Name the Baby

As you know, I've been busily writing my new novel and everything was going smoothly until. . . .

Hmmm . . . well, let me start from the beginning. 

Part I

With the exception of Dead Bird in the Weeds, every piece of fiction I've written has had a working title before the first word hit the page. Why? A piece of fiction without a title is like a newborn baby without a name. How are you going to point out your screeching bundle of joy to other parents (readers and writers), if it doesn't have a nametag on its crib? Will you say, "Oh, yeah, that's mine over there, 103 rows from the left, 500 cribs down"?  The reply will be "You mean the bald one with no name who's bawling and has its finger stuck in its mouth?"

Sound familiar? It shouldn't.

Without a title, your work is going to be lost in an imaginary garbage heap like the other million no-name works being written.  The time to interest readers is before the book is available. Give them time to wade in the waters of your creativity before asking them to cut off an appendage to read the work in its entirety. 

To clarify, consider the example below.

Which sounds better?

1. The new book I'm working on is about a lost girl who finds her way home through the help of a stranger.
2.  I'm writing a book about a lost girl named Marsha who finds her way home through the help of a ghost.
3. Mystic Journey is about Marsha, a lost young woman who hitches a ride with a foul-mouthed supernatural being named Roger.

See what I mean? The more concrete you are with your description, the more interesting your idea becomes to readers.

Part II

Notice the name I've given this fictitious book: Mystic Journey. I created this title just now, but upon further investigation at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office,¹ I've discovered that "Mystic Journey" is the name of a bookstore. OK, so now I need to change the name of my book before I get so attached to it that it becomes nearly impossible to think of something else. After Henry has been Henry (possibly for years) can you call him Henrietta without feeling as if you've damaged him in some way?

And that, folks, is the reason for my dilemma this weekend. I didn't check the availability of my working title until I had become so attached to it that I now feel as if I'm murdering my own child.

My advice: name that baby before it's born, but make sure that another prospective parent hasn't beaten you to mailing the Social Security application.

1. On the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office home page, click option 2 "Search Marks," then click "New User Form Search (Basic)." Type keywords in the "Search Term" box.

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As always, I love to hear from you.

If you’re in the cyber-neighborhood, drop me a line.

In the meantime, keep writing, reading, and smiling.
It’s contagious.

Seanachaí's News

 

On the last Sunday of each month, I compile "Seanachaí's News," a status report that assesses my work during the current month and also formulates my plans for the upcoming months. It will also give you a peek at my works in progress.

My Work During the Current Month

1. The Apple Pie is in the Oven is a short piece that celebrates Independence Day using a collage of memories.
2. Have you ever been at a crossroads in your life? Just Another Ledgewalker examines a tough decision I was faced with as a writer and a person.
3. Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind? explores the decisions we are faced with when seemingly bad things happen to good characters.

 

My Plans for the Upcoming Months

1. I'm working diligently on my new novel and had a breakthrough over the weekend after a heart-to-heart chat with a dear friend of mine. If you're struggling with your writing and you're doubting your direction and abilities, talk over your problems with someone you trust. I guarantee that they'll put you back on track.

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ANNOUNCEMENT

If you haven't visited You Gotta Read Videos this week, please do so. The book trailer for my novel, Dead Bird in the Weeds, is in the running for the July 2010 YGR Best Trailer Award and I could really use your vote! Voting ends midnight on July 26.

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As always, I love to hear from you.

If you’re in the cyber-neighborhood, drop me a line.

In the meantime, keep writing, reading, and smiling.
It’s contagious.

 

Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?

Did you ever have to make up your mind?

I've been working--not as much as I should--on my new book this week and find myself standing at a crossroad.

Let me back up.

Before I write anything of magnitude, I compose several pages  (sometimes an outline [especially with historical fiction]) that detail the direction of the piece and highlight the major goals I want to achieve. So was the case with my current work in progress and everything was going well until . . . a major character did something he wasn't supposed to do.

Uh-oh!

Well, maybe not.

All of the planning in the world will never make up for the creative process that takes hold of the writer when pounding the keyboard in a fit of inspired genius. You may discover new developments  in character and plot (including the all-important subplots that add extra depth) that deviate from the original plan in such a way that the story becomes more believable/interesting. 

Having said that, you also can't be afraid to rewrite in order to stay on track. A new road isn't necessarily a good road and we do need to use our writerly foresight in order to determine if this new path is the right path.

So, what am I going to do? Well, the road not taken is supposed to make all the difference. Right? Right?

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As always, I love to hear from you.

If you’re in the cyber-neighborhood, drop me a line.

 

In the meantime, keep writing, reading, and smiling.
It’s contagious.

 

Just Another Ledgewalker

I almost didn't write this blog post today.

I almost decided never to write again.

Writing has been number one in my life for the past two years but rather than giving it up, I'm assigning it a third, perhaps fourth, rank of importance. 

While the reason for such a decision is unimportant, I think the "ledge" I was on made me realize that nothing in our lives should make us give up our dreams. Conversely, our dreams should never be so consuming or important that they make us lose sight of reality. 

How am I coping? I'm not going to "jump" but I'm not going to go back through the window, either. I'm going to plant both feet firmly on the carpet and gaze up at the stars. Dreaming is for the man on the moon. 

Happy dreaming, happy writing, and happy living. 

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I want to thank two very important friends of mine who helped me get through this week. Without your encouragement, I would not have been writing this afternoon. 

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As always, I love to hear from you.

If you’re in the cyber-neighborhood, drop me a line.
 

In the meantime, keep writing, reading, and smiling.
It’s contagious.

The Apple Pie Is in the Oven

As we celebrate our independence on this hot, humid Sunday, I think of the many people who risked their homes and their lives to seize the right to be free of tyranny. I'm grateful to all of our soldiers at home and abroad, remembering the sacrifices of my grandfather and great-uncles in WWII and my own father during the Vietnam War.

I think of my own carefree childhood and recall water-gun fights and pop-drinking contests. If I listen closely, I can hear the hum of mosquitoes as I stand on my great-uncle's porch and watch a blaze of fireworks bombard the night sky. I taste potato salad and see cakes decorated as flags. I smell coconut pie in my grandmother's kitchen and hear my grandfather's soft voice as he tells tales of fighting in the Pacific.

I remember all of these things and more. Yes, the apple pie is in the oven and everything is good.

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As always, I love to hear from you.

If you’re in the cyber-neighborhood, drop me a line.

In the meantime, keep writing, reading, and smiling.
It’s contagious.