Deciding for the Title of my Story.

[makingabook123]

This has been a big bummer for me as I need something either perfect or near perfect and after a year of starting my story and writing over 500 full pages on google docs and reitterations I hae stumbled upon some I am deciding upon. Now I do not want anyone to tell me "You know best in the end its your story" you can still say that i guess but I still need opinions on these. I myself lean towards Blood of the Sun and Moon but I need other peoples opinions on this.

 

[Prince of Spires]

It partially depends on what your story is about. Could you tell us a bit about it?

Without any other information, I like the middle one the least. The first and the last are fine.

As a side note, in my opinion, it doesn't need to be perfect. Good enough will do. If you're aiming to traditionally publish, then your publisher will have an opinion on the title. And if you indie publish, and you come up with a better title in 3 months time, then you can always change it. The only cost you'll run into is changing your cover, which shouldn't be too expensive.

 

[pmmg]

Given that the title is only part of the whole, and the whole is not present, how would I know which title is best? or if any of them are?

Of the three, I suppose I like the first the best, but it has vibes of Sarah J Maas and the way she titles books.

After 500 pages, nothing in your book rang out as being what the title should be?


While I would not call my self an expert at titling books, I'll say, in a title, I would look for something that is in theme with the story, and captures in a most encompassing way what its about. Also should be Genre friendly.

 

[Diana Silver]

I won't claim any deep insights or expeirence in how titles should be, so what follows is completely my personal opinion...

All of the titles feel quite wordy. Like you're trying to do too much at once.
For instance, I think I would be quite intrigued by a hypothetical title that reads "Blood of the Sun". This invokes a single clear image that makes we wonder, how the Sun can bleed, what is meant exactly, how the book will illustrate this image. If you add 'and Moon', the whole thing becomes more fuzzy, the image less clear, so my curiosity is triggered less.

I think each snippet from your original titles conveys a more focused image than the composite phrases...
Blood of the Moon
First Dream
Last breath
First Echo...?

Though I'm not sure if you see what I mean or agree at all

 

[Karlin]

I won't claim any deep insights or expeirence in how titles should be, so what follows is completely my personal opinion...

All of the titles feel quite wordy. Like you're trying to do too much at once.
For instance, I think I would be quite intrigued by a hypothetical title that reads "Blood of the Sun". This invokes a single clear image that makes we wonder, how the Sun can bleed, what is meant exactly, how the book will illustrate this image. If you add 'and Moon', the whole thing becomes more fuzzy, the image less clear, so my curiosity is triggered less.

I think each snippet from your original titles conveys a more focused image than the composite phrases...
Blood of the Moon
First Dream
Last breath
First Echo...?

Though I'm not sure if you see what I mean or agree at all

I agree. Too wordy. Last one could just be "Echoes", or at most "Echoes of the Dream"

 

[JBCrowson]

I agree. Too wordy. Last one could just be "Echoes", or at most "Echoes of the Dream"

Echoes - like the pink floyd vibe there, so maybe "Dreamer at the Gates of Dawn" would work?

To the OP:
I agree with Prince of Spires that without having read the book, deciding which title best suits it is impossible. If you've had beta readers they would be better placed to advise.
Without any further information about the book, the first is the one that draws me most.

 

[makingabook123]

This story requires a title as profound and connecting as A Song of Ice and Fire. It revolves around three central characters from the Altan Family:

• Tarkan: Possesses the mark of the moon
• Derya: Has the mark of the sun
• Dimer (adopted): Bears the mark of a black hole.

The driving narrative centers on the concept that heaven is the world you create on Earth, with characters striving to shape the Earth into their vision of paradise. Interwoven into this tale are themes of destiny, willpower, ambition, love, and sacrifice, with a prophecy tying their fates together.

