Titles Meme

[thisbluespirit]

I am sorry about being mostly AWOL lately. I just got very low a few weeks back and simply stopped dealing well with a lot of online interactions and though hopefully I've rationalised things more now and am also a bit better generally, it's still summer and 2020 and I'm always ill anyway, so I'll make no promises about anything for a while. (You will not be surprised to hear that in the process James Maxwell gifs were made.)


But in the meantime, a meme! (Stolen from nearly everyone, but astrogirl most recently).

Look at your most recent 20 fanwork titles and answer the questions.


AU Meme: Sapphire & Steel
Locks and Keys
Anomalies
Though the Light Fails
AU Meme: Silver
Fire and Feathers
AU Meme: Lynda Day
AU Meme: Gytha Ogg
AU Meme: Vila Restal
A Novel Approach
Don't Try This at Home
Game Night
it's the rain that will strengthen your soul
Swords and Stones
Desert Phantoms
Nothing at the End of the Lane
One Step Forward (Two Steps Back)
Mission of Mercy
You Made No Impression
Trees Too Tall to Climb


1. How many are you happy with?

It's fairly amusing doing this meme now, as 1/4 of this list are AU Meme ficlets (which I haven't forgotten!) and those are not really titles at all and they get read just as much as anything else I post, if not more, which does kind of put angsting over titles into perspective.

Anyway, I suppose I like Swords & Stones, Anomalies, it's the rain that will strengthen your soul, You Made No Impression and Trees Too Tall to Climb.


2. How many are... not great?

The AU Meme ones and the two flash ficlets. The rest are okay at least! And the AU Meme entries couldn't really be titled anything else. (Well, I suppose they could, but since AU Meme: Whatever seems to work just fine, I'm not going to start worrying now.)


3. How many did you scramble for at the last minute?

Less than usual, I think. Locks & Keys, When the Light Fails, Trees Too Tall to Climb maybe? I'm not really sure.


4. How many did you know before you started writing/creating, or near the beginning?

it's the rain that will strengthen your soul had three potential titles right from the start, all of which would have been fine. Anomalies was, I think, always that. You Made No Impression was one of the prompts I used for it. I'm pretty sure most of the rest aside from the above came quite quickly, which certainly isn't always the case.


5. How many are quotes from songs or poems?

it's the rain that will strengthen your soul, Trees Too Tall to Climb


6. How many are other quotes?

Nothing at the End of the Lane is a Doctor Who quote (and one that's been used before by Short Trip writers as well), but I used it for a reason.


7. Which best reflects the plot of the story/content of the fanwork?

All the AU Meme ones! Nothing at the End of the Lane and You Made No Impression. Probably also it's the rain that will strengthen your soul.


8. Which best reflects the theme of the story/fanwork?

Oh, hopefully they all reflect the theme.


9. Which best reflects the character voice of the story/POV of the fanwork?

None of them?


10. Which is your favorite?

it's the rain that will strengthen your soul.

But I do also like Swords & Stones.

Comments

[persiflage_1]

Heyyyy... *bigsquishyPershugs*

[thisbluespirit]

Thanks! ♥ *hugs back tightly*

How are you getting along?

[persiflage_1]

I am thisclose to quitting my job for good. I took last week off as I had too many panic attacks on the Monday after going to get my glasses fixed (the left arm had worked so loose than whenever I bent down to pick something up, they fell off!) and my boss got increasingly nasty with me as the week progressed, culminating in a phone call on Sat demanding that I work on Monday (yesterday) even though I don't normally, just because he was too lazy to do the bit of work we've had coming in.

Then yesterday he said he was thinking of going back to our normal opening hours, despite the fact we're not busy and will not be until everyone's back to working in offices since most of our business is from office workers, men usually, who need suits cleaned. He then asked me what I wanted to do regarding my hours. I said there was no point me working my usual 17 hours a week because we're not that busy yet, so he talked over me, shouted me down, then lectured me on the need to establish a routine instead of 'sitting around doing nothing'! Pointed out that I had maintained my usual routine through my Furlough and was prepared to work my usual hours *once we're busy again* and he wouldn't have it. I ended up just walking out (as he'd already told me I could go home) as it was a waste of breath trying to argue.

