My Kingdom for a Title
Ever wonder where titles come from?
Me too!!
Seriously, titles are either Right There, Yahoo! or I swear they party in some deep dark inaccessible recess of the brain, refusing to come out. Ever.
Yes, I've had some success with my book titles. My favourite method is to grab a meaningful line from the story itself. Which presupposes the story itself exists before the title. Problem? At some point, one's asked to title books that don't exist yet. At all. There are valid reasons for this insane process: Contracts need titles. Promotion and catalogues. Covers. Talking about project X gets kinda old fast too.
I've tried to learn as I go, in this as well as every other aspect of writing. The titles for Esen's books are all plays on vision/sight, since she has different eyes depending on whim and I make jokes about it. Hence "Beholder's Eye" -- a literal title that, at first, kept showing up as "Eye of the Beholder." Sigh with me. "Changing Vision" and "Hidden in Sight" came after. The working title (because things do change) for the fourth and not yet written book is "Search Image." I'm very fond. We'll see. (Little Es humour there.)
"A Thousand Words for Stranger" came from a line in the story, too, but I was sure it would change. To my amazement, everyone liked it. The next titles had to be created far in advance of writing. The major factor? (This is embarrassing.) The cover design. I was really excited by it. There's a cool drop-down T and R on the first book. Yup. "Ties of Power" and "To Trade to the Stars" were attempts to look similar.
"In the Company of Others" was a panic-stricken last minute (on my part) change from the original title of "No Place Like Home" because my editor rightly pointed out the latter reminded her of The Wizard of Oz. (I liked "No Place..." so much, I used it for my novella in "Forbidden Planets.")
Still with me? Okay. Survival, Migration, and Regeneration .. a snap. I now understand the love of one word titles, and wish I could arrange for more.
Once I went back to the Trade Pact universe to write prequels, the title structure needed to match my completely irrational "series style." I picked the letter "R" as a likely one to replace the "T" (see how deep I am?) and then ran through combinations of words that worked for me. Okay, and had elements of flight/sky/air. "Reap the Wild Wind" "Riders of the Storm" and "Rift in the Sky" were the result. I'm quite fond. (Even with the unintended song thing.)I was even able to use the titles as lines in the books. Circular, but oddly satisfying.
Where am I? Oh yes. "A Turn of Light" It started life as "Night's Edge" but my editor (wise is she) thought that could cause issues with people who'd envision swords and/or knights and be disappointed. "A Turn of Light" is the best possible title, I now believe after writing the 1066 pages that go with the name.
Yes, I'm busy working on new titles. Right now. It never gets normal, believe me.
Oh, *series titles*?
Another blog, folks. Those make choosing novel titles a swing in the park by comparison.
Me too!!
Seriously, titles are either Right There, Yahoo! or I swear they party in some deep dark inaccessible recess of the brain, refusing to come out. Ever.
Yes, I've had some success with my book titles. My favourite method is to grab a meaningful line from the story itself. Which presupposes the story itself exists before the title. Problem? At some point, one's asked to title books that don't exist yet. At all. There are valid reasons for this insane process: Contracts need titles. Promotion and catalogues. Covers. Talking about project X gets kinda old fast too.
I've tried to learn as I go, in this as well as every other aspect of writing. The titles for Esen's books are all plays on vision/sight, since she has different eyes depending on whim and I make jokes about it. Hence "Beholder's Eye" -- a literal title that, at first, kept showing up as "Eye of the Beholder." Sigh with me. "Changing Vision" and "Hidden in Sight" came after. The working title (because things do change) for the fourth and not yet written book is "Search Image." I'm very fond. We'll see. (Little Es humour there.)
"A Thousand Words for Stranger" came from a line in the story, too, but I was sure it would change. To my amazement, everyone liked it. The next titles had to be created far in advance of writing. The major factor? (This is embarrassing.) The cover design. I was really excited by it. There's a cool drop-down T and R on the first book. Yup. "Ties of Power" and "To Trade to the Stars" were attempts to look similar.
"In the Company of Others" was a panic-stricken last minute (on my part) change from the original title of "No Place Like Home" because my editor rightly pointed out the latter reminded her of The Wizard of Oz. (I liked "No Place..." so much, I used it for my novella in "Forbidden Planets.")
Still with me? Okay. Survival, Migration, and Regeneration .. a snap. I now understand the love of one word titles, and wish I could arrange for more.
Once I went back to the Trade Pact universe to write prequels, the title structure needed to match my completely irrational "series style." I picked the letter "R" as a likely one to replace the "T" (see how deep I am?) and then ran through combinations of words that worked for me. Okay, and had elements of flight/sky/air. "Reap the Wild Wind" "Riders of the Storm" and "Rift in the Sky" were the result. I'm quite fond. (Even with the unintended song thing.)I was even able to use the titles as lines in the books. Circular, but oddly satisfying.
Where am I? Oh yes. "A Turn of Light" It started life as "Night's Edge" but my editor (wise is she) thought that could cause issues with people who'd envision swords and/or knights and be disappointed. "A Turn of Light" is the best possible title, I now believe after writing the 1066 pages that go with the name.
Yes, I'm busy working on new titles. Right now. It never gets normal, believe me.
Oh, *series titles*?
Another blog, folks. Those make choosing novel titles a swing in the park by comparison.
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Good luck to you too! I will say titles that don't stick probably, in my experience, aren't the right one. Probably explains why composers numbered their works instead. I started that way, you know. Roman numerals for them all. "A Thousand Words for Stranger" was X.
Your mind fascinates me...possibly because I go through similar episodes of thought. I think my favorite way though is to find a title and write a story around it...might be why my latest project is floundering...I need a title! LOLBF
Oh, it fascinates me at times too. In the way that what raccoons can accomplish in the garage fascinates ;-)You need a title?? YOU???
::snickers:: For those reading and wondering about this particular exchange, J'sBF and I go waaaaaay back. Delightful writer and dear friend.Who clearly needs a title. My work's never done! ::hand to forehead::
And best of luck! A story I've now submitted twice has changed title each time and that doesn't count the several titles it had during the drafting and editing.