title issues

BeccaPrice · 05-24-2013, 08:25 AM

Here's the blurb:

****************
"I'm not a baby!"
"Prove it!"
A child leaves the safety of the Garden of the Morning and begins exploring the Gardens of Growing Up.

The Bridge of Seven Stones is a story about losing teeth, and growing up. An alternative to the Tooth Fairy story, it recognizes the losses of familiar ways and things, and shows how each new stage leads to new and wonderful discoveries. About 10 pages.
****************

I've been told that Bridge of Seven Stones sounds too adult. The alternate title I used was The Tooth Troll, but that sounds too comic for the tone of the story, and really the trolls are only a minor part of it, and I'm not sure I want to stress that. The key thing is, this is a "coming of age" story for kids moving into Kindergarten or from K'garten to first grade and who are nervous about this whole "growing up" thing.

If you want to read the whole story to help me find a good title, pm me with your email address, and I'll be happy to send it to you.

VydorScope · 05-24-2013, 09:16 AM

"I'm not a baby!"

Could work as a title?

gmw · 05-24-2013, 09:21 AM

On a similar note, so could (perhaps): "Proving It", "Garden of Morning", "Leaving the Garden" (or "Leaving the Garden of Morning"), "Losing Teeth".

BeccaPrice · 05-24-2013, 09:37 AM

The cover image will (I hope) be of a Japanese-type bridge with sparkly fairy lights on it.

*sigh* I really am in love with Bridge of Seven Stones as a title (even though the story really only goes through four of the stones, then lumps the others into a bigger whole).

the intent is that the protagonist travels across a succession of bridges to newer, larger gardens, so really it's the bridges that count.

and it's not one bridge but a succession of them, so Bridge of 7 Stones isn't all that accurate.

To quote the King in "The King And I", is a puzzlement.

gmw · 05-24-2013, 11:38 AM

Would simply "Stone Bridges" be any better? (Or "A Rocky Adventure"

)

BeccaPrice · 05-24-2013, 11:49 AM

How about The Tooth Garden? not totally accurate, though - you lose a tooth as you go between each garden.

or, hmmm... It could just be The Gardens of Growing Up, which is accurate, but maybe it's too long?

BeccaPrice · 05-24-2013, 12:08 PM

If I have something like "The Tooth Garden: a story about growing up" do you think that people will expect sex ed kinds of things?

gmw · 05-24-2013, 12:08 PM

I don't particular like the "tooth" titles - unless this one is a little scary. But then I've never liked going to the dentist, so it could be just me.

I don't have a problem with long titles, but "The Gardens of Growing Up" sounds a little patronising to me (good for parents maybe but not so much for kids, or that's how it strikes me). Maybe try scanning the early and late passages of your story and see if anything stands out there that you could use - reusing some part of the text as the title seems to work well with some short stories.

BeccaPrice · 05-24-2013, 02:24 PM

Maybe The Gardens of Growing Up? I agree, I think I'll drop the whole tooth bit for the title.

crich70 · 05-24-2013, 04:30 PM

How about "bridge through life"?

BeccaPrice · 05-24-2013, 05:01 PM

Talking to a friend, who also knows the Waldorf Education crowd, we've pretty much settled on The Seventh Garden, which is short, and which fits the story line pretty well.

Thanks, all!

gmw · 05-25-2013, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

Talking to a friend, who also knows the Waldorf Education crowd, we've pretty much settled on The Seventh Garden, which is short, and which fits the story line pretty well.

Thanks, all!

I like it.

BeccaPrice · 05-25-2013, 10:14 AM

(this is a new thread because it's for a different book than my last title question thread was)

I can't use Dragons and Dreams for my fairy tale collection - the title is taken by a Jane Yolen SF/f collection.

Unless I can think of something better, it looks like I'm back to A Princess for Tea and Other Stories - but I'm afraid that that will ghettoize the book as being for girls only, and I have it on good opinion that at least one 10 year old boy likes the stories.

There are currently 6 stories in the collection:

Princess for Tea
Grumpy Dragon
Sunflower
The Dark
Third Precious Thing
Child of Promise

The go roughly from sily to serious, and mostly in age-appropriateness order, except that Sunflower is for a younger crowd but I want to put Princess for Tea first because it's a stronger story and I want people to see it in the Look Inside feature.

Any suggestions?

BeccaPrice · 05-25-2013, 10:38 AM

Delete issue. Yolen's collection seems to be out of print, so it should be OK to use the title, especially if I subtitle it "Bedtime Stories" to further distinguish from her collection.

