It Takes Place in a River Valley, See

[snurri]

As previously mentioned, I still can't figure out a title for this book. While I'm aware that none of y'all have read it (though some of you have read bits of it), I thought I'd poll y'all to see if any of these grab you:

[Poll #1055362]

Comments

[veejane.livejournal.com]

I like "The Anxiety of Daylight" because it clangs off the phrase "anxiety of influence." So it feels familiar, and a little bit highbrow, and manages to avoid all those irritatingly high-flown titles like "Blah Blah Sun Blah Blah Life Force Thingy".

I am a title-generating machine, however, complete with recourse to Bartlett's, so if you want to bounce a few more off me, feel free.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I sort of like it, too. But of the above it's probably the least fitting. I'm mainly trying to get an idea of what folks respond to, since I'm stumped myself.

What do title-generating machines run on?

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

I actually really like We Do Not Live In The Sky, but it sounds like a short story title to me.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree, for some reason.

[scarypudding.livejournal.com]

But so what? I mean, the best title I've ever heard is probably "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families", which doesn't sound much like a title at all.

What do you want people to think of the book before they read it?

"We Do Not Live in the Sky" sounds unique.

"The Anxiety of Daylight," does, too, more or less, but I don't like it as much since I can't tell what it means. (It sounds like it should mean anxious *in* daylight, or anxious *about* daylight, but it looks like it should mean daylight itself is anxious.) (I've never heard the phrase "anxiety of influence.")

"Succession" and "The Sons of the River" sound like fantasy novels, more or less. (Not that that's a bad thing.)

"By the Flood" sounds... sort of like a fantasy novel? But it's also kind of unclear. "By" as in "next to"? "By" as in "Swept away by..."? "By" as in "By Grabthar's Hammer"?

What kind of cover art do you want it to have? :)

(You've got my sympathies. I hate titles.)

[snurri.livejournal.com]

It does seem to be a well-liked title. I've been thinking of using either that one or just Succession; but I need to see whether Shana even thinks it's saleable first.

[rnb.livejournal.com]

I like you. I like your writing. I do not like these titles.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Heh. Don't worry, I don't like them very much myself; at least not for this work. Just wanted to see what kind of response they might get.

[despotliz.livejournal.com]

I have picked what I thought was the best, but honestly none of them are jumping out at me as great titles.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Me neither, honestly :-) But you have provided me drop bears, so all is of the good.

[timalyne.livejournal.com]

No Sky River

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I like that as a title; but I don't think it's right for this particular piece.

[timalyne.livejournal.com]

I figured I'd be off since I don't know a thing about the story.

[scarypudding.livejournal.com]

Too much like Benford's "Great Sky River" and Bear's "Beyond Heaven's River".

[timalyne.livejournal.com]

Fair, though I've heard of neither before now. Also, it always helps to know more of a story before trying to help with a title; so I was getting ahead of myself anyway.

[jamiam.livejournal.com]

My friends at this coffee shop who have also never read your book say that they would probably pick up a book off the shelf called We Do Not Live in the Sky.

(Though they say they would definitely pick up Wow, Your Titles Suck. Fwiw.)

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I would like to write Wow, Your Titles Suck. I have no clue what it would be about, though.

I'm surprised at how many people like that title, honestly. But it's starting to grow on me.

[bondgwendabond.livejournal.com]

A love story-gone-wrong between close captioners?

[scarypudding.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking silent film enthusiasts.

[bondgwendabond.livejournal.com]

Sons of the River actually sounds like a pretty sell-y title to me, but I remember a not-insignificant lady presence in the part I read and it also makes it sound Really male-focused.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's my concern as well. It's got more of a story connection than some of the others, but as it turns out three of the five primary protags are female (just like Superpowers, hm), so I'm a bit wary of it.

[bondgwendabond.livejournal.com]

What was the original one that we all yelled down again? It was an animal that started with P, maybe?

[snurri.livejournal.com]

The Order of the Pelican. It's in a couple of chapter titles, now.

[bondgwendabond.livejournal.com]

Maybe we were all just feeling goofy that day. I kind of like it.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

It's not the worst title ever, but I think it might be a tad misleading, since the Order isn't precisely the focus of the story.

[bondgwendabond.livejournal.com]

I would ask the verboten question of what the story is about in one sentence, but I hate it when people ask that. So I won't.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Well, it's about a (very complicated) succession in a river kingdom patterned on the Rhine Valley, and the politicizing of the protagonists, and a revolution, and all the attendant dilemmas and complications. Which I'm afraid makes it sound boring, which I'm hoping it isn't.

[bondgwendabond.livejournal.com]

Revolution is never boring, so maybe play with that more? Does the Revolution have a name? (Or perhaps some sort of thematic nickname, or could it?)

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Right now it doesn't, 'cause everybody's too much in it to name it. I'll think about it.

[scarypudding.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're writing a Rhine Valley story, especially since I decided to move my Rhine Valley fantasy epic to the L.A. suburbs.

(So when you sell this one, you're definitely going to come over so we can hike the Schwartzwald, right? I've got a walking stick and everything.)

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I would like that! Yeah, I'm bummed I couldn't make it this time.

[haddayr.livejournal.com]

What the fuck was wrong with the Order of the Pelican?

[snurri.livejournal.com]

As I said to Gwenda, "It's not the worst title ever, but I think it might be a tad misleading, since the Order isn't precisely the focus of the story."

Also, language!!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_stranger_here/]

Seriously. That's like five times I've seen the word "pelican" on this page. THERE MIGHT BE CHILDREN READING THIS YOU KNOW

[http://users.livejournal.com/_stranger_here/]

Oh, by the time I reached the bottom of this page I forgot my original purpose was to say that "Succession" reminds me of Iain Banks' "Excession" (in fact I had to go check and make sure it wasn't the same title). Not that he's cornered the market on ession titles, just mentioning it. But I do like that Sky one, at least as a working title.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

It reminded me of that as well.

For right now, I've got it as "We Do Not Live In the Sky" or "Succession," but I'm open to changing it.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

:-P