Comments on: Name it…what? http://pcwrede.com/blog/name-itwhat/ Sun, 5 Feb 2012 05:49:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Irina http://pcwrede.com/blog/name-itwhat/comment-page-1/#comment-1761 Irina Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:09:06 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=389#comment-1761 A Voice from the North</i> was called "The Frozen North thing" until it was almost finished. And perhaps it will pick up another title when I revise it, which seems to be imminent. A Voice from the North was called “The Frozen North thing” until it was almost finished. And perhaps it will pick up another title when I revise it, which seems to be imminent.

]]> By: Mary http://pcwrede.com/blog/name-itwhat/comment-page-1/#comment-1689 Mary Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:35:58 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=389#comment-1689 I can shoot off any interesting title at random, but when it comes to titles for my neverending flow of ideas, I draw a blank or else come up with this completely *awful* title that I immeadiatly discard. (A Retelling of Sleeping Beauty was one... it is painful to even bring that name up! :) ) I can shoot off any interesting title at random, but when it comes to titles for my neverending flow of ideas, I draw a blank or else come up with this completely *awful* title that I immeadiatly discard. (A Retelling of Sleeping Beauty was one… it is painful to even bring that name up! :) )

]]> By: pcwrede http://pcwrede.com/blog/name-itwhat/comment-page-1/#comment-1680 pcwrede Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:20:01 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=389#comment-1680 chicoy - I should have mentioned Shakespeare (and other classic literature, but Shakespeare is the gold standard) as a source for titles! Thanks for filling it in. accio_aqualung - Titles with no story attached is how <em>Talking to Dragons</em> started, so you never know what can happen! Arial - Thanks for the kind words! And you can always argue with the publisher; you just can't <em>always</em> win. chicoy - I should have mentioned Shakespeare (and other classic literature, but Shakespeare is the gold standard) as a source for titles! Thanks for filling it in.

accio_aqualung - Titles with no story attached is how Talking to Dragons started, so you never know what can happen!

Arial - Thanks for the kind words! And you can always argue with the publisher; you just can’t always win.

]]> By: Arial Burnz http://pcwrede.com/blog/name-itwhat/comment-page-1/#comment-1675 Arial Burnz Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:29:23 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=389#comment-1675 I've learned from fellow writers not to be in love with your title because you don't necessarily have a say in the matter. I have also heard, which you confirm in your post here, that publishers at least allow a discussion on the topic and don't totally stonewall the writer. Negotiation, I suppose is the key! Speaking of "Dealing with Dragons"...HOLY COW I LOVED IT!! Your presentation of typical fairy tales and what is "supposed" to be done compared to what Princess Cimorene wanted was absolutely delightful! It kept me laughing all the time! The other element I loved about the story was how it turned into a bit of a mystery, which kept me turning the pages to find out how it all ended. Brilliant job of entertaining all around! My TBR pile is huge and I'm back and forth between reading author friends, romance, fantasy adventure, children's books and working on my own novel that it will take me a while to get to your other books...but get to them I surely will! Keep up the great work, Ms. Wrede!! That's my two pence... Arial ;) I’ve learned from fellow writers not to be in love with your title because you don’t necessarily have a say in the matter. I have also heard, which you confirm in your post here, that publishers at least allow a discussion on the topic and don’t totally stonewall the writer. Negotiation, I suppose is the key!

Speaking of “Dealing with Dragons”…HOLY COW I LOVED IT!! Your presentation of typical fairy tales and what is “supposed” to be done compared to what Princess Cimorene wanted was absolutely delightful! It kept me laughing all the time!

The other element I loved about the story was how it turned into a bit of a mystery, which kept me turning the pages to find out how it all ended. Brilliant job of entertaining all around!

My TBR pile is huge and I’m back and forth between reading author friends, romance, fantasy adventure, children’s books and working on my own novel that it will take me a while to get to your other books…but get to them I surely will!

Keep up the great work, Ms. Wrede!!

That’s my two pence…
Arial ;)

]]> By: accio_aqualung http://pcwrede.com/blog/name-itwhat/comment-page-1/#comment-1672 accio_aqualung Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:55:07 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=389#comment-1672 I enjoy coming up with random titles but never have a story to back it up. On the flip side, all the stories I have lack titles, and there's no way to mix and match. I also enjoy coming up with titles for my autobiography for when I'm rich and famous. At the moment I'm torn between "Tales of a Retail Wage Slave" or "Gofer Broke." I enjoy coming up with random titles but never have a story to back it up. On the flip side, all the stories I have lack titles, and there’s no way to mix and match. I also enjoy coming up with titles for my autobiography for when I’m rich and famous. At the moment I’m torn between “Tales of a Retail Wage Slave” or “Gofer Broke.”

