renewcommand{maketitle}{%
vspace*{droptitle}
maketitlehooka
{pretitle title posttitle}
maketitlehookb
{preauthor author postauthor}
maketitlehookc
{predate date postdate}
maketitlehookd
}

documentclass{article}
usepackage{titling}
renewcommand{maketitle}{% cf. p.4 of titling's documentation
  vspace*{droptitle}
  maketitlehooka
  {pretitle title posttitle}
  maketitlehookb
  {preauthor author postauthor}
  maketitlehookc
  {predate date postdate}
  maketitlehookd
}
  title{Some title}
  author{My Name}

begin{document}
  maketitle
end{document}

! Argument of posttitle has an extra }.
<inserted text>
                par
l.35   maketitle

?