Title Teaser Tuesday

My brain hurts! I have just finished major revisions on my novel, to the tune of adding another 2,000 words! I continued with the idea of the MC conversing with her father (even after his death) by using snippets of Shakespeare's works, like I showed in this teaser a few weeks ago. That required some new scenes and dialogue, plus I(hopefully) ironed out some of the questions and issues about Isabelle's abilities. Yep, 2,000 words to do that, though I'm sure I'll be able to do some trimming in later drafts.

So now the plan is to run this version through our critique group and maybe find a few betas that haven't seen it before. At least I know better than to think I'm finished!

The big news is that although the title that I loved, Those Lost at Sea and Drowned, survived many previous edits, it no longer applies to this very different draft. So I'm tentatively re-titling the book Spirits from the Vasty Deep. Surprise, it's from Shakespeare's King Henry IV, Part I:

GLENDOWER
I can call spirits from the vasty deep.

HOTSPUR
Why, so can I, or so can any man;
But will they come when you do call for them?

Other possible titles are A Tempestuous Noise and Damned Spirits All. Any thoughts or care to cast a vote?

6 comments:

Marieke said...

I love the original title, I love your new idea... but mostly I love "Damned Spirits All" :)

Karla Calalang said...

I like Damned Spirits All too. It just sounds really powerful to me.

And thanks for your comment on my teaser by the way!

Unknown said...

I have to say that I like all three of the new titles...but if I had to choose one, I'd go with A Tempestuous Noise. For some reason, it just resonates with me. :)

Angelica R. Jackson said...

My husband and I were discussing titles last night, and he thinks Damned Spirits All might put some people off (we both worked in a bookstore for many years and grandparents would not be likely to buy a book with Damned in the title). My problem with Damned Souls All is that although it is spot on for the vengeful ghostly ship's crew, it doesn't speak much for the book/story as a whole. I think it might work better as a line within the book.

Spirits from the Vasty Deep is a good fit for the story overall, but the word "vasty" is hard to say without a pirate accent. Go ahead and try it. Not that I'm against pirates, just the wrong historical period.

A Tempestuous Noise is the best fit as a recurring motif because that's how Isabelle describes the spirit voices whenever they are able to overwhelm her.

Also did some quick searches on fathers and ghosts, and came across
these possibilities from out of Hamelet

The Ghost's Word
My Father's Spirit

RAD - Dot Painter said...

I like the new one - arrrgggg matey.

Unknown said...

I kind of love A TEMPESTUOUS NOISE, but that might just be me.

Also, it may be because I just saw that picture of you in a pirate hat, but the word "vasty" sounds very pirate-esque. LIKE.

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