Book title choice

[MLSawyer]

Okay, have you ever been stuck on what to name your story? For me, it's never been a problem... until now.

I have a series of seven;

Quest of the Demon
Tallen
Elflings
Silence Rising
Deceiver
Subversion
...

I'm stuck. The first is the start, the following five are part of the 'Quest of the Demon Aftermath'... They follows different main characters who interact throughout the time line all to come together in the end... but what do I call it?

Culmination is what I'm playing with at the moment... but it doesn't quite fit. Any suggestions on what you do when you're stuck?

[Taramoc]

Catharsis? Conflagration? Resolution?

I'd give you more, but I don't know enough about your story...

And, I just realized you were asking about suggestions when you are stuck, not possible alternatives to "Culmination"... Shouldn't reply before coffee.

When I have to come up with one word, I spend some quality time with Thesaurus.com and it normally works. Or if you have some people you can brainstorm with, familiar with your story, even better.

Taramoc

[kmtolan]

Not getting much buzz from any of them, so lets play mix & match.

Demon Silence.
Quest of the Deceiver

The one thing you might want to avoid is a phrase that's completely meaningless to the reader. It's a crap shoot at best. My novel "Blade Dancer" was tentatively titled "Qurl". Which one conveys an image?

Kerry

[KatG]

What is the demon doing in the end book?

[Holbrook]

Okay, have you ever been stuck on what to name your story?

Yes, often. The current project has an overall title for the two books. Goodness knows what each book will be called. I might get an idea once I finish, but I won't become attached to the title that might change at anytime during the reading of said manuscript by agent and hopefully later by publisher.

[Teresa Edgerton]

I feel better if I know the title of a book before I start, but usually it comes to me as I write the book ... often some word or phrase out of the book itself that strikes me as appropriate ... and I think the titles I come up with that way fit the books better. Sometimes I haven't had the real title until I finished the book.

(I have, occasionally, had editors who didn't want the titles I did. Years later, I still regret the titles I came up with under pressure to please an editor when the book was ready to go into production. I think the problem was that I wracked my brain and gave them a list of titles and in each case they took the one I liked the least. Then with the one book I thought from the beginning they would probably ask me to change, and was perfectly willing to change, somehow made it through the whole process and ended up being the name of that book.)

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[MrBF1V3]

I usually have a name for a story when I start it, but I edit it along with the rest of the story. The title is important, it's the first and often the only part of your story people will read... but I've stood on that soap box before and that doesn't address your question.

My first thought is the old stand by "End Game" or "Homecoming", but I suggest being careful with titles which might indicate "Anticlimactic". I'm sure there is plenty of action in your story, find a title which highlights that. Maybe something along the lines of "Demon Slayer" (if in this quest they actually killed a demon--maybe "Demon Master" or "Demon Charmer"), or "Hero: First Class", referring to the title character's status.

Give yourself time to think about it, the title is important.

B5

If you follow pattern, your title should start with an "E", and there should be two more.

[MLSawyer]

Thanks all.

In the final book, all the characters come together- you find this out at the end of book 4 (Book 5 follows the last character who they have to find and book 6 is actually along the same time line, but follows the bad guys point of view)...

Offworlder's Return - is a possibility. It clearly shows to those who have read the first book that the main character has come back.

Book 2-6 actually have a sub title I guess you would call it... they all have 'Quest of the Demon Aftermath) as part of that.

Book 1 is about how Darci (from our world) gets taken to Nahaba, she tries to get back home but ends up on a Quest with a group of others to find and destroy a demon... anyway, (spoiler alert) it doesn't work and both Demon and Offworlder end up going through a rift in space / time and for all intensive purposes, disappearing.

Whatever was behind the evil though wasn't destroyed - you find that out over the course of the other novels as a new group is formed (semi reluctant participants -Tallen from the second book, Elonan from the third., some very enthusiastic Viking like brothers from the fourth...)

Anyway, Darci, the Offworder comes back for the finally to battle what was really behind the evil. Unlike the last time however, she ditches her 'group' (in the first book one of the main characters dies and she can't bear to go through that again)... one of the brothers follow her and... well, the story progresses

So, was looking for alternatives to conclusion – as that’s what it is ‘Quest of the Demon full circle’ or something like that…

I have a few years to go, my plan is to have this out in 2015… it’s just bothering me now that’s all.

[Slynt]

A few words that could replace 'Culmination' could be 'Consummation', 'Meridian', 'Zenith', 'Sublimity', and the coolest in my opinion, 'Deathblow'.

[Window Bar]

Perhaps words that indicate the coming-together:

"Final Gathering"
"Final Harvest"

[MLSawyer]

I could go the other way... words that don't really match but sound cool...

Hope's oblivion... (or Oblivion of hope).

I'd like to put a little doubt into the outcome so it can't be Offworlder wins or Evil rampant...

Using the thesaurus I found Acme actually is another word for end. Who would have thought that Wylie Coyote was using 'end' bombs.


Death blow... death strike... makes me think of the death star!

Offworlder's regret.... she regrets the death of a friend in the first book so this affects her actions in the final novel... Had also thought of Offworlder's Redemption... but she didn't so much fail in the quest (but at the same time she did not succeed).


Ahhh, it's a conundrum!

[MLSawyer]

Other titles that have popped into my mind since include;

Vindicated Hope (subtitle - quest of the demon full circle) - does this provide an image for you at all?

Hope's Culmination (or Culmination of Hope)...


I think I'm getting closer. If it comes to me, I'll let you know

[Taramoc]

Maybe it's because of the overuse in TV, but it makes me think that you have a character or a location called "Hope". I'm talking about "Raising Hope", a comedy where Hope is a baby, or "Saving Hope", a drama in a hospital called Hope Zion.

It may be just me, though.

[Sarunus]

Is there a foreign word you could use, even in a manufactured language (if applicable) from your book?

I have been racking my brain on the title name for the book I just finished, and have tentatively settled on a Russian word, reflecting the Soviet origins of the characters.

Maybe there's something just in going through the exercise of going through foreign words. I'm not sure. At this point, I think it's about getting past the brick wall in your head. Good luck!

[MLSawyer]

Thanks Sarunus. I've currently paused at 'Final Vindication'... (or just Vindication) the Offworlder returns and though she didn't really fail first time round, her actions in the finally will hopfully 'vindicate' the choice of her to save life as we know it...

I have a few years until I need to sort it out, it's just one of those things.

As for foreign words- I use them a fair bit. They're good for bad guy names. Vas, for example, is what I called the bad guys who I originally called the 'eyeless ones' (it means blind in another language)...

For a title however, kmtolan I believe has it right - the title needs to mean somthing to try and bring the reader in.

Will see how we go. For the moment, I'm focusing on getting the next draft of Silence Rising finished for critters and all to soon I'll have Elflings back from the publisher for a check over the final proof. No rest for the wicked!

Mind you, I do wonder what on earth I'll do when these 7 books are done...