› ›
Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime

I need a title!!

Emma BEmma B
edited March 2008 in - Writing Problems
Ok so I am plodding on with my book but I now seriously think the working title is lacking and weak. I wasn't too keen on it to begin with.

The book is semi-autobiographical and take place on a mental health ward.

Working title is 'When the Doors are Closed'

Prospecitve titles have been: 'Mixed Nutes', 'Depth' and 'Over the Edge'.

So has anybody got any ideas they would like to volunteer??

Comments

  • heatherheather
    It depends on the style of the book, I think.

    If it is humorous then Mixed Nuts (I assume that's how it should read?) is quite good (as long as people didn't find it offensive!)

    Or how about 'Lights Out'?

    I must admit I struggle with titles myself and if it is a more serious book you maybe have to be a bit careful.

    Adapting quotes (e.g. Shakespeare) can sometimes work - but everything I can think of in my groggy cold-ridden state is a bit rubbish (A Midsummer day's nightmare?)

    Sorry - I'm pretty useless today!
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    I think it's been done before - but that's OK with titles - Behind Closed Doors ... and then go on to explain that it relates to a mental health ward.
  • MutleyMutley
    edited March 2008
    You could make the existing title stonger by just making it 'When doors close." it depends what you are trying to say through the title really.
  • TypesWithHammersTypesWithHammers
    Is the book written from the perspective of a ward sister, a doctor, a health visitor, an orderley, or a patient?
  • Emma BEmma B
    Patient perspective, it is serious but with some humour.
  • TypesWithHammersTypesWithHammers
    OK, my two-penn'orth - how about,

    Not far from the madding crowd
    Finding myself among friends (double meaning)
    Ward and Peace

    I hope you find inspiration soon
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    Breakdown?

    Overload?

    Burnout?
  • Emma BEmma B
    Ward and Peace sounds cool. But don't know if I like the thought of running a pun on something so famous.
  • Emma BEmma B
    I hate trying to find titles
  • Emma BEmma B
    Hmmm... something to do with mind... 'with you in mind' ??

    But I don't want it to be too cheesey or stereotypical.

    Sorry I am fussy
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    I've Half A Mind (To) ...
  • TypesWithHammersTypesWithHammers
    If you were recovering from memory loss,

    Mind: The gap
    or
    Time out of mind
  • heatherheather
    Mind over matter?
    Don't mind if I do?
    Making my/your mind up?
    Never mind?
    Speaking my/your mind?
  • CarolCarol
    Locked Doors

    Behind the Mind
  • Emma BEmma B
    Oooo I thought of something before and I think I have forgotten it again!! Nooooooo
  • Emma BEmma B
    Just a thought?
  • JennyJenny
    Emma - Keep a notepad and pen beside your bed because inspiration will probably strike during the night or when you first wake up and if you don't write the title down you'll forget it!
  • TypesWithHammersTypesWithHammers
    Perhaps you can find something useful by reading the lyrics of 'Windmills of your mind'
    http://www.scribd.com/doc/21126/Windmills-of-your-mind-lyrics

    I don't know who created that particular webpage but you'll have to overlook their grammar and spelling!
  • Emma BEmma B
    Oh I love that song and it may be good for a few ideas
  • midiamidia
    Mind Games?
  • Emma BEmma B
    hmmm.

    Thanks everybody for your help. I'm gonna have to have a serious think.

    To be honest its not a priority it just would be nice to have a title I think 'yes thats it' but getting the thing done is more important.


    At the min I quite like 'Mind over Matter' and I've just thought of 'Breaking Point' which I got from Jay's Breakdown.
  • Emma BEmma B
    hehe and my mum always complained that being a mum/wife was a thankless job. (sorry i just thought and its quite ironic / funny)
  • RosalieRosalie
    edited March 2008
    'Out of mind' ?

    (A play on 'out of sight, out of mind' and being out of one's mind)

    Apologies if someone has already suggested this.

    Your book sounds interesting and I hope to read it sometime. I'm also writing about mental health issues in my current novel.
  • Emma BEmma B
    Ok that comment about mums/wives was for a different thread which is why it sounds so stupid!!
  • josiehenleyjosiehenley
    Titles give me a serious headache! Generally I think it’s best to sort it out once you’ve finished the book, and pick something that comes up again and again as a theme or motif, or a phrase that’s used.

    My novel due to be published in July is called ‘Silence’ but that was only sorted a few weeks ago. It is not set in a mental hospital, but in a prison, children’s home, refuge and shelter so might have similar themes to yours. Initially it was ‘Breaking Through’ and then I realised that what I was writing was going to take much more than one book, so I split it into two, so the first book was The Silence and the Scars (Book one of Breaking Through) and the second book Invisible Bruises; Inaudible Screams (Book two of Breaking Through). Then I changed Breaking Through to Breaking Thru because I had some internet buzz speak in there and thought that would be cool.

