Thursday, July 30, 2009

Titles

socks with sandals

Someone in the audience at the Buxton Festival asked me how I chose the titles of my books, and it got me thinking about some of the titles from my past.

One of my early books – half finished – was called The man who wore socks with his sandals. Plotting for Beginners was originally called Red clover, rural chic and fairy lights, which anyone who has read Plotting will understand.

I couldn’t think of a title for Zuzu’s Petals until late in the day. I was wandering around Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco (she said nonchalantly) and I saw a flower shop called Zuzu’s Petals, and ZAP! I knew that’s what my book was called.

The book I am polishing now is called But I told you last year that I loved you. I’ve known that was the title from a quarter of the way in. And I think it’s probably the best one so far, because when people ask me the my new book’s title and I tell them, they always laugh.

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