How should you format the title of your own work in essays and creative writing?

Formatting the title of your own work might sound like a walk in the park, but wait until APA, MLA, and the whole gang of formatting styles show up. Don't worry, my dear reader, I'm here to guide you through this jungle of letters, italics and capitalization!

The ABCs of Title Formatting: No, It's Not Child's Play!🎈

Before we dive into the specifics of different formatting styles, let's take a look at some general rules. The title of your work is its face, it's what grabs the reader's attention and gives a hint about the content. So, make it catchy, but also make sure it follows these rules:

To ensure your title is as polished as possible, here's a handy checklist you can follow:

With these general rules in mind, let's delve deeper into the specifics of different formatting styles.

Now, let's move to the specificities of different formatting styles.

MLA Title Formatting: Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication💡

The Modern Language Association (MLA) loves simplicity. When you're writing the title of your own work in an essay, you should capitalize all major words and place the title at the center of the page, without any bold, italics, or underlines. If you need more details on this, check out my comprehensive MLA formatting guide.

APA Title Page: Where Structure Meets Style🏛️

The American Psychological Association (APA), on the other hand, likes to keep things a bit more structured. Your title should be bold, centered, and placed in the upper half of the page. Also, don't forget to include your name and institution below the title. I've covered this in depth in the APA format title page guide.

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Alright, you're halfway there! But we're not done yet. Let's talk about creative writing.

Creative Writing Titles: Where Freedom and Relevance Tango💃

When it comes to creative writing, you have a bit more freedom. However, the title of your piece should still be relevant and catchy. It's a good idea to use a strong image or concept from your work as the title. If you're writing a book, use italics; if it's a short story or poem, use quotation marks.

Expository & Synthesis Essays: Making Your Title a Thesis Teaser🎁

For expository and synthesis essays, the title should be informative and directly related to your thesis statement. In case you're not familiar with these types of essays, I've written a detailed guide on expository essays and synthesis essay format.

APA Title Page Redux: Making Your First Impression Count🎯

Last but not least, let's revisit APA format. On the title page, your title should appear in the upper half of the page, centered and double-spaced from any other text. For more information, check out my title page on APA format guide.

Learn more about Test Your Title Formatting Skills ✍️ or discover other Superior Formatting quizzes.

There you have it, brave explorer of the formatting jungle! With these tips, your titles will shine as bright as a polished diamond. Now, go forth and format!

Theodore S. Harmon

Teaching, English Grammar, Expository Essays, Synthesis Essays

Theodore S. Harmon is a retired high school English teacher with a passion for helping students excel in their writing. He has a wealth of knowledge on various essay types and formatting styles. His humorous and relatable writing style makes learning about essay formatting a delight.