Challenge Fifty Titles in Search of a Story | We have a winner! Congrats to divapilot :)

What is your first reaction to your title? Do you feel inspired, uninspired, intrigued, mystified?

I love it. It's a great title and a wonderful idiomatic expression as well.

Did a particular plot bunny pop into your head?
Hmmm. Nope. But it didn't derail the kinds of bunnies I would like to pursue.

Does the title evoke themes that you usually write or would like to write?
Yes, those I usually write, but expanded in greater depth and detail as to how characters change over time.

Do you already have an idea of the sort of story you want to write for it (genre, era, fandom, etc)? Or would you rather let it mature a bit?
Not a solid one. But it'll be fun to have an aha! that would work! moment.

Do you think it’s a good title, and why?
It's a good title because it's broad enough without limiting the content or themes.

Are you curious to read the work it was borrowed from, or have you already read it? Do you think that being familiar with the work in question is/would be helpful, or is it a hindrance? Why?
I did some years ago. Knowing the work it's based on isn't necessarily a help or a hindrance - the plot bunny(ies) will spring irregardless of the original.

 

What is your first reaction to your title? Do you feel inspired, uninspired, intrigued, mystified?
It's an amazing title and I have no idea what to do with it.

Did a particular plot bunny pop into your head?
Something about Jedi-
Also Stormtroopers and decimation (Roman decimation, that is)

Does the title evoke themes that you usually write or would like to write?
Not normally. I haven't read the book, so I'm not sure what other themes are explored, but I know I'm awful at mystery.

Do you already have an idea of the sort of story you want to write for it (genre, era, fandom, etc)? Or would you rather let it mature a bit?
Probably gonna' sit on this one for a bit.

Do you think it’s a good title, and why?
It is - got me wanting to read the book right away.

Are you curious to read the work it was borrowed from, or have you already read it? Do you think that being familiar with the work in question is/would be helpful, or is it a hindrance? Why?
Going to let any ideas I may have come out on their own. I feel like if I read the book now, I'd end up trying to write something similar.

 

What is your first reaction to your title? Do you feel inspired, uninspired, intrigued, mystified?
A mixture of and

Did a particular plot bunny pop into your head?
Not really. I might use a character I created 10 years ago, but I am not sure if she is strong enough to sustain a story.

Does the title evoke themes that you usually write or would like to write?
No.

Do you already have an idea of the sort of story you want to write for it (genre, era, fandom, etc)? Or would you rather let it mature a bit?
I'm going to have to think about it, 'cause right now....yeah, I got nothin'.

Do you think it’s a good title, and why?
I don't know yet.

Are you curious to read the work it was borrowed from, or have you already read it? Do you think that being familiar with the work in question is/would be helpful, or is it a hindrance? Why?
I wasn't familiar with it, so I looked it up. It is not the kind of story I usually read, and I don't think I would enjoy it. It's also not the kind of story I would write, as it seems heavily metaphorical and somewhat violent.

 

What is your first reaction to your title? Do you feel inspired, uninspired, intrigued, mystified?
The title is Season of Migration to the North. Literally, my first reaction was an image of geese flying north in the spring. But migration doesn't necessarily have to be of nature; people migrate too. Then I started thinking of the idea of season (something that comes around every year) and of the North (cold, snow, alpine conditions). I don't know how I feel about it.

Did a particular plot bunny pop into your head?
No. It doesn't really work that way for me. I usually start with an image of a character doing something then I go from there. Why is she doing this? How will her actions affect those around her? So no plot bunny, I'm afraid.

Does the title evoke themes that you usually write or would like to write?
In a way. It seems introspective; a quiet kind of title. This is not an action or high energy kind of thing but more of a title that lends itself to personal relationships.

Do you already have an idea of the sort of story you want to write for it (genre, era, fandom, etc)? Or would you rather let it mature a bit?
I don't know where this will take me, other than it will probably be a serious drama and it will be introspective.

Do you think it’s a good title, and why?
Titles are neither good or bad. It is how they reflect the ideas that makes them so. Working from a title is kind of going at it from the ending first for me. Often the title is one of the last things I come up with. It's like I have the punch line and now I have to create the joke.

