Category: Random

Titles are a tricky thing–how’s that for a mouthful of “T’s” —

Whether you’re naming a manuscript, song, movie, or play–I find that titles are akin to petting a cat or petting a lion. And you’re never sure which one you’re going to get.

My first manuscript, The Cinderella Haters, was an easy one. (And I confess I just really love the title!) It’s still in the waiting game stage and may see the light of publication one day. But every agent and editor who saw it, even those who said the storyline wasn’t for them, complimented the title and it grabbed their attention.

This one was easy, and popped into my head without reason or method. I was walking across a movie theatre lobby, and within the time it took to walk from the auditorium door to the refreshment stand, I knew the title, the beginning, and the ending scenes. All I had to do was fill in the middle (no easy task, I discovered).

My current WIP has a title related to themes throughout the book, but I’m still not sold on whether it’s the right one. (Sorry…no sharing it here yet! Work in progress items are a delicate thing!)

I wonder if filmmakers struggle with titles too. My favorite ones are those which don’t beat the viewer over the head with the title, but aren’t so subtle that the viewer misses it. I suppose some can’t help but be the obvious title for marketing reasons. “Jaws” comes to mind. But it’s not like there was a great deal of internal conflict going on there either. Big shark. People. Beach. There you go.

But I get a delighted feeling when a scene unfolds which reveals why the artist used a particular title. A wonderful Indie film, one of my favorites, called “Box of Moonlight” comes to mind. I happened to catch this on IFC late one night, and forced myself to stay awake because the story intrigued me. It’s by the brilliant Tom DiCillo, one of my favorite filmmakers. The reason for this title isn’t shared until a good way into the film, but it’s at the perfect moment. Sharing it earlier would be trite and contrived. Sharing it later wouldn’t allow for the story to progress as it does.

Was it Mark Twain who said if a gun is on the mantle in acts one and two, it had better go off in act three? By the same token, if a gun goes off in act three, it had better be on the mantel in acts one and two.

Nobody uses that logic anymore, and I wish they would…

More later! Happy Monday.

I’m not in quite as much panic as I was the other day. The muse flits in and out, and I’ve had some productive days this week. And today, being rainy, is an easy day to write.

So on to other topics…

One of the cool things I love about seeing movies is that not only are they entertaining (I’m a huge movie buff) but they are reminders as to what works and what doesn’t in terms of writing. Case in point–I saw “Nim’s Island” yesterday. Great actors, great storyline, and I really liked some of Jodie Foster’s interactions with her lead character, who only exists in her mind. Many of the scenes were quite true to life. She had sketches and collages of places and people near her computer. Many writers do this, and even use famous actor/actress photos as they “picture” them for the book. (Let’s see…as I look near my keyboard I have photos of Ed Begley Jr., James McAvoy, Gerard Butler and Linda Fiorentino.)

And in our minds, these characters ARE alive. We go through a mild sadness when the book is done because it means we say goodbye to the people we’ve kept alive for 400 pages.

In those ways, “Nim’s Island” was quite good. However, this movie did what (unfortunately) so many are prone to do…they rushed the ending and left loose ends hanging. It was as if they finished 80% of the project, ran out of time and decided to wrap up the ending in a pretty red bow. I don’t mind some questioning at a movie’s conclusion, particularly if it encourages discussion and thinking. But leaving holes in the manuscript to the point it looks like Swiss Cheese simply….annoys me. I walked out feeling unsettled…and that’s never good. Yet until the 80% mark, this really had potential.

Lesson learned. Don’t rush the ending!

It’s official. Writing a manuscript is like going through life’s stages within a compressed amount of time.

There’s the giddy stage, researching and getting ready to begin.

There’s the eagerly diving in stage, facing that blinking cursor with bravery and inspiration.

There’s the I’m getting over this hurdle stage, filled with anticipation over how things can improve.

There’s even (on occasion) the stage where the book seems to write itself because it’s flowing along so nicely.

And then there’s the stage I’m in now. The anxious lose my mind stage. This is when I am 75% complete and despite all common sense, I begin to question everything. I wonder if I can keep this book going and moving to a decent ending. I scramble and become anxious and impatient, with everything and everyone.

Other writer friends of mine either furiously clean their house or bake bread during this phase. Perhaps I should try their options…I’m sure my family would prefer fresh baked bread to my anxious panic.

Sigh. Fortunately, I know these are phases and they do pass, but it doesn’t make them any easier when I’m in the midst of it all.

What stages do you go through in your work or hobbies?

Happy Friday!

I’m soooooo glad it’s the weekend. Ready to relax a bit, ready to get some more writing done. This past week, I discovered that I need to go back and layer in another subplot throughout the book. This is never a fun discovery when I’m on page 200, but it’s one that will make the book better, so I shall tackle it!

Am continuing to listen to Irish tunes to keep the muse alive, as well as get me through some of these annoying book tasks. One particular song, which I must confess I always thought was Bob Dylan but is actually Donovan, is “Try and Catch the Wind.” It’s a great song, one of those that has been used in many movie soundtracks and friendship scenes.

As far as movies go, I’ll also be checking out “21” this weekend. Great cast, great story according to the previews. On the book front, I am re-reading “Gone, Baby, Gone” by Dennis Lehane. This is a series and I’m going back and reading his books in order.

I must say writing sequels can be challenging, but Dennis Lehane pulls it off with style. You don’t have to read his prior books to get the basic plot, but it helps if you do.

Hope everyone has a happy weekend!