Title trouble

[chansondumatin]

My first post on this board, so please be gentle!

My first novel is about to go out on submission to publishers but my agent reckons the current title isn't strong enough. Without going into specifics, I wondered if anyone has any tried and tested techniques / thought processes for coming up with killer titles?

Suspect I'm clutching at straws and should just sit back and wait for inspiration to strike, but I think said inspiration must have lost my address, as it's been several weeks now and I'm getting desperate...

[blackcoffee]

do some really repetitive boring exercise like swimming in the middle lane, every day til you hit it.

[chansondumatin]

Thanks blackcoffee. I feared this might be the response

[excitedmumtobe87]

I write down every idea that comes to mind no matter how silly it may seem, just keep writing them all down until you run out of ideas. Then leave it. Then look at it again and come up with all the new ones you can think of. I find doing this gets my brain whirring in the background subconciously and offloading the not-quite-right ideas makes room for new ones then one day you'll be standing in the shower and think Eureka! And your perfect idea will come to you. Good luck and conrats on getting this far!

[blackcoffee]

or you cd ask the mn jury!

[chansondumatin]

Thanks, excited and black. Good advice. Think I'm starting to get there, though am far too cowardly to share with the MN jury just yet...

[tulipsaredelicious]

Is there a stand-out line in your manuscript that you just love, or drives to the heart of your book?

[chansondumatin]

Tulips - I thought there was, but sadly the agent didn't like it as much as I did! Oh well.

In the end, my DH (who knew!) came up with a winner which has now gone off to the agent, together with my tidied-up MS. Much nail-biting awaits....

[tulipsaredelicious]

Good luck, OP!