]]> By: Chicoy http://pcwrede.com/blog/name-itwhat/comment-page-1/#comment-1670 Chicoy Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:09:58 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=389#comment-1670 `Three Cool Kates' sounds like a book about a rock group trying to make the big-time. I can picture the cover art and everything. :) I love the fairytale flavor of `Three Katherines of Allingdale'. I like reading random passages of Shakespeare while I'm trying to think up titles. I was severely tempted to use `Lightly to their Deaths' for the title of a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling I'm working on, but I was afraid people would think it was a murder mystery. `Three Cool Kates’ sounds like a book about a rock group trying to make the big-time. I can picture the cover art and everything. :) I love the fairytale flavor of `Three Katherines of Allingdale’.

I like reading random passages of Shakespeare while I’m trying to think up titles. I was severely tempted to use `Lightly to their Deaths’ for the title of a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling I’m working on, but I was afraid people would think it was a murder mystery.

]]> By: pcwrede http://pcwrede.com/blog/name-itwhat/comment-page-1/#comment-1669 pcwrede Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:48:22 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=389#comment-1669 Gray - You can never tell what a publisher will or won't like. They pretend it's all logic and business reasons, but I think it really comes down to intuition and personal taste. I rather like the sound of <em>Three Katherines of Allingdale</em>, myself. Alex - I hate coming up with titles, too, if they don't just come with the story. Gray - You can never tell what a publisher will or won’t like. They pretend it’s all logic and business reasons, but I think it really comes down to intuition and personal taste. I rather like the sound of Three Katherines of Allingdale, myself.

Alex - I hate coming up with titles, too, if they don’t just come with the story.

]]> By: Gray Woodland http://pcwrede.com/blog/name-itwhat/comment-page-1/#comment-1668 Gray Woodland Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:33:37 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=389#comment-1668 A story makes no sense to me unless I can call it something, so this is always a big one for me. 'Working Title' would have to be about somebody redrafting their life, or suchlike; 'That Dumb Fantasy Novel' would either be about script-abuse, or start trying to be. Hell, I even have trouble relating to other people's untitled works in non-verbal genres, and some of those are as good as stuff gets! For my own stuff, I'm quite fond of simple understated titles: the saga that started one sleepless night with a vision of three women all named Katherine riding up over the high pass into Elfland is <i>Three Katherines of Allingdale</i>, and I love that title. I have my suspicions about potential publishers' sentiments, but at least by then it'll be safely written. If Marketing (<i>Night of Two Moons</i>, science fiction? Do us a favour, guv!) absolutely insisted on my calling it <i>Three Cool Kates</i> or something equally horrid , it would be too late to damage the story proper. But any story I deliberately wrote whilst called <i>Three Cool Kates</i> would be a very different proposition, with a very different tone. I'm in a pretty soft spot for titles right now, because a lot of what I'm doing lately is first cousin to the fairy-story, and those sort of titles more or less invent themselves. When I get back to the other stuff, my naming muscles are going to have to get back into training again... A story makes no sense to me unless I can call it something, so this is always a big one for me. ‘Working Title’ would have to be about somebody redrafting their life, or suchlike; ‘That Dumb Fantasy Novel’ would either be about script-abuse, or start trying to be. Hell, I even have trouble relating to other people’s untitled works in non-verbal genres, and some of those are as good as stuff gets!

For my own stuff, I’m quite fond of simple understated titles: the saga that started one sleepless night with a vision of three women all named Katherine riding up over the high pass into Elfland is Three Katherines of Allingdale, and I love that title. I have my suspicions about potential publishers’ sentiments, but at least by then it’ll be safely written.

If Marketing (Night of Two Moons, science fiction? Do us a favour, guv!) absolutely insisted on my calling it Three Cool Kates or something equally horrid , it would be too late to damage the story proper. But any story I deliberately wrote whilst called Three Cool Kates would be a very different proposition, with a very different tone.

I’m in a pretty soft spot for titles right now, because a lot of what I’m doing lately is first cousin to the fairy-story, and those sort of titles more or less invent themselves. When I get back to the other stuff, my naming muscles are going to have to get back into training again…

]]> By: lisa http://pcwrede.com/blog/name-itwhat/comment-page-1/#comment-1667 lisa Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:31:03 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=389#comment-1667 Fascinating! I'm so glad to learn I'm not the only one who hates inventing titles. Mine always sound dreadful. Fascinating! I’m so glad to learn I’m not the only one who hates inventing titles. Mine always sound dreadful.

]]> By: Alex Fayle http://pcwrede.com/blog/name-itwhat/comment-page-1/#comment-1666 Alex Fayle Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:11:46 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=389#comment-1666 I hate coming up with titles. In fact most of my titles come from other people who've read the book or story. I've taken to calling my drafts by the first name of my MC so that I don't confine myself to a bad title. I hate coming up with titles. In fact most of my titles come from other people who’ve read the book or story.

I’ve taken to calling my drafts by the first name of my MC so that I don’t confine myself to a bad title.

]]>