---

Gods and Their Influence​

There are two primary gods in the story:

1. Tah:
   • Ambitious, scholarly, and the creator of the universe. His unchecked ambition led him to kill his partner, Primah, to bring the cosmos into existence.
   • Tah is also a deeply flawed god, so consumed by his thirst for knowledge and power that he blinds himself after failing to withstand the overwhelming power of his amber eyes (representing ultimate ambition).
   • He takes Tarkan as his vassal, lying to his brother, Ylith, and passing the first vassal, Altan, to him instead.
2. Ylith:
   • A god resembling Miquella from Elden Ring, who works to bring forth the future envisioned by the first human. Ylith is aligned with Dimer, his second favorite vassal.
   • Ylith’s ideals and sacrifices contrast with Tah’s ambitious and scholarly nature.

---

The Altan Family Dynamics​

• Tarkan and Derya were born on the same day. Derya’s mother died during childbirth, and Sarina (Tarkan’s mother) raised Derya as her own, breastfeeding her alongside Tarkan. Despite being cousins and raised as siblings, Derya fell deeply and obsessively in love with Tarkan.
• Tarkan’s father, Bayar Altan, was the King of the Altans but died before Tarkan’s birth. (See Doc, 87)

---

Willpower and Power Dynamics​

In this world, willpower determines strength, magic, and even lifespan. A lack of willpower can render even the mightiest abilities ineffective.

• Derya: Her willpower is the purest and strongest of all characters. By the end of the series, she is unmatched in power, capable of rewriting history itself.
• Tarkan: A highly ambitious character (blood-red eyes). Despite his immense potential, he struggles with controlling his ambition, which ultimately leads to his corruption.
• Dimer: Second only to Derya in power, Dimer becomes a heralder and god/king of the universe, shaping Earth for the long-awaited future heaven.

---

The Darkest Night​

The Darkest Night is a cosmic phenomenon when the boundaries between gods, mortals, and fate blur. It marks the moment in time after which the final form of Earth and its corresponding heaven can no longer be altered.

• It is said to be the night when the moon and sun will vanish from the sky, leaving the world in absolute darkness. This event signifies that the gods and their vassals have one chance to craft their vision of the future. Once the Darkest Night passes, the Earth and heaven will become fixed, and no further changes can be made.

The three main characters—Tarkan, Derya, and Dimer—are destined to play pivotal roles in shaping the outcome during this critical event.
In turn Tarkan takes the moon from the sky, and Derya takes the sun. (See Doc 37)

---

Eye Color Symbolism​

• Amber: Represents the ambition of gods.
• Blood Red: Signifies immense ambition (e.g., Tarkan, Altan).
• Green: Represents serving others in various interpretations.
• Cobalt Blue: Represents self-serving nature.

---

The Prophecy and Climactic Moments​

A prophecy foretells a flame of life that will bring renewal to Earth. The climax of the story revolves around:

1. Tarkan’s Corruption:
   • Tarkan must take Tah’s amber eyes to gain the strength needed for the final battle. However, the power corrupts him, and he freezes time, planning to slaughter all of humanity to create a future heaven where he exists alone.
   • He ultimately kills Tah to prove his worth, taking on the god’s role.
2. Derya’s Sacrifice:
   • Despite her love for Tarkan, Derya is the only one unaffected by his time freeze due to her unmatched willpower. She battles him, burning away the remnants of humanity’s destruction to leave Earth pure and untouched, fulfilling the prophecy.
   • The Earth has been stained by eons of fighting and battles, its lands littered with the corpses of the past. Derya’s flames cleanse it all, erasing the scars of war and destruction, leaving the Earth beautiful and pristine.
   • Derya’s flames bring life back to the barren Earth, but at the cost of killing Tarkan, the one she loves most.
3. Dimer’s Choice:
   • Dimer, capable of breaking the time freeze, chooses not to interfere. He understands that this final battle must happen to shape the future. He watches as Derya and Tarkan perish, carrying the burden of their sacrifices into the future.

---

The Role of the First Human​

A dream from the first human is passed down through lifetimes, foretelling the Earth’s transformation into the final form of heaven. Ylith works toward this vision, entrusting Dimer to bring it to fruition.

