Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The Challenge of Titles - Redux

If you're looking for my blogfest entry to Brenda's Dark and Stormy contest, VISIT IT HERE.


Yet again, I am looking at the titles of my manuscript trilogy, Children of the Universe, and considering a small change. When I first blogged about titles, it was after I had a chat session with an agent, Diedre Knight of The Knight Agency. Find my original Challenge of Titles post here.

After that chat session, my previous, very lame and very generic title, The Awakening, became "Bond of Darkness." It resonated more with me and how I wanted to portray the true plot of the manuscript. The second manuscript became "The Shattered Darkness." The third title in my series was a placeholder. We all know about placeholders. They suck, but that's what they're for.

I didn't want the title of my final manuscript in the series to just be a plain-jane title like the first two. I wanted to make readers think. I didn't want it to be part of an event that is solely drawn by the title. I wanted something more abstract. I didn't want something that I wasn't totally happy with.

Going back and forth, I finally consulted a long-time writing friend, Claire Legrand, on the final title choice. I didn't need approval, but needed support that I was choosing something worth all my thinking. She knows a thing or two about great titles, as did Mrs. Knight.

So, the third title, previously "The Crossworld's Darkness," became: ...drumroll...

His True Darkness.

Do you have title woes? Vent and share.

Peace and Writing Love,

JWP

5 comments:

  1. ugh! i'm terrible with titles! it's so difficult to try to sum up a novel in a couple words!
    for the record, i really, really like HIS TRUE DARKNESS! i like the meaning that i'm sure it has- great for a culmination of a series! :)

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  2. Titles are SO hard. It can be so easy to overthink them to the point where NOTHING sounds good. Lucky for you, HIS TRUE DARKNESS is superb. I really really like it just from a general aesthetic perspective, and, from the little I understand about where the trilogy is going, it seems perfect for your story and Valence's journey.

    Happy writing! :)

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  3. Titles are vexing. I have one right now that doesn't have a title yet and it's going to drive me crazy. The others I came up with at random, different moments in the process and they are still subject to change.

    That title sounds pretty good to me.

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  4. I love choosing titles...though sometimes it's pretty hard. Great post!

    New follower...

    demitrialunetta.blogspot.com

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  5. I suck at titles. Nuff said?

    I like yours though.

    ........dhole

    ReplyDelete

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