On Winning Titles

So if you followed last week's blog post, you know that I was in Waterloo waiting for my daughter Lisa and Team Homan to play the semi-final match in the Ontario provincial curling playdowns. I'm happy to report that they were victorious and won the provincial title, now advancing to the national Scotties playdowns in a few weeks' time. More excitement and thrilling matches to come! You can follow along on TSN beginning February 16th.

The Team: Rachel Homan, Emma Miskew, Alison Kreviazuk and Lisa Weagle

 

It's been a productive week as I've managed to get writing in every day as I awaited feedback from the senior editor at Dundurn about the first four chapters. At our Capital Crime Writers Christmas dinner, Tim Wynne-Jones gave a satirical 'diary' reading on his angst waiting to hear if the publisher liked his latest submission. He captured that we read signs as every day passes, first believing our work is Noble-prize worthy until  convincing ourselves that the writing  is so terrible the publisher can't even express their revulsion in an e-mail. Our self-confidence is precarious, ready to be toppled like a house of cards at the first sign of rejection. And yet, we keep at it. This writing business is not for the faint of heart.  

 

And so, I waited . . . but only a few weeks. I received the verdict yesterday: the two words "very good" are music to this writer's ears. I now have to get a synopsis together since he wants to pitch the manuscript to the editorial board right away. I also have to think of a title - my least favourite and most torturous part of writing a book. This morning, I lay in bed, running words around in my mind and trying to come up with something appropriate but catchy.

 

Nothing. not even a nibble.

 

I'm now at the 55,000 word mark in the story and eager to pull all the parts together. More time in the day. That's all I ask. Luckily, the weather is cooperating. Frigid and grey, I've got two full days to stay inside by my fireplace with cups of coffee and warm keyboard. I have some time to kill . . . (say, could I work that into a title?) (Killing Time?) (When It's Time to Kill?) This is going to be two days of seeing titles around every corner and rolling words around on my tongue. But I know, the perfect title is out there, waiting to be pounced on. 

The calendar has turned a page into February - the last hard blast of winter enters its final weeks.

Stay warm, my friends.