Novel Update: I have a working title

Joynell Schultz,

Coming up with a title for a novel is probably as hard as writing the thing! It needs a title, I keep telling myself. At a current word count of 37,000, it deserves something better than “Clone Novel.” I’ve been throwing things around for a few weeks and am just not happy – how do you summarize an entire novel in a few words? It’s harder than naming your children! I’ve come up with something one step better than “Clone Novel” and will be using the working title, “Love, Lies, and Clones” for now… Hopefully I (or someone else – please help) comes up with something better.

I also put a short synopsis of the novel up on Camp NaNoWriMo for the April kick-off. This was almost as difficult as naming it. I’m sure this will change too, but here is what I have so far.

June’s biggest struggle isn’t that she’s a clone. It’s that her father has disappeared and the police aren’t doing enough to help her find him. True, they’re a little occupied with a serial killer who just killed again after two years of silence. Maybe if June would just tell them her dad was involved in illegal human cloning they’d be more interested? But that would only cause trouble for her dad when (or perhaps IF) they found him.

June can’t sit and wait for the police to find her father, so she sets out on her own investigation with the help of Elliot, a man currently AWOL from the military. With each clue they discover, they learn more about the twisted experiments June’s father headed and why she was created. When June and Elliot finally get close to uncovering the truth, they find themselves dodging bullets.

I’m definitely still excited to finish the beast and continue to write my one scene per day (about 1100 words). I can’t wait to revise it! That’s where all the fun is.

Here is the link to the novel at Camp NaNoWriMo: http://campnanowrimo.org/campers/joyssmc/novels/love-lies-and-clones

And here is the link to it on my “current project” page:  Current Projects

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17 Comments

  1. I’m liking the Love, Lies, and Clones title, it’s piquing! Awesome synopsis, too. It’s definitely a feat to create your own blurb. I think it goes against our nature as writers.

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  3. I would worry too much about the title until you’re ready to put a cover on it. My book was The Accidental Accomplice for lack of a better title until after I had an editor go through it. The published title, “I’ll Tell You One Thing” led to the cover design. In the meantime, “Call in the Clones.”

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    1. Thanks for the feedback on my title. My goal was just to not be embarrassed by it. I had read articles and done exercised with no luck. This one came to me when I wasn’t trying.

      Hang in there, it will come.

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  6. Hi Joynell. The title “Love, lies and clones” makes me think of a love story about clones, but judged by your synopsis this isn’t the case, so for me it doesn’t work (of course I can’t speak for others here).
    The first idea that sprang to my mind when I read your synopsis was “Why have I been created?”. I’m sure that’s something June would wonder about, but I’m not so sure it makes for a good title.
    Anyway, thanks a million for stopping by my humble blog and liking my post 😀

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    1. Thanks for the feedback! The story’s subplot is a love story and also about June not feeling loved by her father. I think I need to rework the synopsis to include these elements– though I do like your title suggestion too. Thanks again! This is a huge help!

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  7. Seems like a good read to me; from the synopsis. I agree that both that and the title can be immensely tricky to decide on. But once you did, it gives a strange sense of fulfilment. Good luck!

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