STATUS: Preparing for a big day tomorrow. More details later.
What’s playing on the iPod right now? FOOL IN THE RAIN by Led Zeppelin
Agenting is a never-ending learning process. So I’m chatting with an editor about the title change we are attempting and she pointed out something I hadn’t noticed.
In all the suggestions we had given her, only one title contained a verb. All the others were nouns with an adjective (or adjectives).
Kristin slaps hand on forehead. The publisher is looking for a more active title. That means the title needs a verb.
Betcha none of you thought of that right off the top of your head. And if you did, you are one smart cookie because to be honest, I hadn’t noticed that.
Guess what Sara, the author, and I will be doing tomorrow morning? Coming up with titles that contain verbs.
And just in case you need a verb refresher, feel free to click here. Ah. Fond memories from my childhood.
I wouldn’t have thought of a verb either. Don’t know if this will help, but Deanna Carlyle has a list of 1000 Verbs to Write By on her website.
I have the perfect title!
The Adjective Noun That Verbed!
Ug. That would make me crazy.
Edie, that 1000 verb list is neat! She has included the verbs that tend to be overused and suggested alternatives. I’m a purist, so “said” needs so substitute, but the others are good. Thanks for this.
Love the verb list!!!
Romancing the Dark Paranormal Romance
Plums Deify!
(sorry, stole that from Stephen King)
Okay, seriously, I posted my little jokes, then while in the shower thought of a few suggestions:
Searching for Shadows
Searching in Shadows
Seeking My Shadow
Verbing weirds language… ::g::
My one rule when retitling my most recent book was that it have a one word title. I went from there.
Perhaps “Whining for No Good Reason”. Maybe “Poor Me; The Tale of a Sold Book With No Title”. Or “Of All the Things to Bitch About… They Like the Story But Hate the Title”. Better yet, “It Doesn’t Matter, Darkly”.
Boo-f’ing-hoo. Go on brainstorming for four words. The rest of us hacks will keep writing a hundred thousand at a time. Keep this kind of shit to yourself.
I LOVE School House Rock. Ahhh, those were the days…
One word titles like “Sexygirlhasromanticrelationshipbutthereissomethingsinisterabouthernewloveandohwon’tyouallbeshockedbythetwistaboutthesexyguy”? That’s a one word title, and probably sums up a lot of books.
Wow. Nice rant hacky mchack… Can someone say, “Bitter, party of one?”
Um… hacky mchack…. no one is bitching but you. Kristin chose to share part of her (and her client’s) day with us, and it was in no way a bitch. Or a poor me tale. Or a whine. Maybe you feel like that because you’re unpublished. Or have been rejected many times. Perhaps you should keep your bitterness to yourself by not visiting here. I, for one, like the insight into an agent’s day.
Have to put in the obvious one … or is it the title that needs replacing?
RUN AWAY WITCH
maybe one of these:
Running
Shadow of Freedom
… i have more, but they have nothing to do with the book, so…