Are you curious to read the work it was borrowed from, or have you already read it? Do you think that being familiar with the work in question is/would be helpful, or is it a hindrance? Why?
I think I would like to read it after I write my own thing, just to see if the author and I thought the same way. I googled it; it is actually Sudanese (I was thinking middle eastern). There are lots of cheat websites available so it must be used in schools. I don't think reading it would help any for my work. I don't want to write a fan fic of this particular novel. I want to take the image and translate it into the GFFA.

And now, as I think about this, I am getting a vibe of a post-purge Jedi (another OC) trying to stay alive and find a new life. So maybe that.

 

What is your first reaction to your title? Do you feel inspired, uninspired, intrigued, mystified?
I'm definitely intrigued by it. Titles alone don't necessarily inspire me more than the contents do, but this one has gotten me thinking again.

Did a particular plot bunny pop into your head?
I already had one that has yet to be written due to various things. But this title works perfectly with what I plan to do, so it'll help me with writing this fic.

Does the title evoke themes that you usually write or would like to write?

You could say that. I guess we'll see where this one goes.

Do you already have an idea of the sort of story you want to write for it (genre, era, fandom, etc)? Or would you rather let it mature a bit?
A bit of both. I have a base idea to work from. But as I've found with other fics I've written, those base ideas can spawn off into other ideas. I've had fics that I thought would cap at around 3-4 pages' worth mushroom into 20+ pages. So we'll see.

Do you think it’s a good title, and why? (see also here and here for discussions about titles)
For what I plan to do, I like it. Y'all will see why.

Are you curious to read the work it was borrowed from, or have you already read it? Do you think that being familiar with the work in question is/would be helpful, or is it a hindrance? Why?I looked both the author and the novel up via Wiki, and it's interesting. It gave me an idea of what the author was going for with the title, but I'd prefer to let my writing do its own talking. Familiarity with the work could potentially make me want to tailor my writing to fit the novel, instead of being my own voice.

 

What is your first reaction to your title? Do you feel inspired, uninspired, intrigued, mystified?
My title is Our Kind of Traitor. My first reaction to the title was positive. I didn't know immediately what to do with it, but I felt like it had potential.

Did a particular plot bunny pop into your head?
I have a few ideas. One is more fully formed than the others. It was an old plot bunny I jotted down notes for a few years ago. It would work really well with this title. I'm still thinking though. There's another bunny that's very small at the moment but intriguing.

Does the title evoke themes that you usually write or would like to write?
Definitely. I like writing grey characters, good characters in morally tricky situations, or bad characters whose situation isn't so clear cut. This title basically screams for that kind of thing.

Do you already have an idea of the sort of story you want to write for it (genre, era, fandom, etc)? Or would you rather let it mature a bit?
I have ideas, but I don't want to nail anything down yet.

Do you think it’s a good title, and why? (see also here and here for discussions about titles)
I think it's good. It's basic. There's nothing overly flowery or complicated about it. That means readers can have a good idea what they're getting into for the title, and I don't have to try stuffing in unneeded twists or symbolism to make it relevant. I really like straight forward titles.

Are you curious to read the work it was borrowed from, or have you already read it? Do you think that being familiar with the work in question is/would be helpful, or is it a hindrance? Why?
I never read it. I googled it and it sounds like something I'd read. I think it's better I'm not familiar with it though. I don't want to be boxed in constantly thinking of the book. It's better that I just work with the title. I can be more open-minded that way.

 

Could I get #12 please?

 

Am I allowed to drop out at any time? I'm not sure if I will have time to write because of school, and my stories always seem to end up very short. But anyways I'll choose #5.

 

What is your first reaction to your title? Do you feel inspired, uninspired, intrigued, mystified?
It's not bad Leaves a lot to be worked with and is very flexible, which fits my needs.

Did a particular plot bunny pop into your head?
Nope, I already had one in mind. But I can work this title in with it!

Does the title evoke themes that you usually write or would like to write?
Sort of...? Action/Adventure is usually what I write, but vastly different characters than I used to write.

Do you already have an idea of the sort of story you want to write for it (genre, era, fandom, etc)? Or would you rather let it mature a bit?
Yep! I've got a loose plot-line already! A bit more brainstorming than I should be ready to go!

Do you think it’s a good title, and why?
Like I said, it's not too bad It definitely sparked a bit more plot-line which I consider a good thing.

