot can be happy in a happy place, but moral courage is required to be happy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-challenge-is-to-resist-circumstances-any-idiot-can-be-happy-in-a/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The first sentence cant be written until the final sentence is written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-first-sentence-cant-be-written-until-the-final-sentence-is-written/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Did you know, Marianne: how by breaking the code that day, you broke it forever? For us all?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/did-you-know-marianne-how-by-breaking-the-code-that-day-you-broke-it/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > ['The Accursed' is very much a novel about social injustice as the consequence of the terrible, tragic division of classes - the exploitation not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-accursed-is-very-much-a-novel-about-social-injustice-as-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/keep-a-light-hopeful-heart-but-expect-the-worst/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [And this is the forbidden truth, the unspeakable taboo - that evil is not always repellent but frequently attractive; that it has the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/and-this-is-the-forbidden-truth-the-unspeakable-taboo-that-evil-is/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I don't think that writer's block exists really. I think that when you're trying to do something prematurely, it just won't come. Certain subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-don-t-think-that-writer-s-block-exists-really-i-think-that-when-you/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [... such speculation is like staring into the hot white sun. you know the sun is there but you can't see a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/such-speculation-is-like-staring-into-the-hot-white-sun-you-know-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Explore all 658 Joyce Carol Oates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is important for me to discover the ideal title, for without this title the story or novel isn't quite in focus.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joyce Carol Oates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/it-is-important-for-me-to-discover-the-ideal-title-for-without-this/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/it-is-important-for-me-to-discover-the-ideal-title-for-without-this/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/443/joyce-carol-oates-344_books_it-is-important-for-me-to-discover-the-i_2108893.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/443/joyce-carol-oates-344_books_it-is-important-for-me-to-discover-the-i_2108893.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/443/joyce-carol-oates-344_books_it-is-important-for-me-to-discover-the-i_2108893.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is important for me to discover the ideal title, for without this title the story or novel isn't quite in…” — Joyce Carol Oates", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joyce Carol Oates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is important for me to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/it-is-important-for-me-to-discover-the-ideal-title-for-without-this/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/it-is-important-for-me-to-discover-the-ideal-title-for-without-this/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```