    So after I’d got the book accepted based on the title The Silence and the Scars (Book one of Breaking Thru), my publisher politely requested that I shorten the title! ‘The’ and ‘and’ are filler words and don’t add meaning, and people do prefer short snappy titles for certain types of books. My choices were

    Silent Scars
    Silence
    Breaking Through (can’t use Thru because of internet search engines, drat it)

    I settled on Silence as it has so many implications and was a recurring theme, more than scars. But now I’m thinking about the next book (now that I’ve finished editing Silence hurrah!) and the next. This book is Silence, so the next one must have a short title, so I've settled on Screams and the one after that will be Scars, and if there's another one it'll be Secrets. I'm sure you get the gist. And I’m happy with that. Just got to write them now.
  • Emma BEmma B
    Ok I feel the envy rising. But very well done
  • midiamidia
    Josie, your titles sound really good. It made me laugh when I read about your publishers polietly asking you to change the name: A few years ago I wrote a series of three fun spell books designed for young women. The first book was called There's a Little Magic in Every Woman. Running on this theme, the second book was all about love magic and finding Mr Right and the original title was going to be, There's a Little Troll in Every Man, however, although the title was meant to be humourous, my publishers thought men might take offence (none intended by the way) and so the title was changed to There's a Little Prince in Every Frog. Considering the the title of a book is the first thing agents and publsihesr notice, I think it's important to get it just right.
  • Marc.BMarc.B
    Nutz n Crackers (bit of a Jewish take)
  • VivViv
    Never Mind
    Heads and Beds
    In Wards and Out Wards

    What rubbish titles these are, but they might spark off a better idea!
  • ZanyZany
    My contribution, for whats it's worth. Hope it helps thinking on a different tack, or sparks off other ideas.(not knowing what your protaganists problem is, it's difficult to be precise.)

    "Tranquillty in Mahem"
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    Bedlam.
  • heatherheather
    Inside Looking Out

    Head Room

    Wishful Thinking
  • RosalieRosalie
    I actually live in Bedlam Lane.

    Just thought I'd mention that... :)
  • StirlingStirling
    Emma, I'm going against the pack. I think you should keep the title you have. It sets up an enigma/riddle to make a reader/editor/agent to take a look. What is happening behind closed doors?

    My novel has gone through many title changes (Children and Angels/Double Plantinum/Playback) until I settled on bound. I think 'bound' sets up a good riddle to begin with, and I think my title obsessed tutuor would be proud!
  • Emma BEmma B
    All these are great thank you. I'm going to have a serious think but this has helped massively!! :-)
  • StirlingStirling
    Why can't I spell today?

    Honestly, you have no idea how many corrections I made, and still the little blighters get through!
  • josiehenleyjosiehenley
    Stirling, maybe you need one of Midia's books? Joke! Both types of spelling usually evade me. I love that change from troll to prince! haha.
  • pragmatistpragmatist
    Have you considered browsing through poetry and/or lyrics on your theme ? While thinking about your thread I Googled (wonderful new verb !) for Sylvia Plath and came across this snippet from her writing :

    "outcast on a cold star, unable to feel anything but an awful helpless numbness. I look down into the warm, earthy world. Into a nest of lovers' beds, baby cribs, meal tables, all the solid commerce of life in this earth, and feel apart, enclosed in a wall of glass."

    There are some other wonderful links to her poems if you visit http://www.neuroticpoets.com/plath. I like both

    wall of glass

    and

    outcast on a cold star
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    Shakespeare's usually a good bet. Then there's Oscar Wilde. Reading Gaol might have parallels.
  • dorothyddorothyd
    No, too many people borrow from Shakespeare, it's a bit old hat now.
  • HickeyHickey
    Through the keyhole?
    You can check-out anytime you like?
    ?
    I'll think about it...
  • Stan2Stan2
    Emma, have you settled on a title yet?
  • Island GirlIsland Girl
    Yes, tell us pretty please.
  • Emma BEmma B
    I don't know...

    I really like 'Wall of Glass' though.

    I was thinking may 'The ??? Mind'

    but I don't know waht the ??? would be yet. the In.... something...
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    Broken? Fractured? Screaming? Troubled?

    'Wall of Glass' reminds me of Debbie Harry.

    The Mind in Torment??? Not quite sure what you're after.
  • Emma BEmma B
    Update:

    Ok at the minute the title I am most fond of is:

    'Butterflies and Hurricanes'

    I was thinking it is a reference to the chaos theory which has relevance to the theme. Thank you for all the great suggestions they have been helpful.

    Thats the title for the time being anyhow so we'll soon see!!
  • Pete GPete G
    In our own minds
    Minding our minds
  • lexialexia
    Re the thread on titles with "The End........."

    How about "The End of Sanity" ? ;)
Sign In or Register to comment.