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Comments
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That's the same sort of story as the one that goes around regarding the rebranding of polytechnics as Universities back in the early 90's.Patrick said:Actually Spawn of Santa is ridiculously 'Chuckyish'. But reminds me of a fabulous true story:
In the 1980s Japan ruled the world and Christmas was very trendy in Japan. The well known department store chain Sogu decided that their new Tokyo flagship store opening ceremony (in Dec) would be Christmas themed. So they got their PR people to investigate Christianity, Christmas, Santa, Jesus and all that stuff. They made a fabulous opening display in the lobby and hid it behind curtains. The chairman made his speech, cut the ribbon and the curtains fell back to reveal - Santa. Nailed to the cross!
My favourite ones were the discovery that there was no actual entity called Oxford University so the poly debated snagging it for about 5 minutes and the City University of Newcastle upon Tyne where the initialisation wasn't noticed until a letterhead was created...0 -
A purist would scoff at the idea that pension tax relief is government spending. I know it looks that way as there is a cash outflow from the Exchequer but that is just mechanics. Not taxing people is not the same thing as government spending. If member pension contributions are allowed to be made out of pre tax income it follows that relief should be at the approriate rate. Of course you could get rid of the relief altogether, which is what PISA is all about.Charles said:@Casino_Royale
We are going to disagree on this, because I know it's important to you. (As an aside, although it's not really relevant, we have a 2 bed flat in London and a similar place near where my wife grew up in the US. We certainly don't think of ourselves as "rich" although, I'd conceed we are comfortably off - thanks to judicious use of borrowing! And yes, I pay a lot of tax - I am ok with 47%, but felt that 52% was too much, and really resent the tapering of the personal allowance even though it's a smallish amount of money in absolute terms)
Pensions tax relief is government spending. An individual pays tax at 20%, 40% or 45% depending on their income. The government then chooses how to allocate it. Historically they have given a significant rebate to people who save for retirement. That's for good reasons - it encourages saving. However, it also undoubtly disproportionately benefits the better off: the 40% and 45% taxpayers. They are certainly not rich, and they are striving to make their way in life & that's to be encouraged. But I'm not sure it's the best use of £15-20bn in scarce resources. You are entirely free to change your behaviour - you may decide that a 20% top up is insufficient to accept the lack of flexiblity that comes with pensions saving, but it's not some kind of moral outrage.0 -
I was going to suggest Darkness Visible but that's a 1979 book by William Golding.0
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The Lizard Curse0
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We need late 80s Nirvana or some spooky new band to cover The Doors "My Eyes have seen you" for the film adaptation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCzOwtHuOQo0 -
ONE LESS GIFT UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE0
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Yes, in post-Corbyn retrospect 2015 seems to have been 1979: http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2015/05/20/searching-for-a-parallel-to-2015/Andy_Cooke said:Nah. Next election will just be Labour's second 1983. They need to hold the hard-left line, have no major events derail the Government AND have something like a major Lib Dem revival, UKIP getting huge traction, or an as-yet unanticipated Third Force arise for their existence to be genuinely threatened.
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His Celtic Eyes
Season's Mists
Child of Old
Kernow's Visions
Those Ancient Eyes
Sight of Ages
Winter Visions0 -
"Oh Little Town"0
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We see here on this site,and I am guilty obviously, that the kind of nerds that get off on debate and politics all have one thing in commonAndyJS said:Fraser Nelson — "Why can’t the Swedish authorities be honest about crime and immigration?"
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/01/why-cant-the-swedish-authorities-be-honest-about-crime-and-immigration/
They NEVER admit they are wrong
It is what they think they are good at, what they take pride in, Politicians are at the top of their chosen field, and are even worse. Admitting they are wrong often risks a lack of job security for them & financial disaster for their families...
In order for the problems w immigration and the refugee crisis to be sorted, politicians will have to admit they called it wrong all along, and the people they branded racists were right... it wont happen, or at least the slowness of the U turn, so slow as to be undetected, will ensure that the damage is already done.
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"Bleak Midwinter"0
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This is fun!0
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Unless it's a singleSeanT said:
Yep. You can allude to Xmas but saying it is commercial death.eek said:
I can predict the reply to those suggestions - anything with Christmas in only sells in November / December?NickPalmer said:
DARK CHRISTMASSeanT said:
Young stepmother moves into big old Cornish House with ancient Cornish family. Stepson - eight years old, clever, soulful, beautiful - starts acting strangely, predicting things. Then he predicts her death. By Christmas,
The clock is ticking. the young stepmum urgently needs to discover, is he genuinely clairvoyant, or is he somehow troubled by the dark mysteries surrounding his mother's death, two years before?
