I need help!

[jpskewedthrone]

Ok, not that kind of help, but thanks for offering.

There has been some stirring of interest in one of my potential next series. Nothing solid enough to make an announcement, but enough that they'd be interested in actual, you know, TITLES for the three books in the series. (And a more detailed synopsis, but that's for another post.) So, I've been wracking my brains for the last week or so trying to come up with titles. Here are the current possibilities. Let me know what you think of them. I'm looking for gut reactions. Is the title something that would pique your interested enough to pick up the book and perhaps read about what it's about? Does the title make you want to gag and turn away? Just curious.

Book 1: Well of Sorrows
Book 2: The Autumnal Tree
Book 3: The Eldritch Flame

Comments

[dragonmyst.livejournal.com]

my goodness!
I'd say that Well of Sorrows certainly hits strongly. I'd read it just for the title. :)

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Good to know. Thanks!

[jimhines.livejournal.com]

They're all interesting titles, particularly The Autumnal Tree, but they don't feel cohesive to me. I couldn't pick up book three and know it was connected to books one or two like I could with your Throne books.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

That seems to be the major complaint. I also liked The Autumnal Tree, although numerous people have dissed that one. If you read book 1, you'd know what The Autumnal Tree refers to (and similarly for book 3's title). Would that be enough? Or would you like an overarching name for the whole series, like "The Shade Trilogy"? Or just more cohesive titles?

[lisamantchev.livejournal.com]

What Jim said. Good titles, but they don't hang together as a series.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the input!

[janni.livejournal.com]

I like the first; I instinctively want to change the second to "The Autumn Tree," and the third sounds like surely I've heard it somewhere before.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

But doesn't The Autumn Tree seem more . . . bland than The Autumnal Tree? Hmm . . . I'd have to look to see if there's something called The Eldritch Flame.

[authorm.livejournal.com]

I like the first one very much. The other two not as much. The third...I feel like I should know what "Eldritch" means and I am not quite sure, which makes me feel stupid. So I don't like that one. Heh.

M

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure anyone knows what "eldritch" means. Old and magical and icy is my impression. *grin* But thanks for the input. I hate titling books I haven't written (and that don't have seriously fleshed out plots).

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Definitely the first one. Not so much the other two.

[jimhines.livejournal.com]

And you know, "Well of Sorrows" would fit so well with his LJ user name :-)

[libwitch.livejournal.com]

Book 3 makes me feel like its another series - eddings perhaps? And yes, they don't seem to work together well as a series.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Eddings has a book called the Elder Gods. Maybe that's the one you're thinking of. Or if you've read Thornton, she has one book called Well of Tears and another called Lady of Sorrows. Others have pointed out my title reminds them of her books.

But do book titles have to work together if they're in a series? Look at Robert Jordan.

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

I like Well of Sorrows. A lot. The Autumnal Tree makes me think of The Summer Tree, and The Eldritch Flame makes me think of The Wandering Fire, but only because of the second one. And that might only be because I have read those books recently. (It obviously didn't make anyone else think of those books, so it's probably just me.)

I really, really like Well of Sorrows. The others don't feel right with it, or as strong.

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

And I think it's because I want the others to be Something of Something. And one of those Somethings should have something to do with a Something from Well of Sorrows. Like (grasping here) Hole of Sadness. (Okay, I am teh lame, I know.)

[jennifer-dunne.livejournal.com]

First ... I am obviously a goddess, since my main comment last night was that they lacked cohesion, and everybody else is saying the same thing today. :-)

I also think Autumnal would be better with Autumn. Easier to remember, easier to say.

And I like the idea which you didn't respond to last night, so you might not have seen the IM, so I'll repeat it here. Sorrows and Autumn call to mind sadness/loss/death/grieving. So if you found something else in that vein for the third title, you'd have a loose theme going. You know, Flames of Death, Flames of Loss, something like that. :-)

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Yes, you are a goddess. I did read that comment, but you'd signed off already. I can shoot for that, but then there's the worry that people will think the series is depressing, when I hope it's not.

[nanne.livejournal.com]

Not to be too blunt, but I find them a little forgettable, a bit too standard fantasy sounding.

But I do hope you get an offer on this series.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the input!

[dukefan4ever.livejournal.com]

I like Well of Sorrows a lot. I also think the Autumnal Tree is a unique title. I prefer those over the 3rd title.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That seems to be the general opinion, although it's about half and half on the like/dislike of Autumnal Tree.

[aeriedraconia.livejournal.com]

I'll go against the crowd by saying I probably wouldn't pick up anything called 'Sorrow' anything first go 'round. It makes me think it's going to be a depressing, grey story and those usually aren't my first choice in reading materials. How about a well of something else?

