This will be a little different. I will Podcast this Blog as will this week, and see how it works out. You can see the Podcast at
Titles,
or a title, are imperative to any story or novel. As long as there has been
books there has been titles. But why? Why as a living race need titles to thingamajigs?
How is this so important to reader, your book, and yourself? Sit back, get
excited like the time the Firefighters fought to save your house for burning,
found your answering machine that had a message form your agent, and all you
heard is that your agent just called you.
Titles.
Let’s look at the words. Titles are names that identifies a book, make you sigh
or screamed at a movie, a song, recognized a painting, categorize musical
arrangement, and other literacy or artistic work. But it also does something a little bit more
important when you see a title.
It clasps your mind, and
halts the grind of your daily life.
Grass, Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles, Air, Dungeons and Dragons, Rocks, A Farewell To Arms, Beer, Alanis
Morissette, Spider-man, and the Staff in the Stone.
These
titles are tired to emotions, response, and pull on the heart of life. They
remind you of a time that has come, or has yet to come. For example, when the
radio DJ blares out a name of some artist, you think of titles of songs that
this Artist has. You wonder, will it be your favorite song? Y’know the title of
that song. That’s very important to anything we do as humans. We categories
things we hate and like with titles. With a title of your story, you set the
mood. Spider-man, Superman, Lord of the Rings, are titles that set the tone of
the story. The Staff in the Stone. My book’s title. What does it tell you? I
bet just the title itself will tell you what my story could be.
So,
beside the title of your story that will set the tone of your story, what does
a title do for you?
Ever watch the news, read a newspaper, and you
see a mononym? A single name. They use words like student, I, you, person, and
such other nouns to catch your attention, to bring you into their story. The
student burns the chapel, you are being warned about a virus, a teacher has sex
with a student, and a gorilla grows three feet taller and makes milkshakes.
You've seen it.
But, let’s change those mononym.
Lucas burns the chapel, Lucas warns you about a virus, Lucas
has sex with a teacher and a student at the same time, Lucas grows three feet
taller and makes you a milkshake.
Let’s change it again.
Michael Bay burns the chapel, The Pope warns you about a
virus, Rowdy Downy Jr. has sex and laughs about a teacher having sex, Master
Chief grows three feet taller and makes you a milkshake.
The story has changed.
I always hated the news for not using people’s name. They slap
in a noun, a verb, and we get a story. Like your name is not important enough to
effect the story.
Let’s take it to the next step.
Here is ABC top news
story: 7 NJ school Football players charged in Hazing. Ebola Patient had 103
degree when released from hospital, Women exonerated, freed after 17 years in
prison. Who are these people? I do not
know. Does it matter? No, but they are titles to a story.
Let’s change it again.
Lucas is a football player; charged in hazing. Lucas had 103
degrees when he was released from the hospital, Lucas exonerated, freed after
17 years in prison. Who am I? You kind of know who I am. But, it’s a name.
Changes the fact that I am not just some random person. I’m getting ahead of
myself here. Again, the story has
changed.
Let’s change it again.
Michael Bay is a football player; charged in hazing. The pope
had 103 degree temperature, Sonic the Hedgehog exonerated, freed after 17 years
of bad video games. Sorry, I would follow the trend of RJ’s name, but Iron man
would or could not be jailed.
Titles mean
everything
A name changes everything. Having your name instead of a “I,
you, student, person, teacher, and ect.”, will place an emotional charge to
that. A face, an idea, and you want to be that. You want your name, and not
just “Author” or “Writer” I want a newspaper to read Lucas Charlston is
awesome, and everyone will know it’s about a novel.
So, what’s my point? Beside a title for a book, you should
now get the idea that you are the title of the book. It all leads to this.
As a writer, I figure
you can be three title people:
1.
1.) Can
I do this? This person has the title of the dreamer. This person wishes to be a
writer or an author. He or she questions there placement in life. Can they be a writer? Is my story good? Every
writer will has been at this stage. That question will be the first of a choice
of many. This person will be judge by
that choice he or she make from that question, and looks at itself, and that’s
a question we all must face. If we burn away all worthless information that we
need for that choice, we are left with a pure product. The choice, for all
time. You have this, you have a choice to do whatever you want. But the choice cannot
be absolute. Being the dreamer doesn’t mean your excepted dream will come true,
and may never be. Do not assume your decisions means you are going to be that;
however, do not subscribe to fear. Do not fear what you can be. Keep living
life. Keep saying, can I do this? Can I write? These people have the title of
the dreamers. Always dream. Even if you think you have made the wrong choice,
you got to always think that making the wrong choice is a challenges to
overcome, and not an obstacles to avoid.
2. 2) I can do this! This person has the title of the writer. He or she who have
condemn themselves to the slavery of the word and the will. Although that
sounds terrible, I always like to think of it as something as simple as a common
cold. It just happens. You catch a cold. You catch the writing bug. Now you are
going to keep on writing, for the rest of your know life. That means you can
write, you can be an author, I can do this! That is what you will have to say
when you are a write, because you will come face to face with trouble. Being a
writer means you will have little money, so you will have financial issues. If
you are not good at grammar, you may have to go to school for years. You still
need to eat, and when you eat you are taken away from your writing. Family and
parents not understanding why you write, and not become a doctor. You do not
want sex anymore, death of a love one, loneliness, and depression. Yet, we can
look at all those trouble in the face, and say I can do this.
3. 3.) I am this. This is the most powerfulest saying ever. And the title of an Author.
I am this. I am electrician. I am an Xbox tester. I am a man. I am a women. I
am the best soccer player. I am an author. This is the most important thing to
say. I am an author. This is what you say when look in the mirror, and you got
to say it. I am an author, and believe in it. I know it sounds childish, but it
empowers the idea of who you are in your head. This is a secret to many, and a
simple choice for some. This person title is the Author, and not just a novel.
Author of their own story, and the author of any choice they make. That’s where
I stand, I tell everyone, and anyone. I am Lucas Charlston, I am an Author. I
do not stray from it, I do not say maybe. I say it with a straight face.
Because I know, I am an Author. Think about it. Saying you are an author; I am
author. This saying leads you to a life of these words: I am this. You get to see
your own immortally by saying this. You see how long it takes to make your
dreams come true, and not choosing a life that is an easy choice. You get to
see how fragile life is, and how important each moment is as you walk down the
path of, “I am this.” So, you do no drift through your life. With the plan of
going to one interview, to the next agent, to the next writing convention, and
you say “I am this”, and rock out like a rock star. You will seize all the opportunities
knowing that you are an author, and not just a writer. You will show the world
that you are, I am this. You got to learn to risk it all, to not play it safe.
And to get noticed by every single person that you and me meet.
So,
there you have it. A title is not just for your book. It is just important for
yourself. I am Lucas Charlston, Author.
Keep on writing.