Are you curious to read the work it was borrowed from, or have you already read it? Do you think that being familiar with the work in question is/would be helpful, or is it a hindrance? Why?​

I've never read (or even heard of) this work before, so I'm definitely curious to know what it's from. I think it would be neutral, as I'm pretty good about separating things like this.​

 

Could I get #21? I'll try to do something....

 

My Title: The End of Eternity

What is your first reaction to your title? Do you feel inspired, uninspired, intrigued, mystified?
My reaction was: Ooohhhh....
I'm very intrigued. It's a title that could go many different ways and could lead to all sorts of stories. It doesn't feel too confining, yet isn't so broad that it's too open either. I love it!

Did a particular plot bunny pop into your head?
Not particularly, but partly because I didn't let it. I've got to finish something else in the next few days before I can allow myself to really think on it. That being said, if something just pops up, I'll certainly consider it.

Does the title evoke themes that you usually write or would like to write?
Oh yeah! It certainly could go to the angsty, drama that I tend to write, so that's great!

Do you already have an idea of the sort of story you want to write for it (genre, era, fandom, etc)?
Nope. I didn't want to have a preconceived notion of what story I wanted to write before I got my title. I usually let the title come at the end of a story and I wanted the challenge of setting a story to the title. It's risky, especially since I tend to write shorter stories, but I felt it would work better for me that way. So I'm going to let it mature a bit.

Do you think it’s a good title, and why?

I think it's an excellent title. It gives a sense of wonder: The end has to start somewhere, where does it start? Why is it the end of eternity? Is it a personal end, or a literal one? The title asks many questions and that can be very inspirational.

Are you curious to read the work it was borrowed from, or have you already read it? Do you think that being familiar with the work in question is/would be helpful, or is it a hindrance? Why?
I know it's an Asimov, and I've read some of his works, but not this one. I don't think I'll read it first for the same reason I don't read other fanfics of challenges that I want to participate in(at least ones where people are writing from the same prompt): my brain will use things I've read and start to go from there and I won't know which ideas are mine and which I used from someone else, which is something I don't want to do. If I'm stuck on an idea, I might read the basic synopsis of the Asimov story to try and get some ideas, but that will be a last resort for me.

 

Welcome s_heffley, Katana_Sundancer and LadyPadme ! I added you to the list and you should all have received a PM from the sock as well.

You'll burn in the fires of Mustafar if you drop out

But no, seriously, if you weren't allowed to drop out, it would stop being a hobby and would turn into a chore. Just do what works for you

EDIT: Shira A'dola I just realised that there is virtually nothing about The Invisible Company on the English-language web and apparently it was never translated to English either. It's a play by Greek playwright Iakovos Kambanellis. If you want more details at some point let me know and I'll write up a summary for you (though I'd need to re-read it, I saw it only once in the theatre in the late 1980s).

 

My title: The Sound and the Fury

What is your first reaction to your title? Do you feel inspired, uninspired, intrigued, mystified?
My first reaction - What have I gotten myself into? Followed shortly by - If I give up a New Year's resolution at 2am on Jan 1 would that set some sort of record?

Did a particular plot bunny pop into your head?
No - I already had the general idea of what I want to write. I knew that was a bit risky, but I thought I would be able to work with almost any title. Now I'm not so sure.

Does the title evoke themes that you usually write or would like to write?
No.

Do you already have an idea of the sort of story you want to write for it (genre, era, fandom, etc)? Or would you rather let it mature a bit?
See above. I already have an idea in mind and I don't know if I can work with that idea and this title. As much as I'd like to participate in the workshop, I don't think I can handle writing a story with my given title at this time.

Do you think it’s a good title, and why? (see also here and here for discussions about titles)
It's very unique. I think most people have heard the title/quote before, but I'm not sure if they really know what it means (I certainly don't).

Are you curious to read the work it was borrowed from, or have you already read it? Do you think that being familiar with the work in question is/would be helpful, or is it a hindrance? Why?
I looked up the novel and the Shakespeare quote. The novel doesn't sound like a story I would like. I don't think being familiar would be a help or a hindrance. I suppose if I was interested in writing with the same themes, it might be helpful to see how they played out in the published works. Since I don't intend to use the same themes, I don't think reading the published works would have any impact on my story.


As you may be able to tell from my answers, I think I might be dropping out of the competition. Is it possible to throw back a title? Or to adjust the title a little (for example, The Sound of Fury or Fury and Sound)? (I don't know if adjusting the title would help me, I'm asking more out of curiosity.)

