Wednesday, May 13, 2009

At long last...

My brain is mush. I wrote well over 4,000 words yesterday in the hopes of completing my fourth book by next week. Can I say I love it? I do. I absolutely love it. It's very hard for me to discern at this stage in the game if the book is "good"--if it's something that my agent and publisher will like, if it's something audiences will respond to--but I think it's a positive sign that I hop out of bed in the morning ecstatic to keep working on it.

Again, this book is a different bird for me. After the Leaves Fall and Summer Snow were sort of sweet and reflective. The Moment Between is weighted and gripping. And my fourth book is a bit of a mix of the two with moments of real humor and... fun. Yeah, there are a lot of fun things in this book. One of my characters, a young woman named Meg Painter, is an Avril Lavigne sort of girl--tomboyish, tough, a little wild. She makes for many interesting scenes, and I had to learn a lot about BMX, football, and hitchhiking to make her come to life. No, I didn't hitchhike; Aaron wouldn't let me. Yesterday I wrote a chapter that kept my heart pumping from beginning to end... Sometimes it's hard when your characters grow and evolve in ways you never planned. I'd love to tell you more, but I'll have to leave it at that for now.

However, I can tell you that in my scene from yesterday I believe I finally unearthed the title of this book! Hooray! I'm so sick of calling it "My Fourth Book," though I do think it would be funny to actually title a book that someday. Maybe when I make it to my tenth I'll just call it that. #10. Anyway, without further ado, the bit of dialogue that contains the title:

“Hey,” Dawson said before she could muster the courage to speak. “It’s okay, Meg. You’re still my girl. You’re just my sometimes girl. Sometimes I have you, sometimes I don’t. It’s enough.” He didn’t say "for now," but the limitation was implied.

Did you catch it? Sometimes Girl.

Hmmm. I loved it last night and so did Aaron. Now it seems a little... I don't know. We'll see. Titles are the hardest part of writing for me and I always come up with them at the very last minute. More accurately, my agent and editors steer me in the right direction at the very last minute. I was dead-set on calling The Moment Between by a much grittier title: The Body Broken. Maybe Sometimes Girl will change. Maybe not. What do you think?

Help me out here. If you're a writer, how do you come up with a title? If you're not a writer, what are some of your all-time favorite book or movie titles? I'd love to hear what sorts of titles grab you.

10 comments:

  1. I think "Sometimes Girl" is a great title! It's interesting and it definitely makes me want to know more about the relationship between the two people in the short bit that you shared with us. But I know how hard titles are to come by...they're tricky!

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  2. Thanks so much for the feedback, Brandi! I really appreciate it. :)

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  3. I know exactly what you mean. I'm currently writing a book, though it's nowhere near finished, and I keep grappling with a possible title because I'm tired of calling it "Janie's Story," but everything I think of just doesn't seem to click. Now, watch it get published and that'll be the exact title of the book. :p Some of my favorite titles, though, would happen to be one of yours: "The Moment Between." I also like, "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Doctor's Wife," "Between the Tides," and "Speak" for the more serious novels. Can't wait to crack into your new one, and good luck with "Sometimes Girl." Sounds good!

    God Bless,

    Lauren

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  4. I like it too, Nicole :) Some of my favourite titles are The Atonement Child, Nicole Young's Love Me If You Must, Kill Me If You Can, Kiss Me If You Dare and our friend, Lis's My Hands Came Away Red!

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  5. Strong title. I like it.

    I recently shared with a writer's group that I am "dating" my title and not "married to it."

    I changed my original title after realizing it focused too much on someone other than the main character.

    I came up with one, made some adjustments...but am open to changing it. I've come up with 3-4 alternate titles.

    Can't wait to read your books!
    ~ Wendy

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  6. Thanks for the votes of affirmation. I'm more excited about the title today than I was yesterday. We'll see.

    Wendy, I love the idea of "dating" your title! I think that's where I'm at with mine. We're serious, but not ready to commit. ;)

    I'm with you Rel, I love Lisa's title. It's so evocative.

    Lauren, maybe as the book progresses your title will present itself. Usually a well-turned phrase or an unexpected theme... You never know. Good luck with it!

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  7. I can't wait to read it! I loved the little portion of writing you included - makes me want to read more! Sometimes Girl - I like it!

    Titles are also the hardest for me. I love The Moment Between - very intriguing title and very appropriate for that book.

    My all time favorite titles? Hmmm... I have a slight obsession with titles. I agree with To Kill a Mockingbird. That's a great one. I'm reading a book with my 5th graders called Shades of Gray. The title is very symbolic. I like it. :)

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  8. I'm a weirdo, but To Kill a Mockingbird doesn't do much for me... Wonder why? I love Alias Grace (Margaret Atwood), The Inheritance of Loss (Kiran Desai), East of Eden (Steinbeck)... I suppose I like a bit of mystery and poetry in my titles. Mmmm... poetry. :)

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  9. Hey Nicole, wow okay so I'm pretty pretty sure. Well really sure, I really want to read, "Sometimes Girl" I'm prophesying? sp? but I'm prophesying that right now! =] I love the title and it makes me want to read the book. I believe that it would be an amazing title for the book, I think the title itself will draw people in. I dont know what its like to be picking out titles for books, not yet atleast. I want to start right a book that I already know what its going to be about, and I seem to be working here in Brazil and volunteering and be in classes and something else will pop in to my head about what to put it the book. (When I actually start writing it. haha) But I seem to really wonder what the title of the book will be, even though i haven't officially started it, but titles just pop into my head. Weird. I hate to think, "Oh I'm 20 I have pletty of time to start writing the book" But I hoped my input helped a little!

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  10. Okay, so I have a question. Do you ever read over something you've post and realized you've made a lot of grammar mistake and a lot of mistakes in general? I was reading my comment and I got so irritated, I had a run on sentence, and some miss spelled words. haha.. I'm such a nerd. =]
    Hope you understood my comment with all the errors. lol.
    Be Blessed.
    Jamie

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