Title Woes...
Jul. 24th, 2006 12:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
athersgeoI hate coming up with titles. In fact, in writing, there's only one thing I hate more than coming up with a title and that's coming up with a summary. (Though, for the record, although I've been tempted, I have never yet sunk to the level of "I suck at summaries", I tend to think it all the same!)
Sometimes (all too rarely) the title is obvious. "Future Imperfect" was one; "Ghosts of the Past" was another (and once I had that, "Sins of the Present" and "Hopes for the Future" were fairly gimme). Most of the rest of the time, I have to struggle - and right now, it's driving me insane.
See the problem I've got is as follows. The 'A' plot of story 2 in the Buddy's Song universe [and, just for annoyence interest, the universe title came really easily but the rest of the titles have been fairly sod-like, this being the worst] is about the kidnapp-ransome-rescue-death [!] of one of the characters. The 'B' plot is showing more of how Buddy is fitting into this world of spies and espionage and double lives, and also how he's dealing with knowing he's got to face off against his 'sister'.
Now, I could do a title that reflects the 'B' plot. It's the more 'important' part of the story, since the overall arc is showing how Buddy gets to be where he is and who he is. But it IS only the 'B' plot and I generally like to have my titles reflect the 'A' plot.
And then there's the desire to have the title tie to story 2 [The Coming Storm], AND match the provisional title of story 3 [Estranged]. I know that I can't match both, realistically, but I *can* match source, which is the lyrics of a particular song that just perfectly matches the overall arc. The trouble is, nothing from that song is leaping out and going "pick me!" And while I *could* use "Estranged" for story 2, it works much better with what I have planned for story 3.
I suppose I'll probably find the title I want in the end, and I probably shouldn't be quite so bugged, but...
*sigh*
The other really, REALLY bugging thing is that I have the perfect title for a connected short story - except that the story in question is the 'C' plot from story 2 and will be written as such!
(And before anyone asks, no, I can't use that title for story 2 - the connected short story title is "The Cowboy Way" and it really doesn't fit beyond story 2's 'C' plot!)
On the upside, I suppose, at least story 2 hasn't been saddled with a dreadful pun as a working title (unlike certain other stories I can name...)
Sometimes (all too rarely) the title is obvious. "Future Imperfect" was one; "Ghosts of the Past" was another (and once I had that, "Sins of the Present" and "Hopes for the Future" were fairly gimme). Most of the rest of the time, I have to struggle - and right now, it's driving me insane.
See the problem I've got is as follows. The 'A' plot of story 2 in the Buddy's Song universe [and, just for annoyence interest, the universe title came really easily but the rest of the titles have been fairly sod-like, this being the worst] is about the kidnapp-ransome-rescue-death [!] of one of the characters. The 'B' plot is showing more of how Buddy is fitting into this world of spies and espionage and double lives, and also how he's dealing with knowing he's got to face off against his 'sister'.
Now, I could do a title that reflects the 'B' plot. It's the more 'important' part of the story, since the overall arc is showing how Buddy gets to be where he is and who he is. But it IS only the 'B' plot and I generally like to have my titles reflect the 'A' plot.
And then there's the desire to have the title tie to story 2 [The Coming Storm], AND match the provisional title of story 3 [Estranged]. I know that I can't match both, realistically, but I *can* match source, which is the lyrics of a particular song that just perfectly matches the overall arc. The trouble is, nothing from that song is leaping out and going "pick me!" And while I *could* use "Estranged" for story 2, it works much better with what I have planned for story 3.
I suppose I'll probably find the title I want in the end, and I probably shouldn't be quite so bugged, but...
*sigh*
The other really, REALLY bugging thing is that I have the perfect title for a connected short story - except that the story in question is the 'C' plot from story 2 and will be written as such!
(And before anyone asks, no, I can't use that title for story 2 - the connected short story title is "The Cowboy Way" and it really doesn't fit beyond story 2's 'C' plot!)
On the upside, I suppose, at least story 2 hasn't been saddled with a dreadful pun as a working title (unlike certain other stories I can name...)
