I guess it depends on the song and how much you are into your music. The title for my book, Feeling Gravity's Pull comes from an REM song.

The great thing about choosing something like a song title is that it creates an air of familiarity. It subconsciously rings a bell that might engage a prospective reader enough to pick it up and give it the once over.

I'm all for it subconciously ringing that bell, Geoff. REM's good.
Perhaps I'll go for something classical, like Hair On A G-String.

Thanks, Emma - I'll keep Minds and Hearts in reserve in case marketing raise the George W objection - though I still prefer the original.

Rosy

Sorry I can't be bothered to read this entire thread, but just in case it hasn't come up...

Sometimes I will choose a title from a line in the work itself. Either a fragment of something somebody has said or part of a description... something that seems representative or maybe a little odd.

Anyway, perhaps the "most boring title in the world" currently in vogue? What next after A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen?

"most boring title in the world" currently in vogue? What next after A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

Which is, of course, the point.

Emma

Sorry to be a pain, Rosy, but Hearts and Minds immediately made me think of Bliar, Bush and Iraq, and it really grates every time I hear them or their chums mention that phrase. So personally that title jars for me.

However, the reverse is an idea. Or what about using words which mean the same as the key words but are different? Go find that thesaurus!

What do people think about my current working title, Unhealthy Obsessions? Several of the key characters have an unhealthy obsession about something and these obsessions are relevant to the plot.

Deb

'Unhealthy Obsessions' sounds a bit ducbious to me, if I'm truly, truly honest. Most obsessions are unhealthy (even writing), and it sounds a bit clunky. Maybe something a bit more subtle would be better. Let the reader work out that it's unhealthy. Don't hand it to them.

Thanks Sarah - that's useful feedback. It does seem to be getting the thumbs down but atm I'm only wanting it to suffice as a working title, so I'm not too upset, or too worried about eventually finding a title which works. Someone said that Unhealthy Obsessions sounded a bit like Snakes on a Plane - too obvious - which is pretty much what you're saying, I think.

I'll just use it as a working title till I can think of something more subtle...

Deb

looking up Unhealthy Obsession in the theasurus, deb, threw up:
Malign Abstraction and Tainted Passions.

Update on this - my editor likes 'A Vengeful Longing' after all. (And so do marketing, apparently - which is the important thing, it seems!) I picked up his comments on the second book yesterday. I'm hugely relieved (well, amazed, more like) as there's nothing major. Actually I'm stunned.

<Added>

I meant 'A Vengeful Longing' as a title, by the way. As this is a thread about titles. He wondered why I had not put the title on, why I was unsure about it... Well, I'm unsure about everything, especially titles.

Congratulations, Roger!!

Rosy.

Thanks, Rosy.

<Added>

Have you heard from your marketing people about 'Hearts and Minds'?

Thanks Naomi - interesting! I should probably also go and look up some of those words in a quote dictionary.

It seems so hard to get the balance right between the familiarity of a well-used phrase or quote, and the freshness of something less familiar. I guess freshness is best if it chimes somehow.

Thanks for your suggestions...

Deb

Oh, good, Roger, I really like A Vengeful Longing, and it fits beautifully with A Gentle Axe - similar but intriguingly different. And very, very good news that your editor likes it - congratulations!

Emma

Yup, I give A Vengeful Longing a thumbs up too, Roger.