CHRISTMAS IS COMING (Game of Thrones fans will know what you mean)
or, combined...
DARK CHRISTMAS IS COMING
A Death Foretold?
Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a famous book0 -
Books with Harry Potter in the title sell well, - perhaps change the name of the stepson?0
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The Cradle Rocks
Ghosts Of Tristan
The Son Won't Shine
Woman's End0 -
I like this line from that piece, written well before the CorbyngasmTissue_Price said:
Yes, in post-Corbyn retrospect 2015 seems to have been 1979: http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2015/05/20/searching-for-a-parallel-to-2015/Andy_Cooke said:Nah. Next election will just be Labour's second 1983. They need to hold the hard-left line, have no major events derail the Government AND have something like a major Lib Dem revival, UKIP getting huge traction, or an as-yet unanticipated Third Force arise for their existence to be genuinely threatened.
But the very fact that it has been suggested indicates that many in Labour are worried that they’re about to elect the wrong person, again.0 -
Winter's Omen0
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Shurely season based titles are daft. They restrict sales to one season. Like Christmas specials.NorfolkTilIDie said:
Winter's Omen
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If I'd known what was going to happen I'd have used "effing petrified". One worries about Burnham; one hyperventilates about Corbyn.TheScreamingEagles said:
I like this line from that piece, written well before the CorbyngasmTissue_Price said:
Yes, in post-Corbyn retrospect 2015 seems to have been 1979: http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2015/05/20/searching-for-a-parallel-to-2015/Andy_Cooke said:Nah. Next election will just be Labour's second 1983. They need to hold the hard-left line, have no major events derail the Government AND have something like a major Lib Dem revival, UKIP getting huge traction, or an as-yet unanticipated Third Force arise for their existence to be genuinely threatened.
But the very fact that it has been suggested indicates that many in Labour are worried that they’re about to elect the wrong person, again.0 -
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?SimonStClare said:Books with Harry Potter in the title sell well, - perhaps change the name of the stepson?
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You're going to be proved wrong around August I expect. ^_~Plato_Says said:Shurely season based titles are daft. They restrict sales to one season. Like Christmas specials.
NorfolkTilIDie said:Winter's Omen
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Harry Potter and the Bogus Asylum Seeker?Sean_F said:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?SimonStClare said:Books with Harry Potter in the title sell well, - perhaps change the name of the stepson?
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No, Flip Flop Burnham would have been a disaster for Labour.Tissue_Price said:
If I'd known what was going to happen I'd have used "effing petrified". One worries about Burnham; one hyperventilates about Corbyn.TheScreamingEagles said:
I like this line from that piece, written well before the CorbyngasmTissue_Price said:
Yes, in post-Corbyn retrospect 2015 seems to have been 1979: http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2015/05/20/searching-for-a-parallel-to-2015/Andy_Cooke said:Nah. Next election will just be Labour's second 1983. They need to hold the hard-left line, have no major events derail the Government AND have something like a major Lib Dem revival, UKIP getting huge traction, or an as-yet unanticipated Third Force arise for their existence to be genuinely threatened.
But the very fact that it has been suggested indicates that many in Labour are worried that they’re about to elect the wrong person, again.
Labour made the right choice in choosing Corbyn over Burnham, Burnham ran the worst campaign a favourite has run since Michael Portillo's doomed bid in 2001.0 -
I'm guessing "The Winds of Winter" will be the best sold book of the next year or two.Plato_Says said:Shurely season based titles are daft. They restrict sales to one season. Like Christmas specials.
NorfolkTilIDie said:Winter's Omen
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Harry Potter and the Taharrush of Colognercs1000 said:
Harry Potter and the Bogus Asylum Seeker?Sean_F said:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?SimonStClare said:Books with Harry Potter in the title sell well, - perhaps change the name of the stepson?
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Harry Potter Goes Mad in Cornwall?rcs1000 said:
Harry Potter and the Bogus Asylum Seeker?Sean_F said:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?SimonStClare said:Books with Harry Potter in the title sell well, - perhaps change the name of the stepson?
