Let's Talk About Titles Again
Quite often on Facebook authors ask for help coming up with a title for their upcoming book. Some have no trouble at all and know the title before they even begin writing. Others report using a phrase from the book itself. Titles come to me in various ways.
If I do have trouble, I ask my critique group for suggestions for all of them have heard most of the book during our get-togethers. Bones in the Attic is one that I had help with.
Another unusual title came from a writer friend who said, "Why don't you write a book with the title Murder in the Worst Degree?" I did, but really didn't know how I was going to tie in the title with what I'd written so far until I got to the last three chapters, then it all fell in place.
End of the Trail was an obvious title for the content of the book, but it made readers think that was the last Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery and frankly, me too--until another idea popped into my head. I'm working on that one now. (And yes, I already have the title.)
Many of my books the title was easy to come by in the Tempe Crabtree series as you read them, you'll see why I chose the title. Spirit Wind was a tie in with a spirit who seemed to come in on the wind and the many wind machines in the setting of Tehachapi. A couple of the titles were based on quotes by Native Americans--and sometimes the quotes gave me the idea for the book itself such as Invisible Path and Dispel the Mist.
If you read the books in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, you probably can figure out where most of the titles came from.
Some of the Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series title came about in some of the same ways. I think if you read them, you'll be able to easily figure out why I chose the title.
Marilyn
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