A rose by any other name ....

The title, along with the cover design is the first thing that a potential reader will see.

As we know, the challenge for writers is to satisfy the promise made to the reader but to do so in an unexpected way. The title of a story is the very beginning of the promise that the writer makes to the reader.

When I think about what to call a work I think about what promise I am making to the reader and how I intend to deliver on it.

To do this I go first to theme or controlling idea. The controlling idea describes how and why life changes in the story; it is a single sentence that identifies a change in value and the reason it has changed. Using a film as an example, the controlling idea of The Matrix could be phrased as - humanity triumphs when people fight for their rights.

The controlling idea is the one that you hope that your readers will take away and use to make sense of their own lives.

Next I look for the repeated elements in my story. This is called a motif. It is any recurring fragment, theme or pattern that has symbolic significance. It should be more than a frequently used setting or piece of dialogue. Look in your story at setting, characters, dialogue, actions, responses, and thoughts for repeating elements. Repetition is not a bad thing; it reinforces your story arc with a reader and helps them to experience the story at different levels. Again using a movie, this time an old one - A Streetcar Named Desire. Desire is a repeated element in the film. In the opening scene the streetcar is referred to as being named Desire, later you see the name written on the actual streetcar, even later you hear the sounds of the streetcar as part of the sound effects in the movie, Blanche is only seen in soft flattering half-light creating a desirable woman, a lot of the dialogue between the sisters is about desire, you witness the carnal desire between Stella and Stanley, and many more examples.

As storytellers we repeat the messages that we give our readers in many creative ways to give out stories depth. Some writers do this quite unconsciously but it is worth taking a forensic look at your work and looking for your motif.

I use the controlling idea and the motif to generate ideas for a title. In this way I can be sure that the title is about the story that I have written and that I am making good on the promise that the title makes to the reader.

I suggest that you don't use plot for ideas for a title; it can lend itself to revealing plot twists or endings which then lessens the element of surprise for the reader. You want the reader on the journey of discovery with you until the very last page.

Writers don't get the final say on the title and WINK has spoken about how some titles 'dumb down' what are very good stories.

That leads me to the next point on titles which is marketing. The title is an important part of positioning the book in the market so that the people looking for that type of book are attracted by the title. Some authors have build awareness through the titles. John Grisham's works begin with 'the' as in The Firm, The Chamber, The Client. Susan Elizabeth Phillips has used song titles.

'To title is to name. An effective title points to something solid that is actually in the story - character, setting, theme, or genre. The best titles often name two or all elements at once.' This is the advice given by Robert McKee, author of Story, one of the most influential craft books that I have read.

My favourite title? Cat On A Hot Tin Roof - it perfectly creates the expectation for the uneasy relationships that unfold.

Of course the main objective for the title .... is that it is smaller than your own name on the cover of your book!

Lesley

Loretta’s Seven Secrets of a Short Story Continued....

Hello! I’m back with the next 4 secrets as promised.

Secret Number 4 : Waste time on a good opening line. It's your hook. It
needs to be good. In a novel they say you've got the first page to hook the reader. For short stories I like to think it's the first line. Whether it is or it isn't, it can't hurt right?

Secret Number 5 : Provide a satisfying ending. It's easy to end short stories abruptly. But you want to leave the reader with the same lasting impact as a novel. And you want the story to seem wholesome. I find humour is a good way to finish or a round up line. ie. Linking your hook, the first thing you say, with the very last thing you say. For example,

First Line : The rain always made Sally sad.
Wrap up : And as the first droplets of rain hit her face, a feeling of joy lifted Sally's soul. She had finally found peace.

I know this is not that good an example, but remember, this is blog and I'm a panster. I’m trying : ) . The point is, the story comes full circle and you give the reader that satisfaction they crave.

Secret Number 6 : Do not sacrifice character for plot. Keep the plot simple. Two many twists and turns in so little space can become confusing. Have one main turning point and focus on your characters and how that turning point makes them feel. But don't tell! Show. The best way to make your characters shine is dialogue and action. Remember, what people do defines them. In my experience as a reader, if I don't like the characters, who cares how clever the plot is. I'm not going to like the story.

Secret Number 7: Start as close to the end as possible. Think of your short story as the final scene in a novel, write it as though it is and your reader will feel the same impact as though they read the whole book. If someone reads your story and says, “You know, if you fleshed this out, you could write a whole novel on it,” you’ll know you’re on the right track.

Well, I hope people have found this interesting. Thanks to those people who left comments for my first 3 secrets. This blog has certainly helped me put my thoughts into a logical order.

Happy writing!

Loretta

Pitching

The buzz word at the moment is "Pitching". Why? Well it's Romance Writers conference time. RWA America had their conference this past weekend and Romance Australia will be having their conference in about 4 weeks time.

With editors attending conferences it's our chance as newbies to get out there and pitch pitch pitch. But for me, who has an appointment, I've no idea what I'm going to say!! I've read links to other blogs about pitching. Read notes and I'm still not sure exactly what I need to say.

ARGH my mind is starting stress about it and I know the more I stress the harder it is. But I've really got no idea what to have prepared. A one liner, a three liner or a paragraph size pitch. And how do I get everything I need to say across in that short format. Do I try and work out a back blurb piece as my pitch? I'm in serious trouble here :) With less than a month to go I really need to get it worked out.

Oh well tomorrow night is WINK's regular monthly meeting. I'm either going to sink or swim with my attempts at our "Pitch Meeting".

Nicki

Magic vs. Writing
I watched ‘The Prestige’ over the weekend. What a plot! I intend to watch it again, a true hardship since it stars the ever delectable Hugh Jackman, but I digress.
It got me thinking that writing a book is a lot like a magic trick:
The Pledge - the hooks, the story promise, the inciting incident.
The Turn - what twists in the middle, the crisis/climax.
The Prestige – giving the reader the outcome they needed in a way they didn’t expect-the resolution.
Without all three both the magic trick and the story would fall over.
Plus your trick/story needs to be original not a clone.
This is obviously why the world isn’t over run with writers or magicians. It’s not as easy as it looks.
‘Are you watching closely…’
Shona