Book Titles that Grab Readers

The working title of my middle grade novel isn't working. In query letters to agents, I need to explain the title, TRIPLE B, before summarizing the plot. Clearly, that's a problem.

Recently, I asked writers on the new site CP Seek www.cpseek.com for their opinions on my current title and conducted a poll. One writer commented that TRIPLE B "might be being too literal. Something like "The Trifecta" or "All Three Bases", where you explain what that means in the opening, might give room for a catchier title that ties in in a more generic way."

Polling possible titles for my middle grade novel

PICTURE A LIE  24%  [ 5 ] EPIC MISTAKE AT THIRTEEN  5%  [ 1 ] GET ME OUT OF HERE  24%  [ 5 ] CROSSING INTO BULLY  0%  [ 0 ] ONE MESSED UP EIGHTH GRADE LIFE  10%  [ 2 ] NONE OF THE ABOVE  38%  [ 8 ]

Total votes : 21 I agree with those writers who selected none of the above. TRIPLE B is too literal of a title, but the other five choices are too general.   Are you having trouble inventing the perfect title for your novel?

Author Bethany Roberts suggests some tips for choosing a title.  

• Keep your titles short and snappy. I have learned this one the hard way! People seem to have great difficulty remembering my longer titles, but no problem remembering the shorter ones. A good general rule is to keep your titles from one to three words, no more than five. 
•  Catchy sounds - In creating your titles, try playing with poetic devises like alliteration and rhyme. Of my own book titles, I think my favorite is MONSTER MANNERS because the alliteration makes it fun to say.
•  Use verbs - Another way to make a title lively is to use an active verb in it. I did that with FOLLOW ME!
•  Reflect the theme - a good title, however short and catchy, gives us a hint of what the story is about.
• Hook your reader - The title is your first chance to grab the attention of a reader- or of an editor.
• Has your title been used? Check with Books in Print (at your library), or do a search on Amazon.com

For more great writing tips, visit Bethany Roberts.com.

No Cookie Cutter Characters

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

I would offer you a cookie, 
but blog cookies are bland. 
Let me share my homemade treats through words.

Gooey chocolate chips
 surrounded by 

 warm and chewy
 peanut butter
with a hint of

 vanilla 

Recently, I learned a whole list of new ingredients. Turning my kitchen gluten free has been a challenge. Instead of using basic white and wheat fours, I experiment with other grain, bean and nut flours. Who knew chickpeas and chestnuts are ground up into flours? The baked goods these flours create is different in flavor and texture. 

This new way of baking has lead me to different approaches in my writing too. I'm questioning my characters' physical and behavioral traits. Do any of my characters have cookie cutter blond hair and blue eyes? Or sound like stick figures under a cloudless sky?

After reading through several character development lists, I created one that focuses on middle grade writing. By using this writing tool, I'm less likely to mix up physical characteristics. Also my characters have greater range of movement and thought. 

I'm focused on current world conflicts. This means world building, time travel and aliens named Orb from the planet Gorb are not part of my list.

Middle Grade Contemporary - Character Development

A. Basic info & appearance

1. Name and nickname (meaning)
2. Age and birthday
3. Height - average, tall or short
4. Weight - average, over or under
5. Hair - color & style
6. Eye color (glasses or contacts)
7. Skin tone - tanned or pale
8. Unique physical traits

B. Family

1. Parents – names and appearance
2. Parents - living arrangement, occupations
3. Siblings – names and ages
4. Extended family
5. Pets
6. Missing or dead members of family
7. MC's relationship to family members

C. Living Conditions

1. Computer and cell phone
2. Bedroom - where MC sleeps
3. Food - who cooks
4. Layout of living space
5. What’s on the walls
6. Smells - inside and outside
7. Sounds - traffic or woods
8. Clean or dirty

D. Friends

1. Best Friend(s)
2. Boyfriend, girlfriend, crush, flirting
3. Social circle - insider, outsider, floater
4. Communicate - cell, text, email
5. Ex-friends or pretend
6. Enemies
7. Secrets

E. Likes and Dislikes

1. Favorite color
2. Preferred food and drinks
3. Books, computer games, movies
4. Music and instruments
5. Sports and exercise
6. Favored words or expressions
7. Bad habits
8. Scared of

F. School

1. Public or private
2. Grade level
3. Self image
4. Personality
5. Good at
6. Bad at
7. Goals
8. Bus, car, walk

G. Childhood memories

1. Significant event
   
2. Holidays
3. Vacations
4. Birthdays
5. School event or group
6. Embarrassing moment
7. Injuries

H. Big picture

1. Main Character wants
2. MC major conflict
3. MC minor conflicts
4. MC react to conflicts
5. MC's beliefs
6. MC's wishes

A Writer's Wish

*

Hope 

everyone's 

Christmas was 

Merry and Bright! 

Looking forward to a 

New Year filled with many 

wonderful stories. Good luck

writing a pitch 

perfect MS &

finding it a

good home.

Write, Edit, Pitch, Edit . . .

. . . summarizes the cycle of my writing life over 2012

Calvin takes a break from chewing on rope toy & listening to my pitch.

What have I learned?

A strong Pitch has four parts:

* Main character (MC)

* Initial conflict 

* Obstacle

* MC's desired goal

Good pitch includes

* Hook - An intro to your pitch that latches the read and creates interest.
* Describes plot, not theme 
* With voice in 3rd person POV

Types of pitches

Pitching sounds straight forward, but each online pitch contest has a twist.

Twitter Pitch - 140 character count 

includes the hashtag

Blog Pitch - specific word count

2 or 3 Sentence Pitch - word max

My MG novel: TRIPLE B
Main character - 13-year-old Samantha 
Initial conflict - home not safe with alcoholic father & mom as bystander

Obstacle - school no longer safe place with verbal and cyberbullying

MC's desired goal -Breaking the circle of bullying, so Samantha feels safe at home, school and community.

TRIPLE B Twitter Pitch   
13yo Samantha’s Triple B List: Bullied-Samantha, Bully-dad & Bystander-mom. Now lies & texts at school turn friends into bystanders. #tag

TRIPLE B Blog Pitch

Thirteen-year-old Samantha sums up her family in a Triple B list: Bullied- Samantha, Bully- father and Bystander- mom. But when Samantha’s verbal fights with the popular girl at school cross the line into bullying, her BFFs also turn into bystanders. Now all cell carrying eighth graders are passing mean word and picture texts about Samantha. With her safety at risk, Samantha must break the circle of bullying in her family and school.

TWITTER PITCH PARTY! 

For the over 500 of us who didn't make it into Pitch Wars, there will be a twitter pitch party on the hashtag #PitMad on January 25. Details will be announced on: Brenda Drake Writing . . . under the influence of coffee http://brenleedrake.blogspot.com. So get your twitter pitches ready and make sure to include the hashtag in your 140 character count.