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

The Challenge of Titles

So, I'm certainly not the first to have blogged about proper titles, nor will I be the last. Agents, editors, authors and writing hopefuls alike all enjoy a good title. It hooks and draws a buyer's hand closer to your published work and away from your competitors'. So yes, the title makes all the difference. I recently underwent a title change for my WiP manuscript, now titled Bond of Darkness, from its previous [horrible and generic] title, The Awakening.

Yikes! What in the world was I thinking? Of course The Awakening has been used one million times [Yes, I'm counting]. I was no different, but I chose it because it had everything to do with my character, both literal and metaphorical. That is not the case now. My protagonist has changed much since the first draft, and with the help of a few friends, I came to Bond of Darkness. But...

Only to read a recent article on "googling titles." So, I my fingers typed with fear into the search bar, and sure enough, Bond of Darkness is a recently published vampire novel by [redacted author]. YAK! Hate vamp lit [crappy vamp lit, that is]. Having only been published in 2008, the blog post suggested that you consider a title that was not used in the last 40 years. HA! Bull-crapola! My title is mine now. Considering a paranormal fantasy about vamps is nothing that can be compared to adult high fantasy, I think I should be in the clear.

The last piece of advice is something I learned from the ever-wonderful Diedre Knight, agent and founder of the Knight Agency. While on an ask agent session that she often sponsors, I asked my question about my change in title and asked Knight how she comes up with the perfect title. Knight said she uses color, sound, imagery, or anything that will spark the interest to have that novel get picked up. Usually, she takes titles across a series and makes them uniform, which is what I have done with my WiP manuscripts. In Knight's most recent release, her title consistency is something as simple as the color "Red," but it carries the most important meaning throughout her novels.

This is truly something to consider to have the best title.

So, to my writing community, how did you choose your titles and what additional advice do you have?

Bye for now!

JWP