I just don't want to step on anybody's toes.

crich70 · 05-25-2013, 11:07 AM

How about Dreams and Dragons? Just reverse the Dragons and Dreams in Janet Yolen's title and you will avoid having an identical title to hers.

05-24-2013, 08:25 AM	#1
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	title issues Here's the blurb: ************** "I'm not a baby!" "Prove it!" A child leaves the safety of the Garden of the Morning and begins exploring the Gardens of Growing Up. The Bridge of Seven Stones is a story about losing teeth, and growing up. An alternative to the Tooth Fairy story, it recognizes the losses of familiar ways and things, and shows how each new stage leads to new and wonderful discoveries. About 10 pages. ************** I've been told that Bridge of Seven Stones sounds too adult. The alternate title I used was The Tooth Troll, but that sounds too comic for the tone of the story, and really the trolls are only a minor part of it, and I'm not sure I want to stress that. The key thing is, this is a "coming of age" story for kids moving into Kindergarten or from K'garten to first grade and who are nervous about this whole "growing up" thing. If you want to read the whole story to help me find a good title, pm me with your email address, and I'll be happy to send it to you.

05-25-2013, 10:14 AM	#13
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	drat - title taken (this is a new thread because it's for a different book than my last title question thread was) I can't use Dragons and Dreams for my fairy tale collection - the title is taken by a Jane Yolen SF/f collection. Unless I can think of something better, it looks like I'm back to A Princess for Tea and Other Stories - but I'm afraid that that will ghettoize the book as being for girls only, and I have it on good opinion that at least one 10 year old boy likes the stories. There are currently 6 stories in the collection: Princess for Tea Grumpy Dragon Sunflower The Dark Third Precious Thing Child of Promise The go roughly from sily to serious, and mostly in age-appropriateness order, except that Sunflower is for a younger crowd but I want to put Princess for Tea first because it's a stronger story and I want people to see it in the Look Inside feature. Any suggestions? Last edited by BeccaPrice; 05-25-2013 at 12:07 PM.

05-25-2013, 10:38 AM	#14
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	Delete issue. Yolen's collection seems to be out of print, so it should be OK to use the title, especially if I subtitle it "Bedtime Stories" to further distinguish from her collection. I just don't want to step on anybody's toes. Last edited by BeccaPrice; 05-25-2013 at 12:06 PM.

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05-24-2013, 09:16 AM	#2
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	"I'm not a baby!" Could work as a title?

05-24-2013, 09:21 AM	#3
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,809 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	On a similar note, so could (perhaps): "Proving It", "Garden of Morning", "Leaving the Garden" (or "Leaving the Garden of Morning"), "Losing Teeth".

05-24-2013, 09:37 AM	#4
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	The cover image will (I hope) be of a Japanese-type bridge with sparkly fairy lights on it. sigh I really am in love with Bridge of Seven Stones as a title (even though the story really only goes through four of the stones, then lumps the others into a bigger whole). the intent is that the protagonist travels across a succession of bridges to newer, larger gardens, so really it's the bridges that count. and it's not one bridge but a succession of them, so Bridge of 7 Stones isn't all that accurate. To quote the King in "The King And I", is a puzzlement.

05-24-2013, 11:38 AM	#5
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,809 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	Would simply "Stone Bridges" be any better? (Or "A Rocky Adventure" )

05-24-2013, 11:49 AM	#6
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	How about The Tooth Garden? not totally accurate, though - you lose a tooth as you go between each garden. or, hmmm... It could just be The Gardens of Growing Up, which is accurate, but maybe it's too long?

05-24-2013, 12:08 PM	#7
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	If I have something like "The Tooth Garden: a story about growing up" do you think that people will expect sex ed kinds of things?

05-24-2013, 02:24 PM	#9
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	Maybe The Gardens of Growing Up? I agree, I think I'll drop the whole tooth bit for the title.

05-24-2013, 04:30 PM	#10
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	How about "bridge through life"?

05-24-2013, 05:01 PM	#11
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	Talking to a friend, who also knows the Waldorf Education crowd, we've pretty much settled on The Seventh Garden, which is short, and which fits the story line pretty well. Thanks, all!

05-25-2013, 11:07 AM	#15
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	How about Dreams and Dragons? Just reverse the Dragons and Dreams in Janet Yolen's title and you will avoid having an identical title to hers.