Today is actually Wednesday. Yes, I did accidentally publish this on Monday, but then I unpublished it so that it could be published on the correct day. I apologize for the confusion. 🙂 Enjoy your Wednesday!
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KOBO AMAZON NOOK IBOOKS MAILING LIST
Last week, I mentioned that I have begun working on a story called Two Days before Christmas. Because this is a Christmas story, I have been listening to some “inspirational” music to get me thinking Christmasy thoughts. The song below is one of those songs that makes me want to get out the decorations or bake some Christmas cake. But, I don’t want to talk about that story in this post — although I will share an excerpt. No, today, I want to ask you a question.
Do you ever judge a book by its title? This is a question I have been thinking about this past week. You see, I have a book coming out this Thursday. You’re probably familiar with the story if you have been reading my blog because the book’s title is With the Colonel’s Help, the story that just finished posting on Thursday’s a few weeks ago. We’ve now begun a new story titled Confounding Caroline.
Here’s why that book coming out and the new story that has started posting has me wondering if people judge a book by its title. My first reader, who happens to be my sister and the Jane to my Lizzy, asked me during our conference call where she told me about things she thought needed some attention — “Do you think people will pass over this story because of the title? Will they think it is a story about Colonel Fitzwilliam and not Darcy?”
She knows, from what I have told her about my sales figures, that Darcy and Elizabeth stories usually sell much better than any of my other stories. Darcy’s a favourite — which is understandable. He’s Darcy, after all. So, she has a point — she usually does. (She tends to be the annoyingly correct older sister at times 🙂 )
Adding to worry her question created, I read a comment somewhere from someone who saw a post about With the Colonel’s Help that said the person doesn’t normally read stories about the colonel. Hmmm… My worry may be well-founded. 🙂
There is a trend to give stories titles with Darcy in them, or so it appears from the number of titles that show up with that name in them when you do a quick search. Again, titles with Darcy in them tend to sell better from what I have observed and been told. (He’s a favourite. 🙂 )
It’s not my practice to include Darcy in a title unless that book is one of my Dash of Darcy book. For those books, I require myself to include Mr. or Mrs. Darcy in the title because I want the connection between book and collection to be clear.
But normally, I choose a title that contains a theme of some sort or highlights something important to the story. For example, the title With the Colonel’s Help lets the reader know that Colonel Fitzwilliam is instrumental in the story. He is actually the hero — not the romantic hero, that role is filled by Darcy, but the person who brings about the happy conclusion for Darcy and Elizabeth. Likewise, the title Confounding Caroline should let the readers know that Caroline is a problem that needs solving.
It might be of interest to note that even with my Dash of Darcy titles, I still have a theme referenced in them such as unravelling a character’s uptight manner or waking up to who someone is.
It’s important to me, as a writer, that my titles have a meaning, which is why I have chosen to keep With the Colonel’s Help as a title. Hopefully, when the book comes out, I will find out that I have worried for absolutely no reason. 🙂
Those are a few of my thoughts on why I name stories as I do. What I would now like to know is what you think about titles. Just drop your opinion in the comment section.
But, before we get to that, I suppose you would like an excerpt from what I wrote this past week? In fact, I am going to share everything I wrote this week because I only managed to get in one writing session — yes, one! It was a very low writing week for me! I was editing With the Colonel’s Help and getting that ready to publish, and I had an Austen Author’s post to get ready as well. My day on Austen Authors is tomorrow! I’ve got a different sort of giveaway going on, so drop by to see what that’s about. But thankfully, I still have the excerpt below to share with you.
AN EXCERPT FROM Two Days before Christmas:
Continue reading Music Monday: Waiting for Christmas to Come, Johnny Reid
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Confounding Caroline will begin posting tomorrow, October 19, 2017.
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KOBO AMAZON NOOK IBOOKS MAILING LIST
This week, I started my writing sessions by watching a video while my document opened, and I got my notebook, pen, and calendar out. The video below was one of the videos that served as an aide in shifting from school and family things to creative work mode.
This is not the first time I have shared this video on a Monday, but it has been more than a year since I did. Last time I shared this video, I was working on His Convenient Choice, which is not a Darcy and Elizabeth story; however, this time around, I was working on a story that will (should?) end with Darcy and Elizabeth together. This current story, Confounding Caroline, is not complete, but it is going to get set aside for a while.
I have gotten my last set of edits for Unravelling Mr. Darcy back from my second editor and need to attend to those as well as begin writing the sequel, Becoming Entangled, so there is an excerpt to include at the end of the book (as per my first editor’s request). I am hoping to get a lot of that done this week in spite of school lessons to teach to my son and relatives arriving on the weekend. (Yes, I am nuts — and a bit driven. 😉 Hopefully, there will be something left of me by next Monday! 🙂 )
And now for a portion of what I wrote this past week. One small word of caution for those who wish to avoid all spoilers — this excerpt contains the beginning of how our main characters will deal with the problem of Caroline. As always on these days, read at your own risk. 🙂
AN EXCERPT FROM Confounding Caroline: Continue reading Music Monday: I Don’t Want to Live Without You, Foreigner
Someone shared the link to this video with me last week when I was having a particularly rough day. It was a nice reminder that I’m not alone, and don’t we all need that sort of reminder now and again? It was just what I needed to put a smile in my heart.
As I was listening to this song again today while putting this post together, I thought — this would make a great song for a period montage sort of fan video. However, I don’t have those skills. So, I’m just putting the idea out there in case there is someone reading this who possess those skills. 🙂 If someone does make one — or finds one (I looked but didn’t see one) — leave me the link, please. 🙂
In writing news:
First, remember that the Kindle sale on the Willow Hall Romance Series bundle ends on Tuesday. The price will go up on Wednesday.
Second, if you have read Henry: To Prove Himself worthy and you wish to have your say in which character I should consider for the next story, make sure your drop by the Other Pens Facebook Group and cast your vote before September 22, 2017. I only have two votes, both for Edwards, on the official poll, but I have a few write ins from readers on darcyandlizzy.com who would like to see Mary find redemption next. Hopefully, there will be more who will help me make this decision. I will eventually do both Mary and Edwards, but how their story develops will depend on whose gets told first.
Third, the next book that I plan to publish, Unravelling Mr. Darcy (A Dash of Darcy Novella), has been sent to my first reader for story notes, and even though she was on vacation, she has read it. I haven’t gotten her notes of things that need attention, but I know she has read the story since I got a message “suggesting” that I should be working on the sequel — NOW. 🙂 Well, I’m not working on that sequel at this moment, but it is on the list for writing next after I finish Confounding Caroline.
Fourth (and last), Confounding Caroline is, I think, at about the halfway mark. I have reached the point where Caroline has revealed to her brother why she needs to be dealt with if he is going to have a chance at a happily ever after with Jane. In other words, the mess is just starting to be made.
If I can write at least 1000 words per writing session, I should be done with the first draft in 3 weeks. However, school begins this week, which means my schedule is going to go through a period of transition. Transitional periods sometimes throw off productivity, and sometimes they have no major effect. I’m hoping for the no major effect option. 🙂
Now, if you are the sort that likes to read sneak peeks of stories in progress, here is…
AN EXCERPT OF Confounding Caroline: Continue reading Music Monday: One Call Away, Charlie Puth