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BoldTheScreamingEagles said:Labour made the right choice in choosing Corbyn over Burnham, Burnham ran the worst campaign a favourite has run since Michael Portillo's doomed bid in 2001.
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Harry Potter and Schrödinger’s immigrant*rcs1000 said:
Harry Potter and the Bogus Asylum Seeker?Sean_F said:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?SimonStClare said:Books with Harry Potter in the title sell well, - perhaps change the name of the stepson?
*Who lazes around on benefits whilst simultaneously stealing your job0 -
I imagine the internet will crash when Martin announces that he's delivered the manuscript to his publisher. I imagine that sales would be on a par with the Deathly Hallows.NorfolkTilIDie said:
I'm guessing "The Winds of Winter" will be the best sold book of the next year or two.Plato_Says said:Shurely season based titles are daft. They restrict sales to one season. Like Christmas specials.
NorfolkTilIDie said:Winter's Omen
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Stephen Woolf was excellent on DP earlier, Lammy predictably tried to play the race card, not sure he realises Stephen is mixed race0
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Does Roger get a cameo in this book too?SeanT said:I am genuinely grateful, nay touched, by all the suggestions, tho.
Sincerely.
*group hug for pb*
I'd buy you all a cold beer but I'm in Bangkok.0 -
Tomorrow night is Bercow Night at the St James Theatre...
Matt Forde interviews John Bercow, w audience questions after.
Anyone going? Anyone want me to ask him a question?0 -
The Misery Of Primary Season
Blood Trumps Water
Paying For Cornwall
It's gonna be yuuuge.0 -
Can you send some money for behind the bar at the next PB meet instead? hehSeanT said:I am genuinely grateful, nay touched, by all the suggestions, tho.
Sincerely.
*group hug for pb*
I'd buy you all a cold beer but I'm in Bangkok.0 -
Did you watch the Frasier episode where they meet their literary hero? One of my favsSeanT said:
My editor is RR Martin's editor in the UK.Sean_F said:
I imagine the internet will crash when Martin announces that he's delivered the manuscript to his publisher. I imagine that sales would be on a par with the Deathly Hallows.NorfolkTilIDie said:
I'm guessing "The Winds of Winter" will be the best sold book of the next year or two.Plato_Says said:Shurely season based titles are daft. They restrict sales to one season. Like Christmas specials.
NorfolkTilIDie said:Winter's Omen
I think the publishers are worried he's gonna keel over before delivering. Imagine the panic in the accounts dept.
A Cranes Critique
http://www.kacl780.net/frasier/transcripts/season_4/episode_4/a_cranes_critique.html0 -
Hey: hands off!! The Ice Child was my suggestion yesterday.TheScreamingEagles said:
The Ice Child/Children?SeanT said:
Been used. Also sounds like a self help book for parents.LucyJones said:
The Only ChildSeanT said:Greetings, greetings
I just want to say thanks for all the TITLE suggestions yesterday. If I disappeared suddenly and in apparently ungrateful haste that's because I fell asleep - I'm 7 hours ahead in Bangkok.
We still haven't found a title and its getting desperate and my publishers have nixed THE SHINING CHILD
Sigh.
FWIW the reason this is so hard, probably harder than any pb-ers realise, is that the title has to fit certain criteria
1. It has to suit the genre, upmarket domestic literary thriller. I can't call it THE ILLUMINATI'S LAST AMULET. Neither can I give it a literary fiction title: THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF NOVELS
2. Ideally it has to give you a hefty clue as to the subject, and mention a character: child, wife, son, girl, boy, daughter, sister, twins, mother, lover, husband..
3. It has to say "thriller" - give a hint of menace and tension
4. It should be short. Five syllables is considered ideal. A brilliant title can break this rule, tho
5. It must me memorable and easily pronounceable, no overly obscure words
6. It must not have been used before, in any significant way - increasingly hard, as 100,000 books are published in the UK alone every year
7. It must not imply the book is horror or romance or chicklit or memoir
Apart from that. its easy.
I'm being brutal here cause that's what my publishers do to me. Dismiss my ideas with a single phrase. Bastards!