 

My title: One Thousand and One Nights

What is your first reaction to your title? Do you feel inspired, uninspired, intrigued, mystified?
I felt uninspired because it didn't really fit with the story I had in mind.

Did a particular plot bunny pop into your head?
Not really. I have some ideas, but none that I absolutely need to turn into a story.

Does the title evoke themes that you usually write or would like to write?
I usually like to write action based stories. This title seems more fitting for an adventure story rather than just pure action like I usually write.

Do you already have an idea of the sort of story you want to write for it (genre, era, fandom, etc)? Or would you rather let it mature a bit?
Genre- Adventure
Era- If I choose Star Wars for the fandom it will be set during the Clone Wars or The Old Republic era.
Fandom: Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. Lord of the Rings may be easier because there is less canon to follow (I'm not doing AU). But I know the lore of Star Wars, so I'm not sure yet

Do you think it’s a good title, and why? (see also here and here for discussions about titles)
I think it's a good title. Not for the original action story I had in mind, but the adventure story will work well with it.

Are you curious to read the work it was borrowed from, or have you already read it? Do you think that being familiar with the work in question is/would be helpful, or is it a hindrance? Why?
I read the summaries of some of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights(Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor). Reading these is what gave me the idea to make this an adventure. It is helpful, I can try and include elements from these into my story.

 

s_heffley Sorry to drop in, but the title sort of matches the length of Clone Wars themselves.

 

Oh yeah. I was thinking about that earlier but it completely escaped my mind when typing that. It will probably be set in the Old Republic Era then.

 

Glad I reminded you, if so. I shall be...watching your career with great interest.

 

Yikes Tarsier, that bad? Are you sure that you looked at the title from all possible angles already? It's not a set expression like, for instance, "Much Ado about Nothing", so I would think it gives you quite some leeway for interpretation. Would you like to have a collective brainstorming session about it? (The question also applies to other participants who are feeling a bit stumped for now.)

As for changing your title and/or transforming it, I'd like to hear other participants' opinions but my first reaction would be no. My idea for this challenge was that the title is each writer's prompt and I think (hope?) that this was relatively clear in the rules. It was a bit of a gamble to ask for a title when you already have a specific story in mind, and it was bound to work for some people but not for others. At any rate, since this is a challenge as well as a workshop, I think it would be unfair to change the rules once the game is on (plus, I'm not too sure how I would manage a situation where someone picks a second title and it doesn't work either).

However, I don't have a definite opinion about this, and I'll bow to the wishes of the majority, so I'll wait for everyone to chime in.

 

Chyntuck I'm not opposed to a collective brainstorming, but I don't want to waste anyone's time (at least not any more than I already have). I completely understand not wanting to change the rules, and I'd be reluctant to take a second title even if that was an option, just in case I didn't know what to do with that one either. If need be I shall resign myself to the fires of Mustafar.

Maybe with a few more days consideration something will come to me. I knew it probably wasn't the best idea to come into this challenge with a story in mind, but I've long thought it would be really cool to have a workshop here, and I was perhaps overly excited to participate in that part of it. I know it might just be easier to come up with a brand new story for the challenge, but I've currently got about five stories I'm hoping to work on this year, and I don't want to start another that I'm not super excited about.

 

Tarsier - I have an idea that might help with brainstorming etc. With a title like that, one could think use the title but work on opposite themes to what the title implies, giving a real twist. Or think of themes related to what you feel when someone uses that idiom... Like with mine, when someone says, that's much ado about nothing. I could have my characters get all preoccupied with nonessential things, making mountains out of molehills while ignoring or glossing over the larger picture. Or have them realize what their priorities really are. LOL Like with H/L, one of the most frustrating things is when Leia gets all hung up on political things and then misses crucial family times. Or Luke irritates Mara when he bugs her about training, and she thinks you're pushing this big thing like it matters when what I really want is a relationship.

"Sound and The Fury" makes me think of hectic rushes or battlefronts. Where the characters might or might not be fighting for a worthy cause.

 

Okay everybody, let's come up with ideas for what "The Sound and the Fury" could mean before Tarsier lands herself in the fires of Mustafar and then we have to deal with a dark side cyborg Force-choking people on the boards

I'd suggest a good place to start is thesaurus.com to look up synonyms, antonyms and associated words. I'm really fuzzy about the rules for nominalized adjectives in English, so I don't know if taking "sound" as meaning "good, solid" (as in "a sound reason to do sth") is an option.