[thisbluespirit]

Oh dear! If you do leave, I'll be cheering you on, but of course, the problem is getting that right job, which isn't easy even when we're not having pandemics. *sends more hugs along*

I hope he at least sees sense re. your hours. ♥

[persiflage_1]

TBH, right now, I have no intention of trying to find a new job if I quit this one. *hugs back*

Ha, no! Not if today's conversation is anything to go by. He says we have to be ready for when it gets busy. IT IS NOT GOING TO GET BUSY SOON! (Sorry for yelling but GRRR!)

[thisbluespirit]

*pets*

*offers virtual flowers*

[persiflage_1]

*virtually sneezes* :D

[sallymn]

{hugs} I wish there was something I could do to help.

I will say right now, you are better at titles than I am.....

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, thanks! It's just... life. It's being very life-like indeed right now, isn't it? ♥

I will say right now, you are better at titles than I am.....

Ha, what, even with my"AU Meme..." non-efforts? I think we all just fixate on our own faults. Your titles always seem better than mine to me!

[sallymn]

{grin} as opposed to my 'Untitled' and the very loooong list of 'Two People Talking'.....

[theseatheseatheopensea]

I'm glad to know you're doing a bit better. I hope that the gif making helped! <3

And ohh, a meme! It's so cool to read about people's fic title process! I might steal it, because a distraction is always a good idea!

Take care! *hugs*

[thisbluespirit]

Thanks! *hugs back*

[astrogirl]

Sometimes you just gotta step back a little and, I dunno, try to get a little rest. I hope you are getting a little rest.

and those are not really titles at all and they get read just as much as anything else I post, if not more, which does kind of put angsting over titles into perspective.

It really does, doesn't it! And yet, I don't think it's going to stop me from continuing to do so. :)

For what it's worth, my absolute favorite here is "Nothing at the End of the Lane." I don't care if it's been used by others. It's so apt for that particular story that it hurts.

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you! I rest all the time anyway and these things still happen, but that is the nature of the thing. I think everything ongoing just sat on me at once. ♥

For what it's worth, my absolute favorite here is "Nothing at the End of the Lane." I don't care if it's been used by others. It's so apt for that particular story that it hurts.

Aw, thanks! It did have to be that title, I think, yes. *nods*

[oracne]

Welcome back!

[thisbluespirit]

Well, i'm not really normal yet, but I hope I'll still be posting some things again now. But thank you! ♥

[sovay]

(You will not be surprised to hear that in the process James Maxwell gifs were made.)

I am glad there were gifs. *hugs* if useful.

[thisbluespirit]

Hugs are always useful! Thank you. ♥

[liadt]

Sorry to hear the pantsness of summer has extra pants this year *hugs*

At least JM is giving you giffing opportunities:)

You've def got a good mix of titles from the basic to the poetic!

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you! (On all three counts.) ♥

[dimity_blue]

~(You will not be surprised to hear that in the process James Maxwell gifs were made.)~

And why not?

*gentle hugs* I hope you're feeling better soon.

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you! ♥

[tinny]

Yes, funnily, what this meme has taught me most is that people don't read or not read a story based on title. I certainly don't.

That makes it a lot less stressful. :D

[thisbluespirit]

Yes, I think you could call things "Untitled Ficlet 1" and 2 and they'd still be read or not in the usual way. But finding a good title is satisfying, nevertheless. And helps in remembering which story is which when you get kudos emails.

[elen_nare]

*socially distanced virtual hugs* I hope summer eases off and lets you recover soon!

I like your titles! And of course I am borrowing this :D

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you! Summer is actually being relatively well-behaved for a wonder, but I am just being low from all directions, really. ♥

[elen_nare]

I hope summer continues to behave itself then, and other things ease off <3