How does one name their books? I suck at names. I am terrible at saying "THIS IS THE NAME OF THE BOOK."

How do you do it? I need help and I'm totally stumped.

The book I need to come up with name for is about a young black woman(16 or so) living in a post apocolyptic version of Los Angeles. Her and her brother are vagabonds who fear an oncoming storm. They flea and the journey begins. He heads underground and joins a cult, gets mad at her for leaving him to find some girl(Polyhymnia) who she has fallen in love with.

The heart of the story is about the way many people approach religion. How you can either approach it with closed minds, "This is true and anybody who does not follow the sacred teachings must be expelled from our lives, even if that means killing them." or with openness and compassion, "my religion says to love everybody equally as god does, so even though you disagree with me, we can still be friends." (kinda funny that both of those can exist in the same religion, eh?) and anyway, I'm stuck on a name.

The book is serious and Renzo Podesta will be doing art(same guy that did my ogre project for those familiar with it). I'm thinking of taking a very Tank Girl approach to the art style though. Also it will feature themes of sub cultures like wicca/pagan/new age religions as well as Hip Hop and Punk style art and attitudes.

I was thinking of calling it "A Love Song For Polyhymnia" but there isn't an actual love song sang in the story. bleh. I dont know.

So, tell me how you came up with your ideas or if you like, suggest an idea for me to steal. heh.

Im always up for brainstorming (but you get what you pay for)

"A Love Song For Polyhymnia" doesnt capture the very modern feel of the story (post apocalypse! hip-hop!) so How about "A mix for Polyhymnia" or even "Mixd U" or "All Mix Up" (which could mean lots of things, ambiguity is good for a title)

Do they really call her Polyhymnia all the time? Because "A Hymn for Poly" is great is they call her Poly

"Sacred Poetry" is a fair title, nicely on topic but a bit obvious

Perhaps some hip-hop slang fits here, try "Hectic Summer" (or as appropriate season) or "Deep Type Flow" (which goes good with Polyhymnia) or

What about "Poète Maudit" or "Joyful Noises" or "Tomorrow's Rhyme" or "After the Storm" or "Shadrach's Verse" or

what about "Love Versus" or just "Vs."

um. well, maybe you can riff off one of these. Who's up next?

Why not just "Polyhymnia"? I tried googling it and I can't find it being used as a title for a comic as of yet. Besides, long titles don't tend to give good first impressions. If someone is glancing over print comics, then the shorter, the better.

I like the sound of the name by itself: "Polyhymnia".

StaceyMontgomery
Im always up for brainstorming (but you get what you pay for)

"A Love Song For Polyhymnia" doesnt capture the very modern feel of the story (post apocalypse! hip-hop!) so How about "A mix for Polyhymnia" or even "Mixd U" or "All Mix Up" (which could mean lots of things, ambiguity is good for a title)

Do they really call her Polyhymnia all the time? Because "A Hymn for Poly" is great is they call her Poly

"Sacred Poetry" is a fair title, nicely on topic but a bit obvious

Perhaps some hip-hop slang fits here, try "Hectic Summer" (or as appropriate season) or "Deep Type Flow" (which goes good with Polyhymnia) or

What about "Poète Maudit" or "Joyful Noises" or "Tomorrow's Rhyme" or "After the Storm" or "Shadrach's Verse" or

what about "Love Versus" or just "Vs."

um. well, maybe you can riff off one of these. Who's up next?

I like "Love Versus" its kind of a play on song lyrics and it sets up a good tension for the oncoming battle between brother and sister.

so far I think that is the best one yet.

Thanks both of you for your help. Any other ideas? How do you normally come up with your titles?

My ogre comic was easy. I wrote a page in which he has a violent reaction to someone calling him a troll and wrote OGRE in big bold letters on my sketch.

Kohdok
Why not just "Polyhymnia"? I tried googling it and I can't find it being used as a title for a comic as of yet. Besides, long titles don't tend to give good first impressions. If someone is glancing over print comics, then the shorter, the better.

I like the sound of the name by itself: "Polyhymnia".

I think that is what my problem is. I like insane titles. I once put together a hip hop anthology for local rap groups and titled it "Misanthrope and the Potential Nemesis".

big name for a rap album. heh.

