Title

I can try to help, but I'm not sure. Titles for me are pretty easy. The idea and the title tend to come together in one neat little package.

First off, you know your plot. What's your message? Is it about how terror is bad and those people who are suspected are the enemy? You'll want something probably patriotic and forceful, commanding. Is it about how the government is bad and the terror suspects should be given a second look? Something a bit sinister and suspenseful, but more individualistic. Is it about how we're all just people, sometimes good and sometimes bad, and everything else is just us trying to justify our actions to ourselves? Something ambiguous, then, that doesn't take a side.

I only had one suggestion given your small prompt, and it would work for all three ways of looking at things. 'One-Man War.' Other people will probably suggest other things that'd be much better.

Matthew
http://literaryrockstar.blogspot.com
"A Man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery." Stephen Dedalus, James Joyce, Ulysses

Tirrandir, thanks, the [i]One-Man War[/i] would work. The most basic description is that faced with desperate circumstances, we often adopt desperate methods. He's a good man, if a bit machiavellian. With too little influence, he seeks to bring national attention to his pet issues. So, I definitely want something ambiguous.

Cheers.

Don't mention it. A title will likely come to you as you continue on. The one I suggested is a starting point, but it's better to analyze what the book means and find something. It can be very succinct "The interrogation files of _____" or very abstract based on a very important, encapsulating scene in your novel.

Matthew
An Old-Fashioned Word-Slinger
"A Man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery." Stephen Dedalus, James Joyce, Ulysses

Matthew
http://literaryrockstar.blogspot.com
"A Man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery." Stephen Dedalus, James Joyce, Ulysses

Of course it is appropriate to ask for help on a title...asking for help on anything is always approriate.

I have a simple suggestion. Call your novel "The Book". Keep plunking down words and by the time you finish you will have one. As you edit and re-write it might change.

The history of literature is filled with books published under titles other than the original.

It strikes me as a terrific and topical subject. Good luck.

With me the title usually just jumps out on its own. I have a couple of (mostly) completed manuscripts, with titles that became apparent long before I had the stories fleshed out. Short stories, at least in my experience, are tougher: I start out with notes in a notebook I carry in my back pocket and scribble stuff on, and sometimes along with the idea that grabs me I'll scrawl down a working title that may or may not end up part of the finished product. Different strokes, I suppose.

The main thing is to have fun and just write. Even if the story just ends up as, "Untitled, 11/2007", if you had fun doing it, that's all that's really important.

"Television is often called a medium because it's so rarely well done." Ernie Kovacs

I always come up with my title before I come up with the story. Well, almost always. I have four or five 'untitled' stories lying around... I would just give your story an incredibly lame name (like"Untitled") unti you finish it, then you might have a better idea of what you should name it.

We can't stop here! This is bat country!
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

My writing slowed down while I was hung up on the title ( I did try to work without one.), but as soon as I decided I'd call it by one of the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I got going again. I'm now back to about 1000 words per hour. Will that get me done on time though? I don't know.

I've had too many things to get done. Yesterday my wife needed me to dig ditches. Shovel, pen? Novel, wife? I dug the ditches.

How about "Desperate Measures" as a title? That seems to sum up your theme.You can always change it later.

I like having a title when I write, I find it inspirational. Even if it's only a working title.

I never like to start my book with a title because sometimes the story will stray from the outline and the title wont really , make sense anymore and it will kind of be a waste of time coming up with it.

I love having a title too.
Whats sad and thats frusterating me now is that I'm almost done with my story.
And I still don't have a title. I've tried a few options but... eh. Its not perfect.
It depresses me, but I know I'll find one soon.

Findint the perfect title is so hard...I named mine "Come Together" at first - a very useful title that fits almost any story and I loved it with this one, but in the end I went back to Auto da Fe, which sounds nice and matches my theme better. I still prefer the first one, but I'm saving that one up in case I need a generic title later on.

Ce parfum de nos années mortes
Ce qui peut frapper à ta porte
Infinité de destins
On en pose un et qu'est-ce qu'on en retient?
Le vent l'emportera
-- Noir Desir

I think that Voodoo has it right. Don't worry so much about the title until the end of the piece. I titled mine right from the start, but I was able to go from a unique position of having virtually the entire story play out in my head and the title fits so perfectly.

Just write, worry about title later.

A good friend is someone who will bail you out of jail, but your best friend is the one sitting next to you saying "that was awesome"

- American Proverb -

Wierd things happen with titles. The most recent project I finished (since Nano) has had five different titles in three years, although I much like the most recent version.

I did two stories for NaNo: one I had the title and the story almost burst from it; the other had the working title of "Project 27" because it would be my 27th finished novel until after I completed it, and I still don't like what I have.

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