Book Titles - How to Choose Them

WRITING WEDNESDAY

So you are trying to come up with a great title - a title that will make everyone buy your book. Wouldn't we all like to do that.

You want it to be original, memorable, not too short and not too long and convey what your book is about.

One way is to make a list of words that come to mind when you think of your setting, time period, emotions, questions and characters in your book.

If and when you come up with a few titles, go to Amazon and do a search for your three or four possible titles. How many books show up? The fewer the better.

I've been working on a story for around 10 years. I'm glad I didn't publish it sooner, because it is so much better now than it was. It was a novella. One of my critique partners said he bet I could make it into a novel if I tried (meaning make it at least 50,000 words). I took him up on the challenge and it is now almost 52,000 words. I didn't think I could do it, but I did. I took it chapter by chapter and added to the story.  My latest title for it is, Where the Stars Grant Wishes. I searched the title on Amazon and no other books came up. Yeah!

I have a middle grade that I have been working on for about the same amount of time. I wrote a list of words (adjectives, nouns, setting, characters) It has had different titles and the one I have for it now, I'm not really satisfied with. Here are the words I came up with to describe it.

mystery - family secrets  -  ghostly presence
country cousins
treasure - treasure hunt
cave
attic
discoveries
rural country setting
takes place in the summer - 1966

A cousin comes to visit her country cousin in the summer of 1966, to help keep her cousin from missing her brother so much, who just got sent to Vietnam. The girls will soon celebrate their 12th birthday. They find an old letter from the Civil War era in the attic and it takes them on an adventure to find a hidden family treasure. No one has seen the chest since it was hid by their 13-year-old ancestor, Dudley, during the Civil War, who turns out to be a helpful ghostly presence. The story of the hidden treasure has been passed down through the generations, but no one has been able to find it. Will two persistent snoops, inspired by Nancy Drew, find it? Or will they be scared away by snakes, bats, endless passageways and a rumor that the cave is cursed?

Any suggestions for the name?


Here are some links for title generators and writing in general:

Title Generator

Great site for writing. Are you having writer's block? Lots of writing prompts and generators.

Another title generator site.

Lots of title generator sites listed here.

How do you pick your book titles?

Any ideas? Add them in the comment section.

Happy Writing!

 

Writing Wednesday

I used to put a Writing Wednesday post on my blog on a weekly basis. I think with this post, I will start it up again.

This is National Poetry Month!

A fellow blogger, Linda O'Connell,  recently blogged about the Washington University St. Louis, Humanities Dept. Poetry Prompt, for the month of April. Each day they provide you with 5 words to encourage you to write a short poem.

I've dabbled with it a couple of times. I go to the sight and look at the words for each day, if one of the prompts catches my eye, I copy the words down and write a poem.

I don't think I'm doing it right. I'm thinking they want you to write the poem on the day the prompts are put up, but that's okay --- it's got me to writing.

The April 16 prompts were: Sunlight, Ceiling, Nostalgia, Bleak and Mother

Here is my poem:

I sit and gaze out the window.

The sun hides behind stubborn clouds

and refuses to shine.

I stare at the ceiling and nostalgia

Sets in. I find myself wishing my mother

was here on this bleak day

to spread hope and sunlight to my life.

 

 

The April 13 prompts were: Star, Stairway, Memory, Hour, Light

After a few versions, here is my latest poem:

Climbing the stairway toward heaven,

A star shines its bright light before me.

But my magic hour has not yet come

For me to go, so I linger another day

And add another memory to my life.

Why don't you give it a try? 

Sometimes a little prompt is all a writer needs to kick-start their brain. 

If you like, post your poem in the comments.

Happy Writing!

Free Kindle Download of my Book

Hi all my writing friends!

I would like to announce that my newest book,

Fun Through the Seasons Volume Two 

is available for FREE  download through Sunday, April 19, 2020.

I would love it if you take this opportunity to download it and enjoy.

It is always free on kindle unlimited, but if you don't belong to it, this is a great time to get my ebook.

It is a good book for kids and adults, especially during this Pandemic when we are encouraged to stay at home and the kids are home from school.

It is filled with easy recipes, poems, fun and informative articles, and interesting facts. It also has colorful photos and illustrations.

If you download it, I would appreciate an honest review on Amazon.

click here to get the free download.  Remember it is only free through Sunday, April 19!

Reviews are one of the best gifts you can give an author.

Thanks and keep safe and healthy! 

I've sewn a few, but here I am in one of my no-sew masks. 

They're easy - get a large man's handkerchief or a piece of material

at least 16 x 16

fold in half once

then fold in half again

slide a child's ponytail elastic over both ends

push in a few inches and then fold the material on the ends toward the inside.

Put up to your face and slip the elastics over your ears. Adjust to fit.

Voila!