RobertTidwell
The heart of the story is about the way many people approach religion. How you can either approach it with closed minds, "This is true and anybody who does not follow the sacred teachings must be expelled from our lives, even if that means killing them." or with openness and compassion, "my religion says to love everybody equally as god does, so even though you disagree with me, we can still be friends." (kinda funny that both of those can exist in the same religion, eh?) and anyway, I'm stuck on a name.

If that's your central theme, you might want to focus on something that plays on that.

Something Taoist is always fun ... Walk the Path ... The Way ... Open Road.

Meh, I'm not good at this. That's why I named my comic after my protagonist.

Walk the path works, since it is basically a fantasy quest story.

I haven't had the chance to study Taoism that much, any sources of material online that you know of?

btw if it helps, the protagonist is Elya.

Hmmmm, online sources? That's a toughie. I got really into it a loooong time ago when I read the Tao of Pooh during a beach vacation (and then when I got back I picked up the Te of Piglet). Then I lived in China for a year and was finally able to pick up some really good stuff on it. So I mostly just have books (even an amazing illustrated version of Lao Tzu from a Taiwanese cartoonist, which now I feel compelled to go dig up out of my boxes downstairs).

I haven't really checked online for much about it.

When Im brainstorming a title or a name, i do it just like my first post - i just throw a whole bunch of ideas up onto the screen without thinking about them. Then I might google or wiki a few key words and concepts, or look for quotes that cover the subject matter, and then I brainstorm again. Generally, I come back a day later to see if anything looks clever. Usually, it mostly looks pretty stupid by then. But one or two things might show promise.

but the real trick for me is to keep lists of good titles and names and such. because they just pop into your head at various times. Then go back and look at those lists when you need a name.

Like, at the top of my list right now is "On the Wings of Hornets" and "A Road Paved with Doors." I have no idea what those titles mean, and I tend to prefer shorter titles.... but these will get used eventually!

(Unless anyone else wants them first, of course!)

Why not just 'Apocalypse'? That way, it's a bit more broad...?

How about 'Compass'? Since it is about how people find their way through dogma and ethics?
But then again I like single-word titles that can be interpreted on many levels and be mysterious and the like. lol!

Then another that comes to mind is:
"To Brave the Storm" - either way they take in their interpretation of things, they will be badgered by the opposing fanatics, ne? ;)

For me, naming my comics is a sacred ritual that takes up a lot of concentration and meditation; after all, in most cases the reader's first opinion is formed by your title (unless they've read it before knowing the name).

When coming up with names, I find a single word or broad idea that sums up the theme or overall idea of the comic. For example, my current comic Early Game Monster is the title of the main character. From reading it, you know it's about a monster and it possibly takes place in a video-game inspired world. I have another comic called Children of the Wasteland; a post-apocalyptic adventure about 7 boys in a world where adults are kidnapped by a mysterious alien-like race causing the collapse of civilization.

Now, about your title, I suggest something that alludes towards religion. A couple of thoughts that floated through my head while waiting for the page to load were:


Follow The Horsemen

Refers to the Horsemen of the apocalypse but the "follow" refers to how people are quick and willing to jump on the bandwagon, a theme you could use for this new-age religion. I noticed that some religions (like scientology and, unfortunately, wiccan) have members that join for shallow reasons such as looking "cool" or something.

I won't dive deeper into their meanings but I'll spout out some random titles that popped up in my head. Good luck with your thinking and take your time. Titles are important.

Song of Storms
Bring Down the Rain
Wash the Filth Away
Faith, Hate and Frenzy
Parable
The Devil's Eats For Free
If God's the Father, The Devil's My Brother (a bit wordy, but it has meaning)
Puddle of Lies

I like "Sacred & Profane".

Naming comics has always been fairly easy for me. Not sure how I do it. Most of the time is sorta forms while I'm developing the concept.

Wow, that was no help at all.

Sorry,
Chip

SteveMyers22
Hmmmm, online sources? That's a toughie. I got really into it a loooong time ago when I read the Tao of Pooh during a beach vacation (and then when I got back I picked up the Te of Piglet). Then I lived in China for a year and was finally able to pick up some really good stuff on it. So I mostly just have books (even an amazing illustrated version of Lao Tzu from a Taiwanese cartoonist, which now I feel compelled to go dig up out of my boxes downstairs).

