Wow! It's amazing how much I can accomplish when I wake up and I mean Wide Awake, at 5:00 am. After just a few minutes, I realized I wasn't going back to sleep, so I got up and began my day. I glanced at the time I began writing this and was shocked to see it wasn't even noon yet. Woo-hoo...I'm going to make real progress on numerous tasks today. AND, all you writers will be pleased to know I wrote quite a bit in my memoir this morning. I'll be writing much more, too, before the night is over.
Those who've been stopping by for a few months or more, also know that every now and then I get in a mood about choosing a title for my memoir. I make myself crazy for a few days, thinking I can't possibly write another word until THE TITLE is chosen. I've even listed chapter names and asked who thought any of them would make a good title. But that's a bit difficult, since none of you have read any of it yet...well, except for a few people in my critique group!
Part of my predicament is the fact that *I DID have a title. For YEARS. I just KNEW* it was a fabulous, eye-catching title. But...a couple of things have made me question it over the past few months...so I'm kind of back to square one.
Addem: 6:50pm CDT: As some of you know, the title I've been carrying around in my mind, FOR YEARS, is "That Crowbar Changed Everything". A pretty important person doesn't like it, but everyone else who's ever heard it, loves it and wants to know...."HUH?" What's the story? And as I type this, I'm leaning back toward it again... ☺
What about you? If you're a writer, what makes you crazy from time to time?
And if you're not a writer, I'd like to know what makes you crazy, too!
Also welcome to my newest followers: Mommies Frugal Finds, Sandi, and Linda Medrano. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you!
"Yelling really loud can sometimes ease tension…and sometimes it makes everyone else in the library jump out of their skin." -- Maxine
I've never really had problems with titles...my big hang-up is character names. It drives me crazy if I don't know them. Right now I'm outlining a story and it's driving me just a bit nutty to write MC "main character". Of course, I've been feeling a bit off-kilter all summer. :-)
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that second Maxine quote. ha! Made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI love making up titles for my blog posts. Sometimes I get a little too outrageous.
ReplyDeleteThings that drive me crazy are the things that lead to other things until I might as well have given a mouse a cookie. What are the crazy-drivers in my non-writing life? Crazy drivers.
I, too, am having second thoughts on my memoir title. But I am working at such a slow rate that it's not going to matter for quite some time.
How 'bout The Crowbar Method of Accidental Enlightenment'?
ReplyDelete'Accidental Bliss'
'Accidental Happiness'
Accidental Enlightenment, Intentional Bliss?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like coming up with a title for a book, is as difficult as choosing a name for a blog.
ReplyDeleteI love Maxine! Good luck with coming up with a good title. Hard to do!
ReplyDeleteHi Janel! I'm glad I never have that particular problem. I don't write fiction! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Daisy! Oh yeah, that was a perfect quote for you! I laughed out loud when I read that one!
Hey Val ~ I didn't know you were writing a memoir, too. I've been semi-thinking about, semi-writing mine for longer than I'd like to admit! But, I have become a better writer! So, that's a very good thing.
Oh, June!! You are a riot! And you're the only one so far who's ever heard of my original title. I'm going to go back and add more about it to this blog post.
Hi Gigi! Oh yes. You've gotta have something that will grab a reader and make them want to pick up that book when they see it in a store, or see it online!
Hi Patricia! Thank you! I'm going to post more about it in a few minutes.
I love Maxine! I want to be her when I grow up. Titles are difficult--how do you convey an entire manuscript in just a few words? I always like to look for the reasons authors chose a title as I read their book.
ReplyDeleteHi Becky, I love waking up early and not wanting to sleep anymore. This is when I get my best work done. I recently struggled with titles for two magazines and even though I eventually used my choices, I still wonder if the mag (or the readers) will "get it" ! Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Blessings. Jo
ReplyDeleteTitles are often difficult, but finding one is so very satisfying. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteNamaste..........cj
Hi Julie! Thanks! You'd definitely know why I chose having a crowbar in my title!! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jo! Thanks! I can be a really early morning person, and I can be a really late night owl...just depends...on what? I have no idea!
Hey CJ! Thanks! I'll be relieved when I REALLY make up my mind!
There are so many things that drive me crazy. Mostly, it's just my inner lack of confidence which keeps me procrastinating on doing what I need to do - write.
ReplyDeleteI like your title a lot.
Hey Myrna! We all suffer from procrastinating, and mostly due to self-doubt. All you can do is keep telling yourself you are a wonderful writer and keep plugging along. Glad you like my title, too!
ReplyDelete*Got any other stories in your head to submit somewhere?*
A lot of things make me crazy - way too many and too boring to list. Hmmm...I 'sorta' like your title. It's definitely intriguing with the crowbar and change, but something seems a little off. Maybe it's me - LOL.
ReplyDeleteHi Becky,
ReplyDeleteI didn't get up until 10:30 this morning. When I can't sleep, I scribble notes on stories I have in my head. I write the story first and then get ideas for titles after it is completed, sometimes getting the title just right takes longer than the story !
Things that drive me crazy are people who have a lot of education and credentials but no common sense and rudeness anywhere, anytime...life is hard enough and isn't it so much nicer to speak and do with honey rather than vinegar ???
Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting !
Titles are the worst for me, too! Ugh. It takes FOREVER. And I question my choices so much.
ReplyDeleteThat quote was hilarious!
I really love this title. Makes the story sound very intriguing.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol! Thanks for stopping and commenting! And I know what you mean about being a little "off." I feel that way most days! :D
ReplyDeleteHey Nonna! Thanks! I loved hearing about your note writing....I do the same.... and boy, I sure agree about rudeness now days.
Hi Peggy! Thanks! Yes, titles can be brutal. I've always heard, too, that the big name publishers always changed them from what the writer wanted. Glad I'm not working with a big name publisher! And I'm glad you liked the quote!
ReplyDeleteHi Viki!Yay! You like the title, you really like the title! (excuse my Sally Field impression! Thanks!
First of all, I LOVE the crowbar title. I can't tell you how many times I've read a book, or seen a movie and later can't recall the title because it seemed to blend in with every other title in the world. Your title puts a concrete image into the reader's head so that later if they can't remember the title, they will at least remember "crowbar" and find it quickly through a search. Sometimes if a title is too ambiguous, containing words like "life" or "love" or "thoughts" then a search will produce thousands of results. Good move on your part, I say.
ReplyDeleteHowever, like Carol, I too found something a little "off" so I tried to analyze it. You know how sometimes when you're reading, you get to the end of a sentence and think "that didn't make sense." So you read it over again and realized that it was only because in your mind you put the accent on the wrong word. I think for me, that's why the title felt "off."
We have a tendency, when the word "that" is at the beginning of a sentence, to put the accent on "that," as in
"THAT which doesn't kill us makes us stronger." Or
"THAT is why I went to the store alone." Or
"THAT is the cat that peed in my garden."
So when I read the title as "THAT Crowbar Changed Everything" it felt like some words were missing somewhere. Like I had gotten to the end of the sentence and had to read it over again. When I read it over and made it say "THAT CROWBAR Changed Everything" in my mind, then it all made sense.
That being said, I don't think that will be a problem when it is actually on the cover of a book. I think for me, because the title was split between two lines in your post, my mind automatically stressed "THAT". When your book is in print and it says
THAT
CROWBAR
CHANGED
EVERYTHING
there's no confusion.
Dang, I need a job with CSI or something. :)