(I am very grateful for the ideas, tho! )
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Allegedly Portsmouth Poly nearly became the South Hampshire Institute of Technology...eek said:
That's the same sort of story as the one that goes around regarding the rebranding of polytechnics as Universities back in the early 90's.Patrick said:Actually Spawn of Santa is ridiculously 'Chuckyish'. But reminds me of a fabulous true story:
In the 1980s Japan ruled the world and Christmas was very trendy in Japan. The well known department store chain Sogu decided that their new Tokyo flagship store opening ceremony (in Dec) would be Christmas themed. So they got their PR people to investigate Christianity, Christmas, Santa, Jesus and all that stuff. They made a fabulous opening display in the lobby and hid it behind curtains. The chairman made his speech, cut the ribbon and the curtains fell back to reveal - Santa. Nailed to the cross!
My favourite ones were the discovery that there was no actual entity called Oxford University so the poly debated snagging it for about 5 minutes and the City University of Newcastle upon Tyne where the initialisation wasn't noticed until a letterhead was created...0 -
Death By Christmas.SeanT said:
Sure I can tell the plot, I explained yesterday but you probably missed it. Here ya go:NorfolkTilIDie said:
If you can't tell us the plot can you tell us major elements?SeanT said:
I can definitely adapt the story to fit the right title. i did that with ICE TWINS. I changed the way the girls looked, halfway through writing, so they'd fit the title, as I knew it was a good title.David_Evershed said:SeanT said:Greetings, greetings
I just want to say thanks for all the TITLE suggestions yesterday. If I disappeared suddenly and in apparently ungrateful haste that's because I fell asleep - I'm 7 hours ahead in Bangkok.
We still haven't found a title and its getting desperate and my publishers have nixed THE SHINING CHILD
Sigh.
FWIW the reason this is so hard, probably harder than any pb-ers realise, is that the title has to fit certain criteria
1. It has to suit the genre, upmarket domestic literary thriller. I can't call it THE ILLUMINATI'S LAST AMULET. Neither can I give it a literary fiction title: THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF NOVELS
2. Ideally it has to give you a hefty clue as to the subject, and mention a character: child, wife, son, girl, boy, daughter, sister, twins, mother, lover, husband..
3. It has to say "thriller" - give a hint of menace and tension
4. It should be short. Five syllables is considered ideal. A brilliant title can break this rule,
Apart from that. its easy.
How about The Secret of the Scion?
Can you adapt the story to fit the title?
Maybe start with the title next time and write the story around it. I did that with an academic paper once to go in a compter journal. Came up with a title first in the coffee bar, High Level Languages for Low Level Users, and then with a colleague wrote a paper around it.
Some titles are so good they come first, and then the story comes later.
Scion is impossible. 75% of readers won't know what it means, the rest won't know to pronounce it.
Young stepmother moves into big old Cornish House with ancient Cornish family. Stepson - eight years old, clever, soulful, beautiful - starts acting strangely, predicting things. Then he predicts her death. By Christmas,
The clock is ticking. the young stepmum urgently needs to discover, is he genuinely clairvoyant, or is he somehow troubled by the dark mysteries surrounding his mother's death, two years before?0 -
0
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A bit of alliteration never went amiss. How about:SeanT said:
My editor is RR Martin's editor in the UK.Sean_F said:
I imagine the internet will crash when Martin announces that he's delivered the manuscript to his publisher. I imagine that sales would be on a par with the Deathly Hallows.NorfolkTilIDie said:
I'm guessing "The Winds of Winter" will be the best sold book of the next year or two.Plato_Says said:Shurely season based titles are daft. They restrict sales to one season. Like Christmas specials.
NorfolkTilIDie said:Winter's Omen
I think the publishers are worried he's gonna keel over before delivering. Imagine the panic in the accounts dept.
A DARK DECEMBER
or
DARKENING DECEMBER
?
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I like the words 'seer' and 'oracle'. Maybe weave one in?0
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Tom Harris
What I want to know is, who are the 0.2% of Falklanders who voted against? https://t.co/EGERJaqCmE0 -
What role should a politician's spouse play in politics?isam said:Tomorrow night is Bercow Night at the St James Theatre...
Matt Forde interviews John Bercow, w audience questions after.
