Titles...Chicken or Egg?

I've been thinking about titles lately.  When do you title?  Before the book is written or after?  (Get it?  Chicken or Egg?)

With my novel, the title was one of the first things that came to me.  Though lately I've been considering using that as the title of the series and renaming my first novel.  I haven't even outlined my second but I'm already considering titles for that one as well (I have done some minor brainstorming though).

I have my short story written except for the VERY end.  Seriously, I'm literally lines away from finishing.  I just can't quite figure it out.  But I have no title.  I thought I would come up with something by the time I was done with the first draft but I've had no such luck.  Maybe the second draft will provide some inspiration.  Maybe...

I've been noticing titles of TV show episodes for years now.  The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men are the ones that stick with me the most.  Episodes of Two and a Half Men are usually a line from the show which make no sense until you see the episode.  Big Bang episode titles are usually scientific wit.

I actually thought about titling this blog post "The Titular Quandry" in honor of Big Bang.  But, the Chicken or Egg thing made me laugh so I went with that.  What?  You didn't laugh?  That's ok.  I'm sure I laughed enough for all of us :-)

Quick Update on Competition and Reading

It does not feel like it's been two weeks since my last blog post.  Time flies, I guess...

I am still working on my short story for the Writer's Digest Competition.  I have just under 3000 words right now.  So, 75% done.  I have not touched my novel in many moons.  I am ashamed.  But, I'll get right back to it after I get the short story done.  It helps that my short story is a prequel to my novel so I get to write in the same world.

In all of my "spare" time that I should have used for writing, I was reading.  I finished all four books in Larissa Ione's Lord's of Deliverance series.  I assume that's all for the series.  Four Horsemen = four books....but I may be wrong.  This was a great series.  Very hard to put down these books.  I would totally read this series again.  And I might do just that.

That's all for now.  Sleep beckons...