I believe one of you asked the other day whether I was any closer to coming up with a title for Untitled Fantasy. Ummm... no.
Titles are HARD.
Okay, so maybe they're not always hard. Sometimes the title pops right into my head. Poof. Most of the time, I at least have a working title. This time? Not a ding-dang thing is popping anywhere.
You see, I want a grabby title. I want one that jumps up and says 'READ ME!' I want readers to see it and say 'Wow, I have to buy that'.
I also want one that gives some hint of the story. Like Dying Embers... people are dying in fire. Umm, yeah. Or even an old switcheroo kind of thing, like with Accidental Death? People are dying and it looks like accidents, but it isn't.
With Wish in One Hand, it started out as Djinnocide. That title didn't seem to be sparking any interest with agents and I was really wishing it would, but then I remembered something my dad used to say about wishing and the new title was born.
Additionally, the title of this book has to say FANTASY without riffing off or ripping off any other fantasy series. Unfortunately, the damn Dragonlance books have a twin thing going on in there. Totally different take than I have, but the title Time of the Twins was taken. (And, I just saw when searching, also stolen used by celebrity-type people for their own ghostwritten fantasy thing. Feh.)
I'm hoping for this to be a series. That has a title, I think... Shroudlands. And a just-now search of that shows it's been used. Derp. Warhammer. And D&D. Sometimes, you can't help but be similarly named. Ideas abound and they aren't copyright-able, not there's wiggle room there.
I'm already going to get slapped around for Sanderson, seeing as there's already a popular fantasy author with that last name. (Might publish as my maiden name. Still thinking about that.)
Anyway, the quick answer about titles is 'I don't have one'. I wish I could send this off to a publisher and let them come up with a title. But you know what Dad said about wishing. ;o)
Don't worry so much. I doubt there is any possible way to get a never-before-used title or series name, unless you make up a word. And even then it might exist in another language.
ReplyDeleteThe farther out a name is, the less likely that title is to be found. I know from experience -- it took YEARS before anyone remembered my business name, The Mantua-Maker. I truly believed that any historical costumer would remember that one. Nope.
Worse, single-word common titles get drowned in the sea of the internet.
Hang in there. Maybe your beta readers can offer suggestions that will spark your imagination.
Late getting around today. What a Monday! Anyway, I feel your pain. Ghosts & The Ancient Stones took forever to get its title. Psst. I <1>**koffstolekoff was inspired by a line in the lyrics of one of the songs in the soundrack. I like The Shroudland Sagas for a series name. That helps with the whole fantasy thing. Here are some riffs for you to play with...
ReplyDeleteGame of Two Halves
A Matter of Twins
Sign of the Twinning
The Age of Gemini
The Twinning Hour
Hour of the Geminis
Anyway, something to play with. You know me. LOL The right title will come. They always do. ��