Anyone going? Anyone want me to ask him a question?0 -
Just for you, Sean should have one the characters catch the tube and change at Baker StreetCyclefree said:
Hey: hands off!! The Ice Child was my suggestion yesterday.TheScreamingEagles said:
The Ice Child/Children?SeanT said:
Been used. Also sounds like a self help book for parents.LucyJones said:
The Only ChildSeanT said:Greetings, greetings
I just want to say thanks for all the TITLE suggestions yesterday. If I disappeared suddenly and in apparently ungrateful haste that's because I fell asleep - I'm 7 hours ahead in Bangkok.
We still haven't found a title and its getting desperate and my publishers have nixed THE SHINING CHILD
Sigh.
FWIW the reason this is so hard, probably harder than any pb-ers realise, is that the title has to fit certain criteria
1. It has to suit the genre, upmarket domestic literary thriller. I can't call it THE ILLUMINATI'S LAST AMULET. Neither can I give it a literary fiction title: THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF NOVELS
2. Ideally it has to give you a hefty clue as to the subject, and mention a character: child, wife, son, girl, boy, daughter, sister, twins, mother, lover, husband..
3. It has to say "thriller" - give a hint of menace and tension
4. It should be short. Five syllables is considered ideal. A brilliant title can break this rule, tho
5. It must me memorable and easily pronounceable, no overly obscure words
6. It must not have been used before, in any significant way - increasingly hard, as 100,000 books are published in the UK alone every year
7. It must not imply the book is horror or romance or chicklit or memoir
Apart from that. its easy.
I'm being brutal here cause that's what my publishers do to me. Dismiss my ideas with a single phrase. Bastards!
(I am very grateful for the ideas, tho! )0 -
SeanT said:
Been used a billion times.Wanderer said:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=silent+night
It's quite forgivable that you shouldn't google this first. Why bother?
What gets me is that my agent and my publishers do this, too. They come up with an exciting suggestion which, when I go online, it turns out has been used 56,000 times before. Five seconds of work would have told them this, and saved everyone six minutes of life.
Twats. My publishers are twats.
I'm letting off steam here. Please don't tell anyone.
Perfect Vision (could, of course, also be a book for ophthalmologists)
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An excellent choice, the right honourable member for Shipley will go down very well with the membership. And the country tooTheScreamingEagles said:If he stands, he'll get my vote in the Tory leadership election
http://goo.gl/GLOSZu0 -
Only if the membership wanted to see Jeremy Corbyn become First Lord of the TreasuryPulpstar said:
An excellent choice, the right honourable member for Shipley would go down very well with the membership.TheScreamingEagles said:If he stands, he'll get my vote in the Tory leadership election
http://goo.gl/GLOSZu0 -
The late Alan Coren was once scratching around for a title to an anthology of his articles in Punch. He found that the books that sold the most were about golf, cats or the Third Reich. He called his book, "Golfing for Cats" and had the cover art show a cat playing golf where the flags at each hole bore the Swastika. It sold very well.
Perhaps Mr. T should spend some time researching the words used in the titles of recent fiction books and just cobble something together.0 -
Sounds a bit like an Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers title.JenS said:
Death By Christmas.SeanT said:
Sure I can tell the plot, I explained yesterday but you probably missed it. Here ya go:NorfolkTilIDie said:
If you can't tell us the plot can you tell us major elements?SeanT said:
I can definitely adapt the story to fit the right title. i did that with ICE TWINS. I changed the way the girls looked, halfway through writing, so they'd fit the title, as I knew it was a good title.David_Evershed said:SeanT said:Greetings, greetings
I just want to say thanks for all the TITLE suggestions yesterday. If I disappeared suddenly and in apparently ungrateful haste that's because I fell asleep - I'm 7 hours ahead in Bangkok.
We still haven't found a title and its getting desperate and my publishers have nixed THE SHINING CHILD
Sigh.
FWIW the reason this is so hard, probably harder than any pb-ers realise, is that the title has to fit certain criteria
1. It has to suit the genre, upmarket domestic literary thriller. I can't call it THE ILLUMINATI'S LAST AMULET. Neither can I give it a literary fiction title: THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF NOVELS
2. Ideally it has to give you a hefty clue as to the subject, and mention a character: child, wife, son, girl, boy, daughter, sister, twins, mother, lover, husband..
3. It has to say "thriller" - give a hint of menace and tension
4. It should be short. Five syllables is considered ideal. A brilliant title can break this rule,
Apart from that. its easy.
How about The Secret of the Scion?
Can you adapt the story to fit the title?
