Hidden Mythics II Update #5 – Theos Rising!

Thousands of words and hours upon hours of time, all invested into a single story, and yet, when it comes time to put a title on all that work, I stare at a blank screen and spin in circles in my brain.

Somehow, two of the hardest parts of a novel to write are often two of the shortest things. The back cover blurb and the title. It’s distilling thousands of words into a concentrated dose of theme and emotion.

I tossed around dozens of ideas for Hidden Mythics II. Asked my Alpha readers, then my Beta readers for ideas. Some suggestions were made but nothing felt quite right for the story. As I’ve posted before, there’s a balance between having the right title for the book and having the right title for the genre.

I had tentatively thought about going with Soul, Mind, and Body themes for the titles since I started with Quaking Soul. What I didn’t think about was how Mind and Body are often attached to religious or self-help books. Not helpful for a fantasy book.

A couple of months ago, my husband suggested Theos Rising. It fits. Yet because I was stuck on the Mind and Body themes, I hesitated.

Funny how our expectations going into something can skew our perceptions. Even when I sent the manuscript to the professional editor, I wasn’t sold on Theos Rising. But as it’s mulled in my brain, it’s started to grow a voice of its own, whispering, “I fit. Stop looking elsewhere. Don’t you see the connections?”

And once I let go of my previous notions, Theos Rising does shine. Funny that. But really cool when I step back and acknowledge it was my own mind standing in the way.

On a different note, the manuscript is with the professional editor. We’ve slated 4 months for two rounds of editing. I can’t express how wonderful it is to see this story polished!

Thanks for joining me in this writing and publishing journey =) Usually, by this time each year, I have the year’s goals figured out. With our upcoming move, nothing’s running as usual. I hope to have Theos Rising out in the spring. Beyond that, things are unsure. I’ll post more when I’ve figured it out. Until then,

Blessings,

Jennifer