Getting stumped on the title...

I had planned about blogging about something else today, but titles are on my mind.
Whether penning a short story, poem, or novel, giving a title to the piece you have just poured your heart and time into can turn into more of a creative cramp than writing itself! Sometimes, they are easy - simple, on the nose, clearly there…but sometimes, well, they just aren't. In all honesty, it is the latter that ends up being the case for me.
Take today. I am submitting a short story for a literary magazine. The piece is complete - grammatically dissected, other pairs of eyes have read, edits are finished - but the title? Nope. My original title just doesn't seem to fit the piece, so now I am back at square one. You wouldn't think coming up with a title  wouldn't be that complicated, right?
But titles are important. They can be that "something" that jumps out at you, making you want to pick a book off a shelf. I must admit - a captivating title either inspires me to take a look or pass right by, especially if I am not looking for anything specific.
I had a great title for my first novel…but ended up ditching it. Although the title "A Life Undone" is part of a line that the protagonist utters during the climax of the story, it felt too obscure. Instead, I ended up titling the book after the novel's catalyst - "The Last Journal." If perusing the shelves of a store, I don't know which you would select, but the first insinuates things coming apart (which they do) and the second suggests a type of mystery (which there is). I opted for the second, even though I did like the idea of the title coming from the climax, unbeknownst to readers, of course.
So, here I am…procrastinating putting the final touch to hours of work - the title. Although, as I write this, more ideas come to mind, I am no closer to the completion…so, I better get to it!
Have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to turn those clocks forward Saturday night! :)