Working Titles

When I begin to approach writing a novel, I will come up with a working title--a title that is a place holder for later. The current working title I have on my second book is "The Human Trap." I don't know if it's been used before, but it's a working title.

I find that a working title does wonders for the book. For you, the writer, it establishes a theme that's supposed to be brought forward by the elements of the book. Here are a few tips on how to pick a working title:

1. Remember the genre you're in. If it's romance, pick something that is romantically corny. If sci-fi/fantasy, pick something sci-fi/fantasy and make it corny. (i.e. Lover's Spring, The World's War to give an idea)
2. Make it short and easy to remember. This way, when you save your work in progress, it will be easier to find rather than MyBook1,000,000 or version10.14.
3. It can rhyme. Try rhyming two words that sum up your book, a la Dr. Seuss style.

Remember, these are for your eyes only. No one else (except your critique group if you have one) is to know. The working title is for you, as a reminder to pick a title after the book is finished.

New Characters for a new story

Since I took a break from SOC, I started working on its followup story. Mostly for myself and cause I just had to get the ideas down somewhere as a "just in case".

Returning Characters:
Jack Wells; prisoner (male human from the territory Rulnudor) {Arrested for killing the Emperor}
Rhys Jones; fugitive (male human from the territory Libertia) {WANTED for suspected brainwashing}
Jessica Green; fugitive (female human from the destroyed city Calassa, now from Rulnudor) {WANTED for suspected brainwashing and assassinating the Emperor}
Tamara Lamnar; prisoner (female human from Libertia) {Arrested for being brainwashed and spreading Rulnudor propaganda}
Jori; fugitive (female human, origins are unknown) {WANTED for suspected brainwashing}
Kyle Daly; prisoner (male human from the destroyed city Calassa) {Arrested pending investigation of unknown circumstances}
General Tixe; general of the Rulnudor Special Operations Brigade (male human from Rulnudor)
Griff Wahl; prisoner (male human from the territory of Libertia) [moved from the original prologue and epilogue of SOC to here. His events have been erased] {Arrested for bribery}

New Characters:
Y; prisoner (female Mar'ahli) {Arrested for old prejudices}
Master Tesqui-Wiit; Ji-Jorhan martial arts instructor (male Ji-Jorhan from the territory Raji-Jorha)
Rou'tre; mechanic (female human from the territory Hydronkkers)
Sarline'batra; prisoner (male Azzaery) {Arrested for political reasons}
Oph'la; prisoner (female human/Hydronkker) {Arrested for sabotaging Rulnudor and Libertia vehicle compounds}
Bylee; prisoner (female Ji-Jorhan) {arrested for "threatening" an emissary}
Mira; Ji-Jorhan student (female Ji-Jorhan from Raji-Jorha)
Emperor Malton Alhai; ruler of Rulnudor (male human from the territory of Rulnudor)
Chief Walrot; ruler of Libertia (male human from Libertia)
Jeksonn Alhai; son of the Emperor (male human from Rulnudor)

Today's blog update is going to be nothing more than a rambling from me. I have found myself in a corner, working on a lot of additions to and modifications of my novel. I have seemingl gotten bored with the book and have so put it to the side for now. