One of the hardest decisions you make when writing a book is the title. Whenever I start the process of writing a new book, I begin with a working title which provides the overall direction of the book. Interestingly, for all of my six published books the working title has never been the final published title.

The working title for my most recent book was Brand Storytelling. It was only towards the end when the deadline was looming that Magnetic Stories was thrown in the mix. I wanted the title to capture the concept of what can happen when you hear a great story. Basically it creates an instant and strong connection that is very hard to pull away from. This is very much like The Barbie Story I shared previously.

Brainstorming Titles

The title of my book would form the basis of many dinner conversations. Consequently, my family would provide ideas and suggestions. It was during one of these brainstorming sessions that my husband Steve declared he had the perfect title. With much pride he stated, “You should call it Teflon Stories”. At his suggestion, I looked at him, hesitated for a few seconds to make sure he wasn’t joking and then realised he wasn’t. It was then that I pointed out that the teflon effect was the exact opposite of the concept I was hoping to communicate.

Magnetic or Teflon?

Anyway, it has since provided me with a good comparison question to ask… are your stories magnetic or teflon?

In the video above, I share a great example of a magnetic story from a holiday we were on two years ago in Berlin. It’s a magnetic story about Currywurst sausages, which may or may not have been cooked on a non-stick surface.