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Thursday, April 20th 2006 : "Titles"
I always struggle with titles. The one I like the best - THE SLEEPING AND THE DEAD - came right at the last moment when I discovered the title I'd originally chosen had recently been used by someone else. THE SLEEPING AND THE DEAD is a quote from the dagger scene in Macbeth and works well because part of the action takes place around a school production of the play.
My most recent book - a new Vera Stanhope novel set in Northumberland - is still without a title. This is starting to get a bit desperate because we want to put the first two chapters at the back of the paperback edition of RAVEN BLACK and that comes out in September. The chapters are edited and proofed, but we can't come up with a title which really suits the book.
The plot involves a murderer who places his victims in water, then scatters them with flowers. Like Ophelia, I thought and went back to my complete works of Shakespeare. But there was nothing to suit.
I've resorted to offering a bottle of champagne to any of my colleagues at Huddersfield Library who find a useable title. And if you have any suggestions I'd be grateful to hear from you...
Posted by Ann at 11:24 AM GMT
