1# Title Formulas Reference
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38 hook formulas + straightforward style for balanced title generation.
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5## Hook Formulas
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7| # | Formula | Characteristics | Example |
8|---|---------|----------------|---------|
9| 1 | Subversive | Deny common belief, create cognitive conflict | "All de-AI-flavor prompts are wrong" |
10| 2 | Solution | Give the answer directly, promise concrete value | "One recipe to make AI write in your voice" |
11| 3 | Suspense | Reveal half, spark a curiosity gap | "It took me six months to find how to remove AI flavor" |
12| 4 | Concrete Number | Use specific numbers for credibility and impact | "150 lines of docs taught AI my writing style" |
13| 5 | Contrast | Small cause → big result, or expectation vs reality | "One doc replaced three months of AI tuning" |
14| 6 | Result First | Lead with a surprising outcome, hook reader to find out why | "After using this method, nobody could tell it was AI" |
15| 7 | Rhetorical Question | Ask a question that creates an unfinished feeling | "Why can people spot your AI writing at a glance?" |
16| 8 | Empathy | Touch pain points, trigger shared frustration or relief | "Three months fighting AI flavor — I finally broke free" |
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18### When to pick each formula
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20| Formula | Best for |
21|---------|----------|
22| Subversive | Articles that challenge mainstream advice or debunk myths |
23| Solution | How-to guides, tutorials, actionable advice pieces |
24| Suspense | Personal stories, case studies, journey narratives |
25| Concrete Number | Data-driven articles, benchmarks, step-by-step guides |
26| Contrast | Before/after stories, unexpected discoveries, comparisons |
27| Result First | Success stories, transformation pieces, "I tried X" articles |
28| Rhetorical Question | Problem-awareness pieces, diagnostic/explainer content |
29| Empathy | Struggle narratives, community pain points, relatable experiences |
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31## Straightforward Style
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33Not every title needs a hook. Straightforward titles work well as alternatives:
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35- **Descriptive**: clearly state the topic and scope
36- **Declarative**: state the main conclusion or thesis directly
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38These provide balance — readers who prefer clarity over curiosity will appreciate them.
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40## Title Principles
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42- **Hook in first 5 characters**: create information gap or cognitive conflict
43- **Specific > abstract**: "150 lines" beats "a document"
44- **Negation > affirmation**: "you're doing it wrong" beats "the right way"
45- **Conversational**: like chatting with a friend, not an academic paper
46- **Max ~30 characters**: longer titles get truncated in feeds
47- **Accurate, not clickbait**: the article must deliver what the title promises — titles can be bold but the content must back them up
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49## Prohibited Patterns
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51- Vague academic-style: "On XX", "Thoughts on XX", "Exploration and Practice of XX"
52- Pure shock bait: "Shocking!", "10,000-word essay", "Must bookmark"
53- Directionless questions: "Where is the future of AI writing?"
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