Maybe start with the title next time and write the story around it. I did that with an academic paper once to go in a compter journal. Came up with a title first in the coffee bar, High Level Languages for Low Level Users, and then with a colleague wrote a paper around it.
Some titles are so good they come first, and then the story comes later.
Scion is impossible. 75% of readers won't know what it means, the rest won't know to pronounce it.
Young stepmother moves into big old Cornish House with ancient Cornish family. Stepson - eight years old, clever, soulful, beautiful - starts acting strangely, predicting things. Then he predicts her death. By Christmas,
The clock is ticking. the young stepmum urgently needs to discover, is he genuinely clairvoyant, or is he somehow troubled by the dark mysteries surrounding his mother's death, two years before?0 -
He's sure to kick the bucket before he does the final book.SeanT said:
My editor is RR Martin's editor in the UK.Sean_F said:
I imagine the internet will crash when Martin announces that he's delivered the manuscript to his publisher. I imagine that sales would be on a par with the Deathly Hallows.NorfolkTilIDie said:
I'm guessing "The Winds of Winter" will be the best sold book of the next year or two.Plato_Says said:Shurely season based titles are daft. They restrict sales to one season. Like Christmas specials.
NorfolkTilIDie said:Winter's Omen
I think the publishers are worried he's gonna keel over before delivering. Imagine the panic in the accounts dept.
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Michael Crichton responded to a really bad review of one of his books by making the reviewer a child rapist in the next one.SeanT said:
No. I exhausted the possibilities of his personality with that tiny character in The ICE TWINS.Tissue_Price said:
Does Roger get a cameo in this book too?SeanT said:I am genuinely grateful, nay touched, by all the suggestions, tho.
Sincerely.
*group hug for pb*
I'd buy you all a cold beer but I'm in Bangkok.0 -
TheScreamingEagles said:
Just for you, Sean should have one the characters catch the tube and change at Baker StreetCyclefree said:
Hey: hands off!! The Ice Child was my suggestion yesterday.TheScreamingEagles said:
The Ice Child/Children?SeanT said:
Been used. Also sounds like a self help book for parents.LucyJones said:
The Only ChildSeanT said:Greetings, greetings
I just want to say thanks for all the TITLE suggestions yesterday. If I disappeared suddenly and in apparently ungrateful haste that's because I fell asleep - I'm 7 hours ahead in Bangkok.
We still haven't found a title and its getting desperate and my publishers have nixed THE SHINING CHILD
Sigh.
FWIW the reason this is so hard, probably harder than any pb-ers realise, is that the title has to fit certain criteria
1. It has to suit the genre, upmarket domestic literary thriller. I can't call it THE ILLUMINATI'S LAST AMULET. Neither can I give it a literary fiction title: THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF NOVELS
2. Ideally it has to give you a hefty clue as to the subject, and mention a character: child, wife, son, girl, boy, daughter, sister, twins, mother, lover, husband..
3. It has to say "thriller" - give a hint of menace and tension
4. It should be short. Five syllables is considered ideal. A brilliant title can break this rule, tho
5. It must me memorable and easily pronounceable, no overly obscure words
6. It must not have been used before, in any significant way - increasingly hard, as 100,000 books are published in the UK alone every year
7. It must not imply the book is horror or romance or chicklit or memoir
Apart from that. its easy.
I'm being brutal here cause that's what my publishers do to me. Dismiss my ideas with a single phrase. Bastards!
(I am very grateful for the ideas, tho! )
Ha ha!! That is nearer to the truth than you might think. Apparently, a recent incident in which I was involved - entirely innocent, I hasten to add - has been used as the start of a story being written for some erotic magazine. (I will forbear from telling you how until we meet at the next PB do.)
Of course I know nothing of such things. But still ..... an artistic muse, at last!
(That's one off the bucket list......
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Ice Cold Eyes
Gets in an Ice theme alluding to the famous work by SKTremayne, a winter theme and the eyes.
Also a song by seminal grunge band Husker Du:
http://youtu.be/wpLXhssTD8o0 -
Lostwithnoel??SeanT said:Sure I can tell the plot, I explained yesterday but you probably missed it. Here ya go:
Young stepmother moves into big old Cornish House with ancient Cornish family. Stepson - eight years old, clever, soulful, beautiful - starts acting strangely, predicting things. Then he predicts her death. By Christmas,
The clock is ticking. the young stepmum urgently needs to discover, is he genuinely clairvoyant, or is he somehow troubled by the dark mysteries surrounding his mother's death, two years before?
