Writers please help me - I can't think of a good title!

How about "Island" rather than "The Island"? It sounds as though it would fit with yuor chpater title style? (or has someone already suggested it, in which case )

I personally think it's a mistake to copy or echo too closely from another work or cult book/TV show/film etc. I would see that in a bookshop and think either "Lazy! Couldn't be arsed to think of an original title then", OR "Copycat! Is the rest of the book a rip-off like the title?"

Original works deserve a fresh original title. Plus if Kathy is creating (hopefully) her own NEW cult must-have then having connections to someone else's work will date it pretty fast. Teens are always hungry for cool and new.

Although I see what Casbie is saying about Wrecked, I still think that the fact that word also means getting hammered in teenspeak could win it extra readers (which is what ultimately it's all about). The cover design says a lot, not just the title. Wrecked could be presented in a tired, picture-of-a-wreck-on-the-front way OR it could be funky and bright with an abstract silver and electric blue design to represent the light on water etc (or whatever, just something appealing to teens).

Punchy one-word title advice sounds good.

How about NOWHERE ?

or BLUE ?

or what about reference to a realty tv show

"I'm not a celebrity get me out of here"
or
"not the real holiday show"

what about a reference to an earlier book on a similar theme
e.g. The lord of the bugs

check out a thesaurus...

it's hard to know what to call it without a summary.

'wrecked' sounds like one of those misery books on the shelf at asda. i think also it's hard to imagine a title when there are other books/movies about the sea that are sooo disinctive...

40,000 leagues under the sea
Kidnapped
Pirates of the Carribean

but if your characters reference to one of these historic titles that would be cool, and then give the title of the bok something from a line in one of those.

that's how bands do it!

oceanspace_lost at sea

Plus (I just can't stop now, you've really got me thinking!) The Shipwreck, your provisional title, sounds too old or young for your market. Something my dad would read, or alternatively, a six-year-old. I visualise a brown and orange, sun-set cover with an old Clipper with its ripped sails drunkenly flapping in the breeze... it just doesn't sound cool enough for the teen market. Whereas having a booked called Wrecked or Oceanspace sticking out of your bag would look quite cool. Teens can be sheep and half the appeal is the kudos it brings them, in the same way as writing the name of cool bands on your school bag etc. The Shipwreck wouldn't cut the mustard for that (I don't think) but it is some years since I was a teen I remember it all very very clearly tho....

Why not ask the mums of teens on Mumsnet to go ask their teens which they prefer between The Shipwreck, Wrecked and Oceanspace (and WHY)? A sort of mini-poll.

Message withdrawn

PS Also I think trying to think of a very descriptive title is old-fashioned. ie using the words marooned, island, coconut etc. It's too obvious and if your target market is specifically teens, may seem babyish.

However I DO like Wrecked, as the word has double meaning in teenspeak and I would imagine quite a few would pick it up based on that title alone!! . The one-word title is very powerful too (think "Jaws").

Oceanspace sounds great for teens, very modern. I am an AVID reader and peruser of fiction in bookshops and know that if I saw a book called Oceanspace (esp if it has a non-specific jacket that doesn't give any clues (not that it requires a Mills and Boon type picture, but not a futuristic black/blue cover either) I wouldn't fancy as I too would assume has a fantasy theme (and I personally dislike fantasy eg Iain Banks etc) whereas I love "could be real" like Nicci French and Ian McEwan.

However I totally think if your intended market is teens then this title hits the mark. "Ocean" as it sounds American and glamorous (as opposed to "sea" ) and "space" with its mental connections of the galaxy etc. Oceanspace conjures to my mind complete middle of nowhere - like the film Castaway - just mile and miles of, er, ocean. Put that with marooned plot and it sounds fab! Good luck.

Copracobana?

Soryy, too many manilow songs

Maroon(ed) 5?!?! Sorry probably not helpful, but it made me laugh.

"Going Bananas?"

Right I'll get me coat. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Tropical theme?

"Macarooned on Coconut Island"

..just because life moves on and people might have stopped looking for them..

or if there's a particular view, colour that is predominant on that island you could turn that into the title..

What about a nonsense word based on a real word that describes the situation.

how about "the Forgotten"?

Pinch an appropriate one of Amazon.
Editor will say, 'This is fantastic here is your huge enormous advance there is just one thing do you mind if we change the title to Harry Potter and the Ocean of Doom?"

And then you just have to agree.

Bundle - that was the first thing I thought of!

I would buy a book called wrecked definately!

Kathy - the book is the thing. If they love it they'll work with you to find a better title.
But for now:

Do you have chapters? Do any of your chapter titles lend themselves to being the book title?

Any song titles which are appropriate?

Or call it something connected more with the theme and the characters' emotional journey than with the "setting"?

You don't have a hidden hatchway, an invisible monster and another community on the other side of the island, do you?