---

Final Battle​

• The final battle is the place where it all began (i.e the place where the first human became a tree (see doc 4)
• Everyone important is here including, Ichigo, Karasu, Amaya, Aelar, Derya, Tarkan, Dimer
• They defeat the final enemy (not really a villian) and at this point Tarkan finally submits to his eyes and takes the crown and skeleton which are meant for Dimer
• Tarkan freezes time to kill everyone so in the heaven that comes he will be the only person there, the final king
• Derya is unaffected by this and right before killing him starts the cleansing flame
• Derya kills Tarkan swiftly and she burns herself away along with Tarkan leaving behind nothing
• Dimer is watching all of this unfold and at last the Darkest Night is over, he becomes the king of the universe, or the Sundering King

---

Final Outcomes​

• Dimer becomes the heralder, shaping Earth into the heaven all have long awaited. (He lives for billions of years, see Doc 2)
• Tarkan becomes the king of the heavens but succumbs to his ambition and is defeated.
• Derya fulfills the prophecy, cleansing Earth with her flames, leaving it untouched and beautiful

This is a very rough overview of my story that I made before while showing it to publishers, this doesn't include much detail, my story as of now spans over 500 pages on google docs, not including any notes on obsidian. Also this is the tital for my series, not my books alone. That is a whole other can of worms I've stayed away from.

 

[pmmg]

How about "The Flame of Life".

 

[makingabook123]

How about "The Flame of Life".

I don't believe this can be used as a series title (I should've pointed this out before.) Derya's flame can be both discriminatory and indiscriminate. While it is used as a flame of life or a cleansing flame at the end of the story, there are other parts in the story where she uses it on a global scale that differ far from that flame of life or flame of cleansing.

 

[Diana Silver]

Like pmmg, I feel that given the core role of fire, it would make sense for it to center in the title, too...

"Her Fire Ends Dreaming" - is my stab at it.

(It's multi-interpretable! ^.^ )

 

[pmmg]

Children of Moon and Sun

Fire for the Moon

The Purest Flame

Fire in the Eyes of Time....


just guessin now.

 

[makingabook123]

I won't claim any deep insights or expeirence in how titles should be, so what follows is completely my personal opinion...

All of the titles feel quite wordy. Like you're trying to do too much at once.
For instance, I think I would be quite intrigued by a hypothetical title that reads "Blood of the Sun". This invokes a single clear image that makes we wonder, how the Sun can bleed, what is meant exactly, how the book will illustrate this image. If you add 'and Moon', the whole thing becomes more fuzzy, the image less clear, so my curiosity is triggered less.

I think each snippet from your original titles conveys a more focused image than the composite phrases...
Blood of the Moon
First Dream
Last breath
First Echo...?

Though I'm not sure if you see what I mean or agree at all

You make good points but the thing is is that this is a series title which I should've pointed out and on top of that it would technically make sense if it was either The Blood of the Moon or The Blood of the Sun, but not in the way I would want it. I want it to reflect the whole entire narrative instead of the harm caused by both Tarkan and Derya.

interesting suggestions though thank you!

 

[JBCrowson]

Having read your themes / ideas above, and that this is to be a series name that captures the three main characters, how about
"Ambition, Will, Flame", With possible book names within the series of "The Eyes of Ambition", "The Purest of Wills", "A Heaven Born in Flames"

 

[makingabook123]

Having read your themes / ideas above, and that this is to be a series name that captures the three main characters, how about
"Ambition, Will, Flame", With possible book names within the series of "The Eyes of Ambition", "The Purest of Wills", "A Heaven Born in Flames"

I'd have to think about the series name but I really did like the book names. Does sound like really good names that I will probably 100% use at least two of those.

 

[JBCrowson]

I'd have to think about the series name but I really did like the book names. Does sound like really good names that I will probably 100% use at least two of those.

Awesome, glad to be of help. Good luck writing them.

 

[Daan Doornbos]

Perhaps I misread, but it seems to me this 'willpower' is at the heart of things. Ambition is a theme (and power) but there will always be something driving the ambition. Some pain or experience. And if I understand correctly from your summary, that's the 'willpower', right?

Concerning the poll earlier on, the first or third option sound best.