Brainstorm story titles that don't give away the ending

About this exercise

You finished a short story for your fiction workshop but hate the working title. Get exactly 5 numbered title ideas, each formatted "1. Title - from: detail", where the detail is an image or object that's really in your story. Titles under 6 words with no colons or subtitles, under 90 words in total, plain text. None may hint at the ending, and skip the words your professor called overused: echoes, whispers, shadows.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Titles that spoil the twist. The AI reads your whole summary, ending included, and picks the most dramatic thing: the secret twin. Try: Add: "Don't hint at the ending: no twin, brother, secret or Detroit."
• Getting the stock title words. AI titles lean on 'Echoes', 'Whispers' and 'Shadows of...', the words your professor called overused. Try: Add: "No echoes, whispers or shadows. No colons or subtitles."
• Titles from nowhere. The AI invents images that aren't in your story. Try: Show it: "1. Title - from: the jar of buttons" and say each must come from a real detail.
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total and it often lands 20% over. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 14 words."
• Forgetting where it's going. AI adds bold and headings that show up as stray symbols in your workshop notes. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

• Protects the ending
• Bans stock words
• Ties titles to details
• Says how many titles
• Sets a length limit

Practice this now ↑

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