Title problems - a poll or two

[mary_j_59]

Okay - I grant you, there are very few people in the world who have actually read my books! But this isn't about content. It's just about titles, and what you think is evocative or interesting. So here are a  couple of polls.

My first book for which I'm seeking an agent and/or publisher is literary YA SF. The working title is HONOR. It's a pretty good title, I think; it gets at what motivates the MC and drives his actions. But it's also just a little generic, perhaps. So-
[Poll #1959242]

Comments

[amanda mccrina (from livejournal.com)]

While I definitely prefer "A Drive of Dragons" for the second title, I'm genuinely conflicted on the first. I love one-word titles, and I love the simplicity and strength of "Honor." You're right; it succinctly encapsulates what drives your MC. And possibly I'm a little sentimentally attached to it, since it was "Honor" when I first read it.

I voted for "Longsword" because it has the same one-word "punch" and because I think it is less generic and more attention-grabbing. And I think it ties in very well with the theme and action of the book. My one concern, thinking about it, is that "Honor" more readily implies "literary sci-fi" and not "actiony sci-fi." But then there *is* action and tension in the story, and it's not a lie to promise that.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Amanda! For what it's worth, i feel exactly the way you do. I definitely prefer "A Drive of Dragons", and "Honor" would be my first choice for the SF novel - but "Longsword" would be a close second. Deirdre and I both love "The Five Blows" - both the story and the way it works itself out in the novel - but I think it's far too obscure for a novel title.

Thanks for your comment.