I know there are lots of ways to do it, but how do you do it?

My work-in-progress is currently untitled since it did have a title (which I can't now recall) and my tutor on an Arvon course said she really liked my writing but hated my title, so I dumped it and it's currently a vacuum.

I don't seem to be any good at thinking of titles so could do with some good tips!

Deb

Something that helped me was to deliberately NOT think about it, and then it popped into my head as I was loading the dishwasher!

Yes, I'm sure the best ones come with lateral thinking, when you're doing something else. Chasing them down never seems to work. Phrases from the book are good, if there's one with a ring to it, and quotations, too. I've sometimes picked some key words and nosed through a dictionary of quotations to see if there's anything tasty under any of them. You can always put the quote as an epigraph to makes sure everyone gets it.

Emma

I have to ask hubby, I'm useless at titles.

Oh God, I had a real dilemna with the title for my novel, and I'm usually so good with titles too.

In the end, I put it to the group, and Jad I think it was, came up with the title I'm now using.

It is sometimes very hard to find a suitable title which sums up what the book is all about isn't it?

You can always put it to the groups you are in and take the best one?

Katerina

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Grr DILEMMA, I always spell that the wrong way!

It is sometimes very hard to find a suitable title which sums up what the book is all about isn't it?

And then when you do, your editor says it isn't snappy enough, and wants to change it...

Emma

Titles are very, very hard. It was the thing that came last for me.

The main character in my novel is called Leila, which is Arabic and means (in some books) 'Dark as the night.' I fart around all the time with my Leila-imagery. She's blonde and fair; she was born on the winter solstice; she commits her crime the day the clocks go forwards (actually, nothing to do with imagery at all). But anyway, i'm always trying to heighten the dark/light themes surrounding her.

The event that the novel hinges on is the death (possible murder) of a baby, and the subsequent grief/obsession of his mother. So I wanted that in there, too.

I spent a long time thinking about winter, darkness, light, the winter solstice, etc.

Eventually, I went on the internet and typed 'Winter Solstice' into Google, and a site informed me that, in norse mythology, the winter solstice is known as Mothernight. So that became my title, and I love it.

I'd give Mothernight Ten outta Ten, Sapph.

I can't start writing my book until i know what the title is. It may change during the work, but initially the title, not the MC, is the main motivation for me, because i try and find one which sums up what the book is about.

I usually search on the internet 'phrases' dictionary and find one i can put a twist on. But i usually don't reveal my title to the group, don't ask why, some silly compulsion of mine!

Casey

That's amazing, Casey.

I don't know what my book is about until the end.

Now THAT'S amazing, Sapphy. So, what is your motivation, your MC?

My first book i wrote without knowing what it was really all about, and i found that a very insecure feeling.

Casey

My agent invariably hates my first title suggestions.

Then I go away and think for ages, sometimes use quotations and try to get some really emotive, exciting words in there.

I think 'Mothernight' is an amazing title.

Yes, Mothernight's a great title.

I am completely and utterly stuck on what to call this one, though. Suspect I'll be back shortly, to try some ideas on people.

Emma

I just started writing a list of all the titles my book has had, but I found it too cringe-worthy and had to delete them. But included among the ten or so were:

Into the Hour (which I stole from a poem by Elizabeth Jennings - 'I have entered into the hour a white healing'

'In a certain slant of light' (which I stole from a poem by Christin Rosetti - I think it was Christina Rosetti)

Remember Her (Just looking at that makes me feel sick)

And, when I was really desperate, Charmed

I spent a lot of time playing around with those gorgeous one-word titles that sum up the central theme of the book, like McEwan did with Atonement and Coatzee did with Disgrace. But unfortunately, most of my choices had already gone. (eg. Restoration - but as there is no restoration in my book, I guess that doesn't matter.)

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Rogue smiley above

I've just been inspired to look back on the title-battle for TMOL, which was originally called Shadows in the Glass. The perfect title purely on how it sums it up, was Parastasis. Though even I knew that was a crap title in just about every other way - unpronounceable, unmemorable, baffling...

When my editor said, 'I can't tell you how much I hate "Shadows in the Glass",' I came up with the following, most of which don't make sense if you don't know that it's centrally concerned with photography:

FRONT RUNNERS
The Mathematics of Affection
The Mathematics of Love
A Scatter of Light and Dark
A Scatter of Time
Glass and Shadows
After-Image
Dark Sunlight
Black Sunlight
Parastasis
Coexistence
A Shutter Opened
A Looking-Glass Where Time Divides
Where Time Divides
All Photographs are About Death, Really
Some Things We all Remember Enough
Light, Shade and Perspective
Time-Darkened Silver
Sunlight can be Black and Shadows Silver
Black Sunlight, Silver Shadows
Layers to Infinity
Plain, Pale Space
Pressed Between the Times
The Night Enough
Time and Distance
Simulacrum
Camera Obscura
Camera Lucida (I know, several people have got there first)
Strips of Time
A House out of Time
Defying Arithmetic
Too Much Knowing
Watching
Through Glass

Emma