Saturday, April 11, 2009

Difficulties picking a title for the Millicent Marbleroller sequel

This has been a problem for me because the story itself doesn't change venue. The sequel to the book picks up the very next day, and most of the action happens in and around the same location and with the same characters. It is really just an extension of the conflicts that occurred in the first book.

I know I want to follow the same structural pattern for the title... "Millicent Marbleroller and..." - but the "and the WHAT?" is the part that throws me. The way the story is going, I could easily say "Millicent Marbleroller and More of the House of the Toymaker", but that just sounds stupid.

But now that I am into the story I have an idea for a title. I just am not so sure I want to use it. It would follow the same title structure pattern, but it introduces a concept for the book that I did not see coming until I was in the middle of it. The original idea was just a minor plot device, but it was something that was so funny to me that I have kept re-using it and growing it and making it bigger, and bigger and more important to the story. I have thought to use this thing (trying to avoid spoiling it just yet...) as the object in the title... "Millicent Marbleroller and the ". It actually SOUND really good - it is a really wacky title, and I think guaranteed to make people go "What the heck is this about?", so I am really tempted.

However, this particular development took me by surprise when it came about, and I want to share that surprise with the readers. I don't want them to see it coming, but rather have it grow for them in the same way it grew for me as I wrote about it. I am finding this to be a very difficult decision.

1 comment:

April Drake said...

hmm. initial reaction: i don't like it. it'll confuse people instead of inspire them. pre-reaction to the reaction: why the heck is he doing this right NOW...instead of when he's done writing this?? but those are just reactions off the cuff.