I do like the images that The Autumn Tree brings to me. It seems like it would lend itself nicely for a tied in set of titles too.

I like the word Eldritch but not associated with Flame so much. Maybe something else with Eldritch.

I agree with the others that the tiles should feel like they belong together. They don't have to share a common word (like Throne) but somthing to let me know that they are part of a whole unit would be good.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

This seems to be the general theme of the comments: connect them more. I'm not sure how I can do that though. It's certainly not as easy as it was for the Throne books.

[stillnotbored.livejournal.com]

I like the first title. The other two-- to be honest sound like Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms books. Not really doing anything for me and I wouldn't pick them up off the shelf.

Does the series have an overall title or theme you can use to link the titles? Not knowing anything about the books I'm shooting in the dark here.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

This seems to be what everyone is feeling. I'll have to go back to the drawing board with the last two titles I guess.

I hadn't planned on an overall title. And I knew it would be hard to offer up suggestions without knowing much about the books. Basically, the overall theme is the trials and tribulations of unwanted immortality. I don't think that helps a whole lot though. *grin*

[crookedfeet.livejournal.com]

I really like the first title-books tow and three-ehh.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

OK, OK, I will bow to the masses and rethink books 2 and 3! *grin*

This does seem to be the general trend. Thanks for the input! That's why I posted them, to see how people would react.

[krteilman.livejournal.com]

My gut reaction was that I liked all three, but I think I have to agree with the folks who have already posted that there isn't a cohesiveness to them. I can see the later two together possibly but maybe not with the first.

I have to say they remind me a bit (not at all in the wording mind you) of Patricia Kennealy-Morrison's style of titling books, which isn't a bad thing as far as I'm concerned.

I think that I wouldn't mind them together if there were references to what the other two titles meant in the first book. Well of Sorrows is I think a great first book title, it really grabs you. I think that it could all work together if people reading the first book got the meaning of The Autumnal Tree before reading it, etc etc.

But that might just be me being really obvious.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

This would be how the titles worked I think. You'd learn of the Autumnal Tree in book 1, as well as the Eldritch Flame. But of course I'd USE those two more in the second and third book.

But the demand seems to be for more cohesion, so I guess I'll have to rethink things. And book 1's title wins the battle by far.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I don't really go for #2.

Anything with "eldritch" in it works for me.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

I thought eldritch was cool to, but that seems to be the least favorite. Autumnal is getting more of a mixed reaction. Well seems to a strong favorite. Interesting.

[rugor.livejournal.com]

I'm coming in late so most has been said before. The titles do lack cohesion, and I think Well of Sorrows is the strongest. Having said that I'm terrible at titling and have managed to write an entire novel without giving it a title. I call it something, but that's not the title.

I also prefer Autumn to Autumnal.

Pity you can't just title them the second trilogy by Joshua Palmatier that everyone must buy volumes 1, 2, and three.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

I'm OK with titles . . . as long as I have the book written. I suck at it when the book isn't mostly finished and doesn't have any real detailed synopsis. Hence my problem.

Ooo, I like your alternate title suggestion for the trilogy though. *grin*

[hkneale.livejournal.com]

When I read them, I thought immediately of Cecilia (http://www.ceciliadartthornton.com/homepage.html) (who is also an OWW alum).

While I enjoy Cecilia's stuff, I don't know if you'd want to be mistaken for her. You want people to look at your titles and think of you, not someone else.

I'd say you're almost there, but something's not yet right.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Ooo, that might be a problem. I'll have to see if my editor believes that Well of Sorrows is in conflict with the Cecilia's books. If she's interested enough to make an offer, that is.

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Hmm . . . I think I'll have to rethink the last two, based on the reaction here. Thanks for the input!

[noxy.livejournal.com]

Seconding hkneale, because my first reaction was to think of her books: Well of Tears + The Lady of the Sorrows = Well of Sorrows. But otherwise, I'm a sucker for title series that match, so the second two work for me. ;)

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the similarities to Cecilia's work might be a problem. I'll have to see what my agent and editor think, if it's close enough to her work to be a problem.

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

Boy, I'm no help--I like them all the same.

I'll be late to your talk on Saturday--awwwwww. (Why? Child having vision problems and eye doctors who don't understand that I need to BE SOMEWHERE ELSE instead of at an eye appointment. Whine. I'll catch the end and say hi (finally!).

Diane

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

I look forward to seeing you! Looks like the weather is going to be good. Cold, but still good for driving.

[pabba.livejournal.com]

Ah, I'm a bit behind on my f-list, but I really like all three titles. Sure, they don't all fit into a similar mode but I don't think that's a problem. In fact, I think titling like that is becoming a cliche. Well of Sorrows sounds great though. Best of the bunch.