Another idea would be to use "Fury" as one of the Furies/Erinyes of Greek/Roman mythology or "sound" in its geographical meaning. I'm sure the disambiguation pages on Wikipedia could give more ideas along these lines.

There's also the good old backup solution of inventing an alien species, or an object, or whatever else suits your needs that would be called "sound" or "fury", or, in the same line of thought, of using "sound" and "fury" as nicknames/codenames for your characters. Come to think of it, it would also make a good name for a secret operation(s), if that applies at all to what you have in mind.

I'm running off to finish my fic-gift now, but I'll be back later tonight or tomorrow with more ideas if my brain cooperates.

PS: In any case, you can participate in the workshop component even if you're not writing a story for this challenge, so even if nothing of this works out I hope we'll be seeing you in this thread.

 

Thanks, Nyota's Heart That is some great insight!

Don't throw me in the fire just yet--after my last post, I may have found a way to make this work (thank the shower muse). I think the key is divorcing the title from the existing work. The theme of the novel and (as I understand it) the meaning of the quote is pretty much the opposite of what I want to write. But I suppose the words "sound" and "fury" could have a place in my story. Still not a title I would ever have chosen, but I suppose that's the challenge, isn't it?

Sorry for all this, I will stop monopolizing the thread now.

Edit: Posted this before I read Chyntuck's post above! Will read that now.

Edit 2: Thanks, Chyntuck ! The synonym suggestion is good - I had considered synonyms, though I had not thought about the Greek Furies. "Sound" and "Fury" as codenames or names for new concepts is also great, I may be able to work that in as well.

 

@Tarsier-- if you expanded on the quote a little: "a tale told by an idiot/ full of sound and fury/ signifying nothing," it make make a good metaphor for political maneuvering or propaganda against the Jedi, Old Republic, New Republic, etc. (I had to memorize that soliloquy in high school )

I would love to jump on the brainstorming bandwagon, too. My title is "Blindness." I'm having trouble coming up with something that grabs me, because all the connotations I can come up with for this title are angsty/melancholy/tragic and that really isn't a genre I enjoy either reading or writing. I know it's supposed to be about broadening experiences, but I don't want to start writing a story that feels like a chore. I've looked up "blind" in the dictionary and nothing is grabbing me. The very thin ideas that have come to me (and none of them really inspire me) are:
- blindness to the Force, either a Jedi who loses their connection to the Force a la Callista (who I dislike, BTW) or the "normal" child in a family of Jedi (this is somewhat interesting, but it's a character sketch, not a story)
- the Miraluka
- "love is blind" (not necessarily positive since it refers to overlooking your loved one's shortcomings or unattractiveness).

 

What is your first reaction to your title? Do you feel inspired, uninspired, intrigued, mystified?
All Quiet on the Western Front...oh geez. I feel confused and a bit lost.

Did a particular plot bunny pop into your head?
Yes, but it won't sustain enough of a story.

Does the title evoke themes that you usually write or would like to write?
Not at all. There's a lot of war themes in my head, but they're historical fiction, not my usual space opera or Trekky themes.

Do you already have an idea of the sort of story you want to write for it (genre, era, fandom, etc)? Or would you rather let it mature a bit?
I know I want to write Doctor Who. Whether that will actually happen or not, I do not know. I'm still going to let it mature before I make the final decision.

Do you think it’s a good title, and why? (see also here and here for discussions about titles)
Not for this. In my personal opinion, it feels too specific and Earthly for any of the options I wanted to do...and I had many.

Are you curious to read the work it was borrowed from, or have you already read it? Do you think that being familiar with the work in question is/would be helpful, or is it a hindrance? Why?
I am familiar with it. So I don't know if it will help or hinder yet.

 

The first thing that came to my mind was the old tale about the blind men and an elephant. Basically, it's about how people draw conclusions based on what they see . . . er . . . understand, even if that understanding is incomplete.

Also, a google search for proverbs about blindness which may or may not help.


Oh dear. I now have an IT plot bunny about a group of untrained Force sensitives and their associates who try to bring back the Jedi Order but without a consensus about what that actually means.