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Emilie Richards | Which comes first, the novel or the title?
June 30, 2009
There is no question that authors are odd. We hear voices in our heads. We
stare blankly at walls for hours, leaving those around us to wonder if we have,
without fanfare, passed away. We save things other people toss out or never
possess in the first place. Real estate circulars. Missing children inserts.
Photographs that show nothing except, perhaps, the curve of a cheek or the shape
of an eye. We keep files. Oh yes, we keep lots and lots of files. Jotted
notes of overheard conversations. Newspaper articles about mortgage fraud.
Three word phrases that might vanish in the night. Authors are almost always asked where our ideas come from. No matter how many
times I'm asked, I'm not annoyed by this question. In fact I can relate.
Myself, I wonder about architects, particularly those who design hotel lobbies
and airports. Where did those ideas originate, and can we please extinguish the
source? Or artists. Take Jackson Pollock. What possessed the man, other than
an urge to pour lots of paint on lots of canvas? For most authors, ideas come from everything. There is no one trigger. For me,
and I hesitate to admit to this, titles are often key. In the case of my newest
novel, Happiness
Key, title was paramount, if not the first thing that set me thinking. The initial inkling that a book was percolating came on a trip down a Cleveland,
Ohio street. I was struck by how much one house looked like the other. All
were nearly identical, then as I drove a little farther, I saw one in the middle
of the block that was completely different. A new facade, unusual landscaping,
a porch where none existed elsewhere. I wondered about the people inside and
the neighbors. I wondered how everyone got along, and what they thought of this
renegade. Fast forward to Happiness
Key, which takes place in Florida, not Ohio. And the houses are not
exactly the same, although they are run down. And there isn't one renegade, but
four women who are all, in their own ways, rebels. Hmm. . . Can you see the
connection? A glimmer? Half a glimmer? Although the Cleveland jaunt was the catalyst for my novel, the moment I
realized I wanted to set this one on Florida's Gulf Coast, where I had grown up,
the book began to change. And ten seconds later, when the title occurred to me,
the novel began to fall in place. Happiness Key.
The key to happiness. What is happiness? How do we find it? How do we ruin
it? And are we even capable of recognizing it when it lies in the palm of our
hands? There is no question authors are odd. Two words can become a novel. Of course
there's a lot of staring at walls in the interim. A lot of files. A lot of
junk piling up on desks. Me, I've given up worrying about how it happens. That
it happens is enough for me. I hope it's enough for my readers. Emilie Richards
EmilieRichards.com
Comments
11 comments posted.
Re: Emilie Richards | Which comes first, the novel or the title?
enjoyed your comments. If I would have seen the houses on that street I'm afraid that my book would have been titles Odd Man Out!
(Karin Tillotson 10:36am June 30, 2009)
As a reader, if the title of a book doesn't catch my interest, I often do not pull it off the shelf. Happiness Key is a title that would get my attention.
(Robin McKay 11:00am June 30, 2009)
Those are deep questions regarding happiness, Emilie. You made me think and you also made me really want to read Happiness Key.
And, no, I think many times we don't recognize happiness when we have it and only miss/recognize happiness when it is gone. Also, we can spend far too long searching for what is right under our nose. Trust me, there are myriad ways to ruin happiness from the very simple to the very complex.
Told you that you made me think!
(Kay Martinez 12:16pm June 30, 2009)
I grew up in Ohio and live in a another part of the country, so I know how different settings can look. Certainly makes for an entirely different feel to a book!
(LuAnn Morgan 12:27pm June 30, 2009)
Emilie, your comments were very interesting. I thought that the title was usually given after the book was written. It is always interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes. Thank you.
(Rosemary Krejsa 1:17pm June 30, 2009)
The title of a book is usually what catches my eye, unless it's by an author that I like to read. Like your comments.
(JoAnn White 5:09pm June 30, 2009)
Titles are important. No question. I'm one of those "odd" authors that has to have the title and write around it. If a publisher wants to change it, it throws me for a loop.
Kay, I've done a lot of thinking (and reading) about happiness since the idea for this book formed. I've asked my readers to tell me with comments on my blogs what makes them happy. Very interesting to think about.
(Emilie Richards 5:45pm June 30, 2009)
The creative process - it can be
surprising how it works. Never seems to
be the same from author to author, and
sometimes for the same author. Sounds
like a good summer read.
(Patricia Barraclough 10:45pm June 30, 2009)
The novel comes first. After getting inot the story line, I believe the author can then pick a title to match what has been written
(Paula Staton 9:07pm July 1, 2009)
I think the author comes up with the title of the novel while writing it. How hard it would be to write a full novel around a title!
(Patsy Hagen 12:33pm July 4, 2009)
I find it interesting that you find a title first since other authors seem to have a lot of problems with them--at least, the publisher often does and sometimes the author asks readers to come up with one.
I've often wondered how to define "happiness," and especially how we can pursue it. For many of us, life is good when we have moments of happiness with a general feeling of contentment. I'm eager to read your thoughts on that in this book.
(Sigrun Schulz 6:37pm July 4, 2009)
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