I could make the obvious Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet, Act II Scene II, reference here..."What's in a Name?" That is too easy though. The truth is that I am getting so close to the end of my novel and it still bears no title.I remember when my son was being born. I had his name picked out months before his birth. I just knew that was the name he should have. I know other people don't think they can name their kids until they are born. They need to see their babies and then the name will come to them. Others just can't find a name or come to a consensus for a name of their baby. I fortunately did not have that problem.
I also have no problems when I am writing my poetry or short stories. Granted a poem and short story are not a novel. They do not take as long to write. I don't really have a pattern for naming them though. Sometimes I name poems and stories after they are completed and I am secure of a theme or an idea that seem to be prevalent throughout. At other times it is the title that I work around. When I wrote the short story Endurance of Hope, which I posted in an earlier blog post, http://wordsgal.blogspot.com/2015/02/endurance-of-hope.html, it was the title of the short story that inspired me. Actually it was a homily given by my priest, but it was the title for the story that led me to then create the story around it.
I don't know if there is one hard and fast rule when it comes to creating a title for your novel. I know I have had a difficult time thinking of a title or name for the book but I am now nearing the end of the first draft and this baby needs a name. I wonder if other authors find it difficult when it comes to naming a book. I mean, Anton Chekov when the basic route with many of his titles.The Wife, The Boor, The Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, The Blunder, and so many more. Other authors use the main character as a way to name their novels. The book that comes to mind would be F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. I think more often than not it will be the titles that stand out that may attract a reader at first. Titles like, Scream, Quietly, or The Zookeeper's Wife, Gone With The Wind, A is for Alibi, again I could go one here.
I of course decided to do a little research. How do people, novelists, create the names for the works? Was there a scientific, mathematical approach? If so, then I would be out of luck. I am not good at the scientific, mathematical approach. Did the title just appear to them as if the Greek Muse of Poetry and Love, Erato, was whispering in their ear? This I would raise an eyebrow in doubt but I put it out there as a possibility. Did they break down their novel and try to see the theme? Do they wait until the very end and use the last sentence and beginning sentence as ways to create a title? Maybe they are fortunate to see a phrase that seems to be repeated throughout and that has become the title.
The truth is all of these and more are accurate and probably used to create the title of a novel. Just like their are multiple ways and reasons people name their children something there are even more ways and reasons authors title their stories.
In my research to assist me with how to title my novel I came across a quote someone posted:
"The title of a novel is part of the text - the first part of it, in fact - and therefore has considerable power to attract and condition the reader's attention."
- David Lodge
This is my first novel. It is my first of many I hope. I realized that the title is really the first connection the reader will have with me as an author and my words. That is a lot of power for something that could be just one word or five. The title is also what has to lead the reader into opening the cover and starting the story. It gives them a sense that they want to read what is between the bindings. A title pulls and draws the reader first. The title is the first impression where the text is the juicy getting to know you. A title is the hand shake in greeting while the words inside are more the comfort of a friends voice. Ah, the pressure!
Ok! Ok! Ok! Don't worry. I am breathing again. I am the person with the firsthand knowledge of this story. In truth, the real quote I should use here is, "By George I've got it!" The reason being is that I have decided on a preliminary title for my novel. No, I won't be sharing it quite yet. GASP! I know how awful of me. The reality is that if my novel is fortunate enough to be published from what I understand there is a great possibility that the title would be changed by the publishers. Sounds a little sad to name your "baby" only to have someone come around and select an new title for it, but it is a possibility.
In the meantime, a teetering possibility of a title has been selected. Chapter Thirty and Thirty One edited and next week, if I manage to finally finish it, I may be posting a short story to give me extra time to also begin writing Chapter Thirty Two, the second to last chapter.
"Onward and Upward we go!"
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