The leader of my writing group sent out her monthly newsletter with this fun little writing exercise/survey in it. Since I am AWFUL at coming up with book titles, I kind of enjoyed this. (The questions all come from a book by Will Dunne, The Dramatic Writer's Companion, which I've been told is very good.)
......I did not, however, come up with a better title for the book in question. "apocalypse thingy" it remains.
What do you other writers think? Do you have title troubles as well? Do this with me!!
What would your title be if it . . .
1. Summed up your whole story in a single
word? (examples: Proof, Cats, Hairspray) Apocalypse
2. Used so many words we could barely remember them all? (example: Oh
Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the
Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad) ...I couldn't think of an answer for this one
3. Asked a question? (example: What Price is Glory?) What Do We Do Now?
4. Issued an order, warning, or advice? (example: Play It Again, Sam; Don't Drink The Water) Use Your Common Sense
5. Named your main character? (example: Hamlet, Tiny Alice) Brick
6. Described your main character? (example: The Lord of the Rings, The Miracle Worker) School's Biggest Nerd Becomes
Fearless(Not Really) Leader in the Midst of the End of the World
7. Issued a statement from the main character? (example: I Married a Werewolf) This sucks.
8. Named your two most important characters? (example: Romeo & Juliet) ...couldn't answer this either because there really aren't two "most important" characters...
9. Described a set of characters? (example: The Odd Couple, Angels in America) The Only People Left on Earth are
Children, a Convicted Killer, and a Battered Housewife/Redneck. (<--this one has potential I think)
10. Highlighted the setting? (example: Our Town, Little Shop of Horrors) Anywhere
Safe in Upstate New York
11. Highlighted the date or era? (Twelfth Night, Year of Living Dangerously) Armageddon 2012
12. Focused on something physical? (Schindler's List, The Diary of Anne Frank) We Might Need More Guns
13. Highlighted a certain feeling or
mood? (Wicked) Doomed
14. Combined two elements usually not
matched? (example: Arsenic and Old Lace, Cries and Whispers) ...couldn't come up with an answer for that
15. Suggested a lesson? (How the West Was Won) How to Survive
Puberty with No Parents, No Electricity, No Running Water, and Oh Yeah Nuclear
Fallout is Pretty Much Everywhere So Get Your Arses into the Forest Like Now. (<-- this is also a potential winner)
16. Were a metaphor? (The Silence of the
Lambs, A Doll's House, The Lion in Winter) yeah I'm no good with coming up with those kinds of artsy metaphors
17. Summed up the main event? (Waiting for Godot, Death of a Salesman) Finding a
Safe Place When There Really Aren't Any
18. Identified the subject of the story? (A Beautiful Mind) The End of The World Sort Of
19. Identified the genre or category of
your story? (Pulp Fiction) Middle Grade Apocalyptic Fiction (btw this genre did not exist
until I just invented it)
20. Made a literary allusion? (Of Mice
and Men, Brave New World, Gaudy
Night) ummm... there's a bunch of Old Testament allusions in the book but I feel like any title I come up with relating to that will just sound trite.....
...in other news, I am still a starving writer. But I get paid today, so hopefully I will be somewhat less starving.
I do believe that my internet ate my comment. This seems like a pretty fun thing. I'll probably do it myself but not here in the comments. It gives me something to blog about. I don't have much trouble with titles but I mostly just choose them at random. I hope you are indeed less starving now Mich. Or soon will be.
ReplyDeleteomg i might just about steal this from you
ReplyDeleteThe Only People Left on Earth are Children, a Convicted Killer, and a Battered Housewife/Redneck.<--THIS IS BLOODY PERFECT.
We Might Need More Guns <--OH. YES. I LOVE THIS ONE TOO. OMG.
How to Survive Puberty with No Parents, No Electricity, No Running Water, and Oh Yeah Nuclear Fallout is Pretty Much Everywhere So Get Your Arses into the Forest Like Now <--do they make titles this long? though this is sexy.
THOSE ARTSY METAPHORS ARE THE BEST WHAT ARE YOU SAYING MICH
you're allowed to invent a genre bc you are Mich
YES. LESS STARVING WRITER MICH IS A GOOD THING.
-Sam Lupin
Haha this is brilliant x
ReplyDelete#1: 'Procrastination."
ReplyDeleteI'll get to the others sometime.
The End of the World, Sort Of rocks my socks. I would have to actually write something to need to write titles so for all I know I'm really good at it (my brain pumps out metaphors like no tomorrow). My play for theater class was titles Dis/order: A Play Not Otherwise Specified...
ReplyDeleteThis is a really cool idea Mich haha, I love it and your answers too. The book sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteI spontaneously liked No. 10, sort of.
ReplyDeleteI never have trouble with titles. I have trouble with editors who take my titles off of my stuff and replace them with their own.
ReplyDeleteBTW, "We Might Need More Guns" would certainly catch my eye and make me at least pick it up and look at it.
Heh, I just saw Mark complete this quiz too.
ReplyDeleteI'm a starving graduate now myself. We're someone alike.
The Title of this comment is: French Fry Spaghetti Oh's Dance Dance Leprechaun
ReplyDeleteI take titles seriously, so let me tell you-- okay I couldn't even type that with a straight face, titles are the lamest things in books as far as I'm concerned, but unfortunately they can be the most important part of advertizing, and since thats important, I have the best way to make up a title.
Use one from another book! ie:
Twilight Apocolypse
Moby Dick Apocolypse
or
Fifty Shades of Apocolypse
or if you wanna forget the book motif you could use my favourite!
My Little Apocolypse
My Little Apocalypse needs to be a thing like now. I have a new mission.
DeleteOh my goodness, I loved this! Talk about intriguing. Give me more!
ReplyDelete