My first book is done. But now comes the tricky part: coming up with an appropriate title.
For the duration of the writing, I’ve been calling it Boy Privilege, which was inspired by The White Boy Shuffle, by Paul Beatty. However, not only is my book nothing like Beatty’s (which is fucking brilliant) the character’s privilege isn’t really the focus of the narrative. I’ve got to come up with something better. I’m currently rolling with Sibling Rebellions, because it fits the plot, and I like the sound of it, but it is kinda hard to say, no?
Now, there’s lots of advice out there about titles, but I prefer Steve Almond’s in his collection of essays, This Won’t Take a Minute Honey: “The best ones arise organically, from the language of a piece.”
So, if you decide to read some of the chapters posted here, your advice is worth its weight in gold. Otherwise, just read the query letter, and let me know.
Or fuck it, just pick your favorite. Which one would you pick up in the Denver airport when you were snowed in and looking forward to a long night sleeping in a shoe-shine chair (if you’re lucky)
Here’s the brainstorm list:
The Mountain’s Children, Battles in the Cascades, Second Visions, Revolutionary Sight, Civil Siblings, Civil Collapse, Apocalypse’s End, Rebel Siblings
Family in Readiness, Central Processing, Caught in the Collapse, Family Vengeance, Guilt Work, Guilt Platter, Long Homecoming, Journey to the Next Sight, Sibling Cascade, Vengeance Cascade, Infinite Cascade, Family Work, Sight Witness
Sibling’s Collapse, Boy Northwest, In the Shadow of the Mountain, Next Sight, Sibling Rivalry, Sibling Rebellions
Or come up with your own and let me know! Then you’ll get a mention on the thank yous page.
Leonard Crosby 