I haven't really checked online for much about it.

That all sounds awesome. I'll be able to find something, thanks for the advice.

angry_black_guy
For me, naming my comics is a sacred ritual that takes up a lot of concentration and meditation; after all, in most cases the reader's first opinion is formed by your title (unless they've read it before knowing the name).

When coming up with names, I find a single word or broad idea that sums up the theme or overall idea of the comic. For example, my current comic Early Game Monster is the title of the main character. From reading it, you know it's about a monster and it possibly takes place in a video-game inspired world. I have another comic called Children of the Wasteland; a post-apocalyptic adventure about 7 boys in a world where adults are kidnapped by a mysterious alien-like race causing the collapse of civilization.

Now, about your title, I suggest something that alludes towards religion. A couple of thoughts that floated through my head while waiting for the page to load were:


Follow The Horsemen

Refers to the Horsemen of the apocalypse but the "follow" refers to how people are quick and willing to jump on the bandwagon, a theme you could use for this new-age religion. I noticed that some religions (like scientology and, unfortunately, wiccan) have members that join for shallow reasons such as looking "cool" or something.

I won't dive deeper into their meanings but I'll spout out some random titles that popped up in my head. Good luck with your thinking and take your time. Titles are important.

Song of Storms
Bring Down the Rain
Wash the Filth Away
Faith, Hate and Frenzy
Parable
The Devil's Eats For Free
If God's the Father, The Devil's My Brother (a bit wordy, but it has meaning)
Puddle of Lies

I really like If Gods The Father, The Devils My Brother, but I can't use it because it is to christian specific.

I chose my comics name for a number of reasons. It was going to be a vulgarity slang term that could be considered a racial slur, but that wouldn't go over so well. The one I picked (penis) seemed goofy enough to work!

THE REST IS HISTORY!

Keep the title short. Long titles just seem awkward. (sorry, terminal and fern)

Don't try to capture the whole story in a few words, just focus on a particular plot point. An example of this would be Lord of the Flies. The LotF only appears at one point in that book, yet the title is named for it. Why? Because it is the central symbol.

Try to keep the title interesting, mysterious, and/or original. For example, when I created Ezra, I could have called it "Angel of Death" or something, but I chose Ezra because people will see the title and think to themselves, "Who's Ezra?"

I've never had much trouble with naming things.

On the neil gaiman message board, everybody likes longer names.

I'm still kinda riding the line between Love Versus and Love song for polyhymnia.

Oh, and for lord of the flies, you do realize the imagery there right? Beelzubub is called the Lord of the flies, that one scene in the book is a way of saying the devil has gotten into these boys mind with out saying anything about the devil. Its a story about primal corruption and instinct.

Another idea i had was to take something from my religion:

We have 7 principles and purposes:

THe inherent worth and dignity of every person.. All people are cared about and loved by someone in the book. Even the bad guys aren't really bad guys, just mislead by fear.

Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; this is a little harder to pinpoint but its in there. Os bans his sister from his life because he doesn't know how to abide by this, while Elya tries to save her brother because she knows that even if they don't agree he deserves the same right that she is asking for.

Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth ; This is what polyhymnia is trying to teach Elya. No congregations though.

A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; This is the path that Elya is on. She is searching. She hasn't found yet.

The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; there is no physical moment where this is made obvious but it is something I think that is suggested through out the story. In a world of anarchy the democratic process is hard to set up.

The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; Again, hard to pinpoint but there are times when Elya and Os argue and her basic arguement is that all people deserve to live free and do what will make them happy so long as it doesnt hurt other people.

Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. There is quite a bit about enviromental protection and the consequences of the way we treat our world.

The story hits on every single one of those.

Looking back, I dont see any one that really would work as a title. Maybe if i reworded them. Hmm. I'mma go brain storm.

RobertTidwell
Oh, and for lord of the flies, you do realize the imagery there right? Beelzubub is called the Lord of the flies, that one scene in the book is a way of saying the devil has gotten into these boys mind with out saying anything about the devil. Its a story about primal corruption and instinct.

......

I
The LotF only appears at one point in that book, yet the title is named for it. Why? Because it is the central symbol.

I must have completely missed that sentence. Sorry.