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Science fiction and fantasy writers are a group are extraordinarily generous with advice to new writers. A moment's thought, however, reveals that this is just encouraging talented young people to occupy the publishing niches and win the awards that would otherwise go to to us Old Hands. Ask Unca Mike is an attempt to rectify this deplorable situation.
Titles of the Purple Sage
Coyote writes: Everybody tells me my titles suck. But I think that "An Incident," "The Package," and "Road Kill" are pretty darned cool. Please tell me that I'm right and they're wrong.
First of all, my editor friends tell me that "Road Kill" is the single most common title in the slush pile. Imagine the glory of writing the best story with that title! You might want to consider using it for every story you write until you achieve that glad accomplisment.
Failing that, you definitely should stay with your soporiphic-to-the-point-of-tears titles. Primed to expect a boring, tedious story, the readers will encounter the brilliance that is your prose and the mesmeric qualities of your storytelling. They will be amazed.
Or so, anyway, I would like to believe you will believe.
Coyote writes: Everybody tells me my titles suck. But I think that "An Incident," "The Package," and "Road Kill" are pretty darned cool. Please tell me that I'm right and they're wrong.
First of all, my editor friends tell me that "Road Kill" is the single most common title in the slush pile. Imagine the glory of writing the best story with that title! You might want to consider using it for every story you write until you achieve that glad accomplisment.
Failing that, you definitely should stay with your soporiphic-to-the-point-of-tears titles. Primed to expect a boring, tedious story, the readers will encounter the brilliance that is your prose and the mesmeric qualities of your storytelling. They will be amazed.
Or so, anyway, I would like to believe you will believe.
If you have a question for Unca Mike you can post it below. Or write to AskUncaMike ("at" sign) gmail.com. I'll respond tho those I have the best answers for.
Ask Unca Mike appears here on Fridays.
Above: As always, I'm on the road again. As it turns out, Yellowstone is off the grid. I managed to keep on schedule, technically. But I apologize for not being on time according to your schedule.
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