I think I've come up with the final solution for the titles of These Roman Stories. (Thanks need to go out to Keanan Brand, who reminded me of things I already knew.) The three extant stories will be called:
Sunset at the End of Empire
Storm Clouds at the End of Empire
Fire and Blood at the End of Empire
'Fire and Blood' now has a thousand word opening scene that I rolled out this morning. It is set in Rome a few years after the second story and it contains angry mobs, angry priests, and angry Praetorian Guards. That, my friends, is the quickest way I know to get both fire and blood.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
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6 comments:
1. With all due respect to Keanan, those are good titles. However, they are a tad clunky and don't roll off the tongue easily.
2. Could I suggest that you rearrange the order of the titles? It seems to me that 'Storm Clouds' would be better as the first title. In the natural world, they are the harbingers of 'trouble ahead/But where there's moonlight and music and love and romance/Let's face the music and dance' (sorry, got carried away there); then 'sunset' (onset of darkness and first faint stirrings of unease and anxiety); followed by 'fire and blood' (dramatic against a backdrop of darkness with the suggestion of panic, terror, rage etc).
3. Ergo, I would like to suggest the following revision:
Fall of Empire: Storm Clouds
Fall of Empire: Darkling Sunset
Fall of Empire: Fire and Blood
4. it contains angry mobs, angry priests, and angry Praetorian Guards. That, my friends, is the quickest way I know to get both fire and blood.
Throw into the mixture petrol shortages, rising food and energy prices, a credit crunch, falling property values, indecisive national leaders and, boy, have you got a potent mix!
I like Seren's suggestions. With "Fall of Empire" at the front, there's some cohesion added, and an immediate clue that these stories are a series.
(Note: I didn't tell Jeff WHAT to title his stuff, just passed along some guidelines I'd read last week.)
Hmmm... Just when I thought things were getting easier.
Hmmm... Just when I thought things were getting easier.
They are mon ami. Keanan gave you some invaluable advice about titles which you acted on and put into practice. I evaluated, reflected and came up with some further suggestions - which you are free to reject. :-) What could be easier?
It would be easier if your suggestion sucked.
You know I never ever ever give sucky suggestions. :P
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