0 -
Will it depict blood-eagling, Swedish boiling, or sexual assault by orang-utang?SeanT said:
I LOVED that title, and so did my agent, but my publishers LOATHED it. Too pompous, literary, blah blah. I could have forced it through but it's never a great thing to do, as it means the book doesn't have everyone behind it, willing it on.Scott_P said:
What happened toDimitry said:A bit of alliteration never went amiss. How about:
A DARK DECEMBER
or
DARKENING DECEMBER
?
The Shortening of Days ?
Although I prefer The Shortening Days
If I come up with nothing else, I may return to it as an option, or a reworked version thereof.
Ok fuck this, I'm having a gin. Thanks again to all.0 -
Good afternoon, everyone.
I did consider renaming myself George RR Tolkien, and calling my next book Lord of the Thrones, but I'm reasonably sure that's considered cheating
I like Winter in the title. Could suggest the end of something, such as the boy's innocence. Hmm.0 -
Grasp of history is showing again
http://order-order.com/2016/01/26/lammy-million-indians-died-in-ww2-for-the-european-project/0 -
Another writer I know is very impressed with GRRM's approach for reducing the complexity of long running stories - by just killing some of the cast off whenever he wants to...SeanT said:
My editor is RR Martin's editor in the UK.Sean_F said:
I imagine the internet will crash when Martin announces that he's delivered the manuscript to his publisher. I imagine that sales would be on a par with the Deathly Hallows.NorfolkTilIDie said:
I'm guessing "The Winds of Winter" will be the best sold book of the next year or two.Plato_Says said:Shurely season based titles are daft. They restrict sales to one season. Like Christmas specials.
NorfolkTilIDie said:Winter's Omen
I think the publishers are worried he's gonna keel over before delivering. Imagine the panic in the accounts dept.0 -
Too Agatha Christie for our Mr T.JenS said:
Death By Christmas.SeanT said:
Sure I can tell the plot, I explained yesterday but you probably missed it. Here ya go:NorfolkTilIDie said:
If you can't tell us the plot can you tell us major elements?SeanT said:
I can definitely adapt the story to fit the right title. i did that with ICE TWINS. I changed the way the girls looked, halfway through writing, so they'd fit the title, as I knew it was a good title.David_Evershed said:SeanT said:Greetings, greetings
I just want to say thanks for all the TITLE suggestions yesterday. If I disappeared suddenly and in apparently ungrateful haste that's because I fell asleep - I'm 7 hours ahead in Bangkok.
We still haven't found a title and its getting desperate and my publishers have nixed THE SHINING CHILD
Sigh.
FWIW the reason this is so hard, probably harder than any pb-ers realise, is that the title has to fit certain criteria
1. It has to suit the genre, upmarket domestic literary thriller. I can't call it THE ILLUMINATI'S LAST AMULET. Neither can I give it a literary fiction title: THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF NOVELS
2. Ideally it has to give you a hefty clue as to the subject, and mention a character: child, wife, son, girl, boy, daughter, sister, twins, mother, lover, husband..
3. It has to say "thriller" - give a hint of menace and tension
4. It should be short. Five syllables is considered ideal. A brilliant title can break this rule,
Apart from that. its easy.
How about The Secret of the Scion?
Can you adapt the story to fit the title?
Maybe start with the title next time and write the story around it. I did that with an academic paper once to go in a compter journal. Came up with a title first in the coffee bar, High Level Languages for Low Level Users, and then with a colleague wrote a paper around it.
Some titles are so good they come first, and then the story comes later.
Scion is impossible. 75% of readers won't know what it means, the rest won't know to pronounce it.
Young stepmother moves into big old Cornish House with ancient Cornish family. Stepson - eight years old, clever, soulful, beautiful - starts acting strangely, predicting things. Then he predicts her death. By Christmas,
The clock is ticking. the young stepmum urgently needs to discover, is he genuinely clairvoyant, or is he somehow troubled by the dark mysteries surrounding his mother's death, two years before?
How about The Beautiful Harbinger?0 -
Noel loses his cherryMorris_Dancer said:Good afternoon, everyone.
