Fantasy Title — Help!
I hate the title of my current project. Really hate it.
Titles are funny for me. I usually change them several times as a project grows. Ordinary Angels was originally called Angel in Blue Shorts. I think the current title is much better!
My epic fantasy novel was originally called Farsight. But then in 1995 Robin Hobb published The Farseer Trilogy. I know there are often books with the same title out there, but it’s too strange and made-up a term for it not to seem like I copied it, even though I started writing my novel before hers was even published. She, being an International Bestselling author, wins. Le sigh.
So I changed it to Beguilers. It’s a reference to a name given by some to those who practice the forbidden magical powers in the book. But, yanno, I hate it as a title. Hate hate hate. Seeing it stretched atop my manuscript pages while I edit is driving me batty. I need to change it even if it’s just to Untitled! I’m not usually so OCD, but what can I say? Words matter to me. And being practical, I really shouldn’t title a book something that many people wouldn’t be able to spell. (Being a horrible speller myself, I think about these things.) Don’t want to lose any Google or Amazon searchers because I was being too cute. I say: keep it simple, easy to remember, easy to type.
I’m asking for the help of my bloggy/facebook/twitter/writer friends out there! What title to you like?
First, I should tell you a bit about the book.
It’s a traditional fantasy in style and setting. The magic of the world is mental… and forbidden. Common people fear even mentioning the power. Those with talents are called Bestowed or Inseers, by the more tolerant. Typically, however, the terms are less kind: beguilers, witches, spellbinders, touched, cursed…
Right now I’m leaning toward the title The Bestowed… although Inseers might not be too bad? Neither of them strikes me as perfect, but it could be that I’m hanging on to my love of Farsight, the title I can’t have.
I considered The Spellbinders, but there have been video games, books, films… all with the title Spellbinder. So, I’d rather have something that felt more original.
I had planned to put a simple poll in this post so folks could vote on which title they liked best, but I spent two hours trying to set up a poll plugin for WordPress before I gave up.
So please leave your thoughts in the comments below. I need your help! Any ideas not mentioned here are fine too. You never know… you might stir an option I hadn’t considered before! And… if you like Beguilers as a title, let me know that too. It might not be as bad as I think it is. And you’ll get special happy hugs if you can come up with another word that means “people who sneak into your head and fuck with your mind.”
[EDIT] I just remembered! I can’t believe I forgot this actually. The very very first title, before Farsight, was The Sibling Prophecy.
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Hi There! I hate this dilemma! How horrible for you! Yes I can see how being an author one may be a bit OCD about words
I like ‘bestowed’ without the “the”.
I don’t know why, i will rarely ever pick up a book starting with “the”. My own personal touch of OCD.
inseers is good too, but i think you’re right- farsight was v. good
mindsiders ?
like as in inside the mind?
i dunno, i’m really bad with name picking too, so i’ll just say good luck!
[ Follow me on Twitter: lovemissali ]
Thanks for the thoughts, Ali!
I edited the post just now, because I remembered there had been a working title before Farsight. I dunno if it’s any good. I’d completely forgotten about it. It was: The Sibling Prophecy.
[ Follow me on Twitter: IndiaDrummond ]
I like The Bestowed.
I played around with Beguile. When I put in Beguilement, I got Bewitchery. That’s kinda cool.
Good luck!
Can I ask who the target audience is as it might help think of a few title ideas?
[ Follow me on Twitter: revhappiness ]
All of your titles are amazing. Beguilers sounds so intriguing.
If I have to vote, I’d pick Inseers.
@Adam Oops! I should have mentioned that. It’s an adult fantasy. When I started writing this, there was so such thing as the ‘YA’ tag, so I forget that more people are writing for kids these days.
I would hope it would appeal to fans of Raymond Fiest or Robert Jordon.
[ Follow me on Twitter: IndiaDrummond ]
Hmmm – lots of these would work.
My fave is The Bestowed.
You could also go with Touched, The Touched, Touch or The Touch as well if you want to use one of your other words.
[ Follow me on Twitter: jemifraser ]
Bestowed is good. Or Bestowed Sight.
[ Follow me on Twitter: alexjcavanaugh ]
“people who sneak into your head and fuck with your mind.”
MINDFUCK
Sorry, had to.
Jokes aside, I think BEGUILERS is great. Definitely my favourite of the ones presented here.
fondly,
Erik
[ Follow me on Twitter: boybehindabook ]
I rather like Beguilers, actually – or maybe Beguiled? Jemi’s suggestions re: Touch are good, too.
[ Follow me on Twitter: msbookish ]
I Bestowed (with the) would be nice, the first time I saw it though it made me think of Vampires. Not to mean that I have any idea why the heck it did, but just wanted to let you know all my thoughts!
I’m having a similiar problem with my title. I labeled it but now have no idea if it’s perfect or not. Try it out for size I suppose.
[ Follow me on Twitter: Jendaiker ]
I don’t usually title anything until I am done with the manuscript. Then I read it over and while reading a certain phrase will jump out at me and, viola! A title. For my working titles it’s usually something very mundane, Max Mann Number One, or something like that.
I don’t care much for The Beguilers, but don’t think Beguiled would be too bad.
~jon
[ Follow me on Twitter: jmstro ]
I’d agree with Miss Ali and like Bestowed better than The Bestowed. Out of all the titles, I think that one would be most intriguing and make me pick up the book in a shop or check it out on amazon.
[ Follow me on Twitter: katheastman ]
Oooh The Bestowed. The Cursed Ones.
Nope, I like Bestowed better!! I vote for The Bestowed! With the THE. Just sounds more ominous. The Shining. The Bestowed. Am I making sense??
Good luck!!
Take care
x
I’m with Strother on this one — call it nothing until its finished then let something jump out at you.
Having a wonderful (exhausting) time. Wish you were here.
Kate
[ Follow me on Twitter: girlfrenkate ]
MindSight? I hear it’s 20/20…
Scrybes?
Empaths? (when someone with a lisp gets stuck?)
The Glamour? or just Glamour
maybe it’s genetic and I suck too…:)
FarPsych?… I’m still trying
What about The Diviners? or The Augurs? I also like Inseers. It’s unique, but still sounds like it’s a fantasy title.
[ Follow me on Twitter: Kemari ]
How about Forbidden? You state that the magic of the world is “forbidden.”
I liked Beguilers. The Sibling Prophecy is nice too but I think it needs an extra kick.
I’m having the same problem and for the moment I’m calling my book Fred.