No, I’m not trying to remember one. I’m trying to come up with one, for a novel I’m getting ready to self-publish. If anybody can come up with something I end up using, I’ll send you a virtual cookie, my undying gratitude, and a copy of the ebook version of the novel if you want it.
Here’s the details:
It’s an urban fantasy story, set in essentially modern-day California. The main character is a thirtyish male British mage. Important secondary characters are his new apprentice (18-year-old boy), a trio of nasty young mages (one woman and two men), and a rich old lady.
The thing I’d like to evoke in the title, if at all possible, is something about being caught between two worlds, being forced to make a choice between two sides, things happening below the surface, or temptation to take the easy path. The story concerns not only an entity that’s stuck between its own world and ours (in the basement of the rich old lady’s mansion) and trying to break free, but also the young apprentice who’s torn between learning magic the slow and thorough way, or succumbing to seduction and taking the quick and dangerous path.
Things I’d like to see in the title if possible:
No more than three words (though I’ll bend this for the perfect title, of course).
The word “Stone” in it somewhere–the mage’s last name is Stone, and the series is named for him (not a requirement, but if you can fit it in, that’s good for extra cookies!)
Not too pretentious, but definitely not silly or funny.
Something memorable that would fit into the urban fantasy genre.
I’ve got about a month to come up with something–that’s when the cover artist is ready to do the cover, and I have to settle on something.
If you need to know anything else to help you with ideas, ask away and I’ll answer if I can.
Anvil of Stone
The Anvil Stone
Stonehammer
Stonefall
Stone of Decision
Stone of Dilemma
Stone of Paradox
Stone of Contention (okay, maybe not…)
Anvil, Stirrup, Hammer (all right, now I’m just getting silly…)
Fist of Stone
(Too bad “A Stone in Heaven” is taken; what a great title!)
Fire and Stone (hm…cliché…)
The Crushing Stone
Millstones (choice of upper or lower…)
Millstones of the Gods (“grind slowly, but exceeding fine.” You get an epigram with it!)
Dunno… But I’ll happily read anything you write! You’ve proven yourself far as I’m concerned!
Is this the first in a series? And presumably you want the other books in that series to have stone in the title. I love thematic symmetry for book titles.
Here are a few, maybe one will fit, maybe you can pick titles for the whole series:
Thanks, everybody! (and thanks for the vote of confidence, Trinopus!)
Much as I’d like the thematic symmetry thing, it’s not going to happen. I’ve already written five books in the series and am working on the sixth, and so far the only other one that has “Stone” in the tile is the sixth one.
Maybe I should request some ideas that don’t have “Stone” in the title. These are all great ideas, but none of them are really grabbing the crux of the story. In any case, if “Stone” is in the title it needs to be as a separate word.
I like “Heart of Stone” and might well use it for a subsequent book (in fact, I have one in mind that would fit it perfectly)! The original working title for this first book (and the one I will use if I don’t find anything better) is “House of Stone.”
If it helps, here are the titles of the rest of the books in the series:
House of Stone (working title)
The Forgotten
The Threshold
The Source
Faces of Blood
Flesh and Stone
Okay, this is starting to sound like one of those “What do you call a guy who…” joke threads.
(What do you call a guy with no arms and legs in a hot tub?" “Stu!”)
Why don’t we change the parameters a bit, and focus more on the “something about being caught between two worlds, being forced to make a choice between two sides, things happening below the surface, or temptation to take the easy path” bit, and less on fitting Stone in? I’m thinking maybe that’s just not gonna work.
