The Importance of Titles by Janet Gurtler

by Jan Lewis

Confession. When I first started writing HOW I LOST YOU, I titled it, Buds Before Studs. That’s probably about as bad as a book title can be. I am ashamed. I hang my head. But, in my defense and from experience, I knew that the good folks at Sourcebooks Fire would come up with a better title for me. And. They did. Thanks goodness.

I’ve written about how much I SUCK at titles before. In fact, I suck really badly. Every single book I’ve had published hasn’t been published under the title I picked. So I guess I’ve kind of accepted this about myself. And sometimes it’s good to accept our flaws and let other people do the things that we’re not so great at. Right? Right! So when I titled the book Buds Before Studs, it was with the knowledge that it would get a good title, a real title, from the book pro’s.

The term “Buds Before Studs” came from me trying to think up an equivalent to the (kind of offensive) term for boys putting each other before their same sex friends, “Bro’s Before Ho’s.” It wasn’t until I had lunch with some writer friends and I brought up my new “Buds Before Studs” idea, that I learned there was already a term in place. Sisters Before Misters. So I used that in the book too, but I liked mine as well. BBS. Feel free to use it. Wink wink.

So, the essence of the book is in both titles. The good one, aka, the one on the cover HOW I LOST YOU, and the other one, well, mine. How I Lost You is a story about two girls who are best best friends. They put each other first. Before Boys. At least they’re supposed to. Until it starts to become destructive. And then both girls have to decide what to do.

This is a book for everyone who’s ever had a best friend. The good times. The rough times. And for anyone who’s ever had to take a stand and realize that sometimes we have to learn to put ourselves first. It’s for everyone who’s ever had to think about letting go. It’s not an easy thing to think about. Losing a best friend. It’s not easy to realize that sometimes best friends aren’t forever.

And I think that is what HOW I LOST YOU conveys really well. The essence of the book. I’m learning that book titles are meant to convey a message to potential readers. And that maybe I need to rethink how I describe the essence of the book. Of course, I am also super lucky that I have an experience group of book professionals in my corner. I’ve learned to embrace that there are some things I am not the best at, and that’s okay.

Sometimes it’s easier to accept that you (and by that I mean me) might not be good at something (like coming up with book titles) and that letting others with more experience guide you is okay.

For those of you who are writers, who don’t have the luxury of a publisher in their corner, I guess the best idea is to think about the message of the book. Why your readers want to pick it up. For those of you, who are readers, think about what it is about book titles that intrigues you. Oh, and please feel free to send me suggestions for my next book currently titled, Book # 6 *Grin*

About the Author

Like all of us, Janet is different things to different people. Mom. Sister. Auntie. Wife. Daughter. Cousin. Friend. And she loves all of her roles especially Mom, but at the end of the day, when she is all alone with herself drifting off to sleep, she is Writer.

Her road to author was a little windy. While in college, she worked as a DJ in a night club. She likes to tell people that because it makes her sound cooler than she is. After college she worked as an advertising copywriter for radio and then TV and eventually was lured over to sales and marketing. She missed writing though and years later (always a late bloomer was she) after having her son, she started my first book. She’s been writing books ever since and once she started writing YA, felt like she’d found her way home.

She can block out almost anything when she’s deep inside a story. Writing one or reading one. Books continue to be something she turns to when she’s happy or sad or tired or wide awake. You get the picture right 🙂

Janet’s Website
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About the Book

There are a few things Grace Anderson knows for sure. One is that nothing will ever come between her and her best friend, Kya Kessler. They have a pact. Buds Before Studs. Sisters Before Misters. But in the summer before senior year, life throws out challenges they never expected. And suddenly the person who’s always been there starts to need the favor returned. Grace and Kya are forced to question how much a best friend can forgive. And the answer is not what they expected.

Buy How I Lost You on Amazon
Find How I Lost You on Goodreads

Jan Lewis

Jan Lewis writes YA fantasy of the contemporary and traditional varieties. She lives in Oklahoma with a husband, two kids, two cats, a dog, and a mother. Instead of unpublished, she prefers to call herself pre-published. While she enjoys drafting, her heart is truly in rewriting and editing. She loves ladybugs, fairies, blue roses, cats, musical theater, and pretty much all things geek.

Post © Jan Lewis and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Apr 23, 2013

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: Craft of Writing

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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