tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post7890780271326556216..comments2023-01-08T13:48:58.890-08:00Comments on The Sound of Butterflies: Titles are hard.Rachael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07690377694600952816noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-43678367482713983442009-06-05T02:50:29.347-07:002009-06-05T02:50:29.347-07:00Hmm - was "Magpie Hall" the secret-favou...Hmm - was "Magpie Hall" the secret-favourite title that you mentioned here? Or was it a new title? Just curious. :)Ruth (Book Focus)https://www.blogger.com/profile/06211262861068620446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-70275831272449109642009-05-20T14:45:09.060-07:002009-05-20T14:45:09.060-07:00Your first paragraph made me smile. Unfortunately ...Your first paragraph made me smile. Unfortunately for me, I relate. This is what my novel keeps doing to me as well, and I'm someone who revises as I go, so it seems like every time I write 2000 words, I pinch out 2,000 ones that weren't right.Maggie Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14699674732274478502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-15139715601617488982009-05-16T03:43:00.000-07:002009-05-16T03:43:00.000-07:00I had a huge battle to fix the title for my Crime ...I had a huge battle to fix the title for my Crime Express novella. I knew the title I wanted, but everyone I asked hated it. I wavered right up to the day of the deadline, trying different titles (which people always liked more). On the last day I went back to my original "The Mentalist". Somehow, going through the process of everyone else telling me they didn't like it seemed to help me work out that I really did. <br /><br />The first thing my editor said was when he saw it was: "I love the title." And now, ironically, the title has been used by a US TV drama. I'm still not sure what I think about that!<br /><br />Really interesting blog, by the way. I've added it to my favourites list.Rod Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12801828229505529131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-16299397576262770722009-05-10T16:03:00.000-07:002009-05-10T16:03:00.000-07:00Luckily, my title for Distraction was fairly strai...Luckily, my title for <I>Distraction</I> was fairly straightforward.<br /><br />The great, frustrating umm-and-aaah was the subtitle. (Perhaps not a common problem for fiction.)<br /><br />At one point, I had about thirty variations...Damon Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06421351032851052928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-21091955484609450662009-05-10T02:17:00.000-07:002009-05-10T02:17:00.000-07:00Emma it's funny you should say that abut coming ba...Emma it's funny you should say that abut coming back to your first idea. I have dug up my very first idea and am going to run it past my editor. It still says SO much about the book but I was put off because another book has the same title (published a long time ago).Rachael Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07690377694600952816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-16392439457817194082009-05-09T15:19:00.000-07:002009-05-09T15:19:00.000-07:00Ah, titles. Not quite as bad as covers, counting b...Ah, titles. Not quite as bad as covers, counting by amount of blood shed, but close. I, too, was anxious that after The Mathematics of Love my second novel shouldn't have a title which was the same "The X of Y" shape. Don't know why, really, but it was a strong feeling. But still, it's that reflex that we should do something Different, isn't it.<br /><br />I do remember, when we were tussling over the title of what became A Secret Alchemy, my agent said, 'Quite often we all go round and round in circles, and end up with the number we first thought of...'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-28799431715218970692009-05-08T01:40:00.000-07:002009-05-08T01:40:00.000-07:00Isn't it like having a baby? You can have several ...Isn't it like having a baby? You can have several names reeady but can never be sure until they are born... so wait, if you can, and have as long a list ready as you can think up.<br /><br />I'd advise you to listen hard to the publisher's advice... the writing of a good title isn't necessarily a novelist's gift...<br /><br />PxThe Paradoxical Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10100658773584057280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-25739240498720603372009-05-07T20:30:00.000-07:002009-05-07T20:30:00.000-07:00Ah yes, titles ! In my publishing days this aspect...Ah yes, titles ! In my publishing days this aspect of a book, especially fiction of course, caused more grief between publisher and author than any other aspect.<br />But for the moment just go with a working title rather than attempt to finalise it, after all you haven't finfished the book yet and the title may leap out of the final chapter or two.<br />And Rachael, in the end follow your own instinct not the opinions of others!!Bookman Beattiehttp://www.beattiesbookblog.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-86695239001298140992009-05-07T20:26:00.000-07:002009-05-07T20:26:00.000-07:00Good post Rachael, naming things i a hard business...Good post Rachael, naming things i a hard business, like Adam in the Garden of Eden having to name all the animals, tough going I imagine. <br /><br />Titles like names are so personal. My suggestion would be to go with your gut feeling, or if you are currently easily swayed, put your sounders out to three nearest and dearest and watch their faces when you say the titles.<br /><br />I did hear David Bowie writes his lyrics by cutting out the words and throwing them up in the air, and gathers a few to make a lyric. Would that work I wonder...?<br /><br />Good luck<br /><br />Hope the other project going smoothly tooAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-56504730273025674452009-05-07T18:01:00.000-07:002009-05-07T18:01:00.000-07:00Tania that's fantastic news! Well done. Good luck ...Tania that's fantastic news! Well done. Good luck with the next step. It can be agonising but very exciting.<br /><br />It's not for inspiration I need the title - my NZ publishers are getting the cover designed and will start selling it into stores soon. Needs a title for that!<br /><br />Mary, as for my 'other project', yes I have a few options I'm happy with, but we'll wait until publication date before the final decision.Rachael Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07690377694600952816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-14002145583277150952009-05-07T17:55:00.000-07:002009-05-07T17:55:00.000-07:00I know it shouldn't really matter, the title at th...I know it shouldn't really matter, the title at this stage. Afterall, it's the content of the novel rather than the title but, like you, for me, the title is the key which unlocks the door of understanding (that's what I tell my students when we are analysing poetry anyway).<br /><br />I felt I couldn't go forward with 'Blood Lines' until I had the title and, even though I know the plot of the third in the trilogy, I don't have a title. My students tell me that all the titles have to be along the same theme (aka Twighlight, Breaking Dawn etc). The overarching theme of the Banquo's Son trilogy is inheritance/family/passing on things to the next generation.<br /><br />As to your comment about someone else using your title, that happened to me with Third Degree. Little did I know James Patterson was doing this first, second, third, fourth, fifth thing. Another title, The Ring, was published before the horror movie but kids all think I wrote the movie.<br /><br />On another note, the news I have been waiting for from New York has arrived and it's the big thumbs up for Banquo's Son.Tania Roxboroghhttp://banquosson.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16175404.post-80767991696099856422009-05-07T13:49:00.000-07:002009-05-07T13:49:00.000-07:00Oh Rachael - this is hard. I had a good title for ...Oh Rachael - this is hard. I had a good title for The Blue but my MA class made me change it because while it looked good on the page it sounded WEIRD. So I had to do what you're doing now - running over so many other options that didn't seem to fit .... going in circles....discovering The Blue made me change the book a bit - which is madness really - but it had to happen. It's surprising how quickly once you've decided on a title it becomes The Title and nothing else fits. A bit like naming a child eh? Do you have that in hand?Mary McCallumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07482261103185786111noreply@blogger.com