I did consider renaming myself George RR Tolkien, and calling my next book Lord of the Thrones, but I'm reasonably sure that's considered cheating
I like Winter in the title. Could suggest the end of something, such as the boy's innocence. Hmm.
Note the fiendishly clever Christmas allusion through the choice of name!0 -
What is the cover going to look like? Should the title follow the likely cover?SeanT said:
Too horror and supernatural.Patrick said:I like the words 'seer' and 'oracle'. Maybe weave one in?
This is what my publishers do to me. No no no no no no. Too this, too that, too chicklit, too whatever. Trouble is they are usually right.0 -
I liked Paul Staines' response that they died fighting *against* the main European Project of the time.Plato_Says said:Grasp of history is showing again
http://order-order.com/2016/01/26/lammy-million-indians-died-in-ww2-for-the-european-project/0 -
The Eleventh Hour.
No idea why, just came to me. Suggests time running out.
Edited extra bit: bah, bet it's been used a thousand times before, though.0 -
new thread, new thread
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Surely George RR Tolkien-Rowling and 'Harry, Lord of Thrones'??Patrick said:
Noel loses his cherryMorris_Dancer said:Good afternoon, everyone.
I did consider renaming myself George RR Tolkien, and calling my next book Lord of the Thrones, but I'm reasonably sure that's considered cheating
I like Winter in the title. Could suggest the end of something, such as the boy's innocence. Hmm.
Note the fiendishly clever Christmas allusion through the choice of name!0 -
There's a lovely sad book about cricket with penguins IIRC. Long time since I read it c
I'mHurstLlama said:The late Alan Coren was once scratching around for a title to an anthology of his articles in Punch. He found that the books that sold the most were about golf, cats or the Third Reich. He called his book, "Golfing for Cats" and had the cover art show a cat playing golf where the flags at each hole bore the Swastika. It sold very well.
Perhaps Mr. T should spend some time researching the words used in the titles of recent fiction books and just cobble something together.0 -
Redemption is an important concept, even if its hard to come by. I like to argue that Pulp Fiction is about redemption in the end.Pulpstar said:
An excellent choice, the right honourable member for Shipley will go down very well with the membership. And the country tooTheScreamingEagles said:If he stands, he'll get my vote in the Tory leadership election
http://goo.gl/GLOSZu0 -
You just need to start a rumour that you're just a pseudonym for Ms Rowling. The 'real' you is just someone to whom she pays a stipend to maintain the pretence.MTimT said:
Surely George RR Tolkien-Rowling and 'Harry, Lord of Thrones'??Patrick said:
Noel loses his cherryMorris_Dancer said:Good afternoon, everyone.
I did consider renaming myself George RR Tolkien, and calling my next book Lord of the Thrones, but I'm reasonably sure that's considered cheating
I like Winter in the title. Could suggest the end of something, such as the boy's innocence. Hmm.
Note the fiendishly clever Christmas allusion through the choice of name!0 -
Cancel SantaSeanT said:
Yep. You can allude to Xmas but saying it is commercial death.eek said:
I can predict the reply to those suggestions - anything with Christmas in only sells in November / December?NickPalmer said:
DARK CHRISTMASSeanT said:
Young stepmother moves into big old Cornish House with ancient Cornish family. Stepson - eight years old, clever, soulful, beautiful - starts acting strangely, predicting things. Then he predicts her death. By Christmas,
The clock is ticking. the young stepmum urgently needs to discover, is he genuinely clairvoyant, or is he somehow troubled by the dark mysteries surrounding his mother's death, two years before?
CHRISTMAS IS COMING (Game of Thrones fans will know what you mean)
or, combined...
DARK CHRISTMAS IS COMING
A Death Foretold?
Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a famous book0 -
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how aboutSeanT said:
If it's any help, the publishers are thinking of using this photo as the basis for the jacket. it's actually a photo I took, of a wintry lane leading from Pentillie Castle, in East Cornwall, towards a weird sarcophagus...flightpath01 said:
What is the cover going to look like? Should the title follow the likely cover?SeanT said:
Too horror and supernatural.Patrick said:I like the words 'seer' and 'oracle'. Maybe weave one in?
This is what my publishers do to me. No no no no no no. Too this, too that, too chicklit, too whatever. Trouble is they are usually right.
https://twitter.com/thomasknox/status/691984177776824321
That's the mood. Gothic, sad, wintry, spooky, aristocratic but crumbling...
bad tidings we bring
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