A Rose by Any Other Name …

I was thinking the other daythat it pays to give a work-in-progress a name.

Even if it’s a working title, unlikely to remain, just give it a name.

It’s like having a kid – you kind of need to have something to call it. “Hey, you”, “WiP” or “That thing that’s tormenting me constantly” (hey, just like a kid!) just doesn’t cut it.

“I don’t want to give it a name until it’s finished” … that’s like waiting until your kid presents a personality before you name her/him … on the 34th birthday you can yell “Hey! He’s a Norbert! Norbert, your years of being Number 5 are over. Congrats!”

Giving it a name, a title, makes it real, crystalises it, makes it something serious – it makes you take yourself seriously as a writer.

So. Give it a name, even it it’s Hal.

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4 Responses to A Rose by Any Other Name …

  1. leemcgowan says:

    Brilliant!
    The wee yins have grown into their names. Are books the same?

    The drive-bys are sensational!

  2. angelaslatter says:

    Well, at least you don’t have to pay to send the books to uni.

  3. Ahrain says:

    hahaha I like that, I think I’m going to give my next book the pet name of Hal!…or maybe Petunia…

  4. Nicky says:

    Anything that doesn’t present a name to me becomes Bertha – male or female characters, book wip titles…

    They don’t seem to like it and correct the missing information. (Although son’s name arrived a bit before birth with a “Aha! That’s it moment. Very considerate of him really).