In a recent thread I was lamenting the trouble I was having coming up with a title for my novel. I'm now well into the editing and revision stage of the completed story and have so far drawn a blank on anything resembling a title I'm satisfied with. One of our helpful members replied to the thread, stating she had a similar problem a few years ago and was greatly aided by opening the floor to suggestions from the forum. I've included a short synopsis of the novel below. Please feel free to hit me with any suggestion you come up with: Jacob Kincaid is a private detective based in Belfast. Burned out on cases of cheating spouses, swindlers and missing people, Jacob is approached by former journalist turned mystery podcaster, Natalie Amatao. She hires Jacob to investigate the death of her friend. The two women had been investigating a new religious sect with ties to several well connected and influential individuals of Belfast society. Initially written off as an accident, Natalie is convinced her friends death was actually a murder. There's one hitch, the dead woman was found alone in a locked apartment.
(An)Accident Behind Closed Doors That's like, ABCD? I just made myself laugh No Accident in the Apartment
The first thing that came to my mind on the other thread was Hardboiled in Belfast, which is probably awful, but might suggest using location in the title as a draw. The yanks would love it? Does your podcaster have a tagline or title either opening or closing her show? Could use that. Murder on the Radio? Or something better. Or focus on the religious sect. Is religion a big thing in Belfast? Maybe something like When God's Not Looking, Lords without Masters, The Secrets They Keep. Might leave it there. The next one that I can't shake out of my head is When Jesus Sneezed, and that might be getting silly.
Want to show me the manuscript? It looks like something I'd enjoy reading, and I might be able to come up with a title.
I had been thinking about using Belfast in the title. I'm trying to really use the city as an integral part of the story so it might make sense to reflect it in the title. The podcast is called Miss Gumshoe. “Murder and mystery, crime and passion, the gruesome and the unexplained. You’ll find it all when you sit down with Miss Gumshoe.” Some of them I really like. The Secrets They Keep in particular.
The answer may be somewhere in the novel, which would mean it's unlikely someone could come up with the best title from the synopsis alone. That being said, things that popped in my mind quickly but may not be appropriate: Irish Stew The Jacobite Conspiracy
Beyond the Belfast Door Behind the Belfast Door Entry of the Eye Closed Sect The Belfast Sect The Reporter's Friend Belfast Secrets of Belfast The Last Breath of Belfast Inside Belfast Apartment Nr X Continued The Last Breath in Belfast Brooding Belfast Beneath Belfast Nightstand Tales Cutting the Cult Culling the Cult Calling of the Cult Whispers from Belfast Severing the Sect Surviving the Belfast Sect
From the synopsis, it seems to me the title should name the woman whose death brings Natalie and Jacob together and (I'm guessing) ultimately will expose the well-connected individuals. What is the name of the woman found dead in the apartment?
Broadcast Belfast (because there is a podcast) Explicit Discretion (This just sounds fun to me. I don't know how it connects) Cold Closing (behind a closed door, and it's like the opposite of cold opening) Inner Dilemma (inner because it's indoors, behind a closed door, but it also alludes to some emotional aspect?) Self Restraint (Restraint because they restrained the podcasters by killing one of them, and Self Restraint because they made it look like suicide, I think. . .) Medium of Excommunication (Putting together podcasting and religious excommunication, or I guess murder in this case) Latter Day Straits (Latter Day Saints) Take it up with God Belfast in the Sunshine
Keeping in mind that I am the helpful member with a talent for coming up with terrible titles. That said, I will throw my hat into the ring with: Murder in Belfast: A Miss Gumshoe Mystery It's awful, but it could set you up for a sequel!
I think these are two of my favourite so far. I particularly like the use of Broadcast. A word someone else also suggested and one that stuck out immediately. Maybe Blood on the Broadcast or something to that effect? I'm also in two minds about using Belfast in the title. It's an interesting location but I wonder if it would put people off as being too localised.
Thanks to everyone who helped me with their suggestions. My tentative title is Blood on the Broadcast.
Very little go on … the only sensible title I can think of is The Belfast Sect. I have no idea if the sect is an integral part of the story though. It is sometimes nice to just use some physical possession as a title if it has symbolic relevance to the story. For instance, if the detective has a distinctive walking cane with religious iconography on it inlaid with ivory then maybe The Ivory Cane would work as it would refer to the religious aspect of the story and the ‘Ivory’ would refer to some kind of ‘elite’ force at work too? This is also something you weave into the completed novel with an odd reference here or there if you so wished.
I've found that often a good title is hidden in the text. A word or a phrase from the story can sometimes be a great title and also be quite original. I tend to shy away from titles that are too obvious or could work as a title for several different stories that other people write. This is something I've learned from working with different magazine editors who have bought my short stories but changed my titles. And they haven't usually been titles I would have come up with but end up being quite fitting. That said, I haven't settled on a title for my novel. As I go through revision, I'm hoping something in the story clicks as a good title. These things can be tricky for sure.
I had thought of posting a similar thread here because it seems really difficult. After 20 years... I finally for a title of a song of the same name. Whether or not I could actually do that- I wonder what IS the formula that editors use or authors. Like how to decide? The Dunwoody Dilemma is what came to mind, for me.
I avoided reading other responses to avoid coloring my reaction, but my initial thought was Belle of Belfast. After that, maybe Bleedin’ Ride (means a sexually attractive person). Maybe Luck of the Irish.
