Alas, a New Year spent reading an article that made me feel 'the title is everything'

'I poured my heart into this writing, so'
'I want you to read it carefully and thoroughly.'

This is the inner voice of the person who created the article.

Spending time from their life,
using a part of their daily life...

Writing, sometimes even sacrificing sleep.

That is precisely why, for the reader,
I want them to read every bit of that effort, that crystallization of thought, my everything,
without leaving anything out.

Though one may earnestly wish for this, reality is harsh.

Far from being read, it is not even glanced at,
and ends up being forgotten over time, unknown to anyone.

Certainly, if you think of it as a 'work that pleases the reader'
as part of entertainment,
then not being chosen by the reader in the first place
'means the author's effort was insufficient' is all there is to say.

Then,
'I've written a piece that will stay in the corner of the reader's memory once they start reading it!'
even if you become triumphant, do not let your guard down.

Even so,
your writing is not guaranteed to be read.

No matter how excellent the structure, how rich the content,
or how appropriate the amount of information, it is not guaranteed to be read.

Because,
you are not guaranteed to encounter the reader who will read it.

???

Let me say it again.

Even if it is an excellent piece of writing, if it is not read
by a reader, that writing is a void.

And if that reader and the writing do not meet,
once again, that writing is as if it does not exist.

Of course,
it contributes in the sense of improving the author's writing skills.

However, if you want to "deliver your writing" to the world,
matching with your readers is absolutely essential.

On the reader's side,
"Oh! This looks interesting!"

The fact is that your writing is only read
after they feel that way and open the page.

Yes... sadly, the fact that
"the title is everything".

Somewhere in my heart, I believed that
"the title is not everything."

I thought I understood the way the world works,
believing that those who can write excellent prose
are the ones who are valued and read by many.

But then...

I realize it in a fleeting moment.

"Oh... I'm choosing based on the title."

When I'm in an unconscious, thoughtless state,
when I'm lounging lazily on the sofa,
or when I'm tucked under the kotatsu with a smartphone in hand.

My brain, without me even realizing it, is drawn to
"attractive titles" and ends up reading that writing.

✔ Amazing!
Titles that make you want to read

"Why do they make you want to read them?"

In my own way,
I have pondered what makes a title worth reading.

Let's list them out briefly.

・Concise and easy to understand the content at a glance
・Uses words that spark interest
・Includes numbers that catch the eye
・The content to be conveyed is focused
・Pops a "?" into your head
・Includes words that invite empathy
・Limited in character count
・Persuasive because it makes a definitive statement

Something like that, I suppose.

When it comes to "what people find interesting,"
it could be a discovery seeking novelty,
a new realization,
or simply a sense of curiosity because it looks interesting.

By one means or another,
creativity and ingenuity are put into titles
to get the reader's attention.

The points above are one method
and also a means.

Some authors title their work
unconsciously to "do that,"
while others surely think about it intentionally.

Personally,
I find "popping a ? into your head"
to be a convincing way to draw interest.

When you feel, "Huh? What does that mean?"
you naturally become curious about what follows, don't you?

Also, if it's a huge "?,"
you'll want to find the result immediately,
to the point where you can't focus on anything else.

Isn't this also a type of
"title that makes you want to read"?

✔ Introducing articles
that you find yourself reading

Well then, here
I will introduce an article that
fully tickled my desire for "interest."

Kakinotane-san's

The Age of Wind
What happens to the 'Is a banana a snack?' question?

Well, can you
imagine the answer to this title?

I couldn't.

I sort of understand the
'Is a banana a snack?' question.

But wait!
The Age of Wind??

Regarding that, the text is put together
with a brilliant concept.

This is a must-read.

It is an article I definitely want you to read.

Ito Daki-san's

Whose Dostoevsky?

Speaking of Dostoevsky,
'Crime and Punishment' is the famous one.

Just by adding the predicate 'Whose' to that,
my interest is piqued all at once!

Is there a 'Whose' for Dostoevsky?

Now then, how did Mr. Itodaki
solve this difficult, cold-case matter?

Only those who have read it
will have a peaceful tomorrow.

Aruron-san's

'Here is your receipt'

From the title above,
one can imagine a common, everyday scene.

Those words, no different from any other day.

Why go to the trouble of using them as a title?

That piqued my curiosity,
and I ended up opening the page.

Yeah!
I'm glad I did.

Because I was able to confirm
why it had that title.

Entertainment is born from
such 'casual conversations,' isn't it?

I'm learning a lot.

Chise-san's

'Unity of Knowledge and Action' - Knowledge and action are one

Exactly!
If I had to name a note article worthy of gracing the New Year, it would be this one by Chiyo-san!!

Could you come up with a title like 'Unity of Knowledge and Action'?

I certainly couldn't choose one.

It is so full of insight,
and the ability to select words is so sharp that you cannot help but feel the author's natural intelligence.

Even for someone like me with a limited vocabulary,
when I think, 'Huh! I'm actually smarter than I thought!'
it's usually after reading one of Chiyo-san's articles.

This is an article that acts like a wonderful reference book,
which can truly be called an attractive title.

Please, I urge you to give it a read.

You just can't help but want to click.
Before you know it, your fingers are moving and you are reading the text.

Such articles, without exception,
have titles that draw the reader in.

Of course, you cannot just satisfy them with the title;
you must also capture the reader's heart with the content.

If you don't, they won't become a fan of the author,
and you will just end up saying goodbye as a one-time visitor.

That would be far too sad.

Since you've managed to attract them with the title,
you have to compete with content that lives up to it.

Having said that,
the point that "it really is all about the title"
is quite hard to let go of.

In terms of work distribution,
it's 9 for the text and 1 for the title, but...

In terms of impact,
it's about 2 for the text and 8 for the title.

No, maybe it's 9 for the title.

It was the day I decided,
"I really must pay more attention to my titles."

I am always
learning from
how you all craft your titles.

Well then, until next time.
Goodbye.