Terrible Titles

Have you ever come across a phrase and thought, 'that would make a great title for a book.'? It happens to me all the time, not that I can recall many of these snippets of genius. I’m told that if you are an author you will certainly have these moments.

I recall one suggestion, made when we were all sitting around the campfire with a desire to eat toast but without the required toast-making equipment. So we improvised, jamming a stick through a piece of bread, then securing it upright in the ground, just close enough to the fire to brown.

'It's vertical toast,' someone observed. 'That would make a great title for a book.' I agreed with enthusiasm—who wouldn't want to read 'Vertical Toast’? The idea was quickly disregarded, but today I was issued a title challenge on Facebook that I thought was great fun when an author friend, Jeanette O'Hagan, tagged me to participate in a writing game called Eight Terrible titles.

The rules: You have to let your cursor fall onto a spot within your manuscript eight times. Each phrase it falls on becomes a (usually) terrible title that we can all have a laugh over.

Here are my two favourites from Jeanette's 'Terrible Titles.'

     She Handed Her a Torch (kind of terrible).

     The Days Before the Wedding (kind of intriguing).

And from author friend, Paula Vince:

     The Pale, Blotchy Face of a Girl (certainly on the terrible side).

     A Sample of What You'll Get (I like it—this title would surely make me pick up the book).

But my absolute favourite title would have to be Meredith Resce's:

     At the Fancy Dining Table (not only would I read it, I want a seat there).

So here are my Eight Terrible Titles, taken from my current work in progress:

     1. The Other Three Men.

     2. His Background Was Shady.

     3. Not Phobic.

     4. On an Upturned Bucket.

     5. A Second to Appreciate.

     6. Suffering in Paradise.

     7. On this Chook Chaser.

     8. Through Palm Trees.

I can see some great adventures in these titles. So, come on, author friends, add a few of your own 'Terrible Titles' to the comments below. You never know, one of them may become a great source of inspiration. I have to sign off now so I can construct a story plan for 'On this Chook Chaser.'

Chook Chaser:

A clapped out motorbike. A trail or motocross bike. Taken from motorbikes used on farms used to 'chase' chickens.

www.urbandictionary.com

Author - Rose Dee: http://rosedee.com/

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution.
Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women.

Beyond Resolution and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.

Rose’s debut novel Back to Resolution won the Bookseller’s Choice award at the 2012 CALEB Awards, while A New Resolution won the 2013 CALEB Prize for Fiction.

She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors.

Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.