# Title Formulas Reference

8 hook formulas + straightforward style for balanced title generation.

## Hook Formulas

| # | Formula | Characteristics | Example |
|---|---------|----------------|---------|
| 1 | Subversive | Deny common belief, create cognitive conflict | "All de-AI-flavor prompts are wrong" |
| 2 | Solution | Give the answer directly, promise concrete value | "One recipe to make AI write in your voice" |
| 3 | Suspense | Reveal half, spark a curiosity gap | "It took me six months to find how to remove AI flavor" |
| 4 | Concrete Number | Use specific numbers for credibility and impact | "150 lines of docs taught AI my writing style" |
| 5 | Contrast | Small cause → big result, or expectation vs reality | "One doc replaced three months of AI tuning" |
| 6 | Result First | Lead with a surprising outcome, hook reader to find out why | "After using this method, nobody could tell it was AI" |
| 7 | Rhetorical Question | Ask a question that creates an unfinished feeling | "Why can people spot your AI writing at a glance?" |
| 8 | Empathy | Touch pain points, trigger shared frustration or relief | "Three months fighting AI flavor — I finally broke free" |

### When to pick each formula

| Formula | Best for |
|---------|----------|
| Subversive | Articles that challenge mainstream advice or debunk myths |
| Solution | How-to guides, tutorials, actionable advice pieces |
| Suspense | Personal stories, case studies, journey narratives |
| Concrete Number | Data-driven articles, benchmarks, step-by-step guides |
| Contrast | Before/after stories, unexpected discoveries, comparisons |
| Result First | Success stories, transformation pieces, "I tried X" articles |
| Rhetorical Question | Problem-awareness pieces, diagnostic/explainer content |
| Empathy | Struggle narratives, community pain points, relatable experiences |

## Straightforward Style

Not every title needs a hook. Straightforward titles work well as alternatives:

- **Descriptive**: clearly state the topic and scope
- **Declarative**: state the main conclusion or thesis directly

These provide balance — readers who prefer clarity over curiosity will appreciate them.

## Title Principles

- **Hook in first 5 characters**: create information gap or cognitive conflict
- **Specific > abstract**: "150 lines" beats "a document"
- **Negation > affirmation**: "you're doing it wrong" beats "the right way"
- **Conversational**: like chatting with a friend, not an academic paper
- **Max ~30 characters**: longer titles get truncated in feeds
- **Accurate, not clickbait**: the article must deliver what the title promises — titles can be bold but the content must back them up

## Prohibited Patterns

- Vague academic-style: "On XX", "Thoughts on XX", "Exploration and Practice of XX"
- Pure shock bait: "Shocking!", "10,000-word essay", "Must bookmark"
- Directionless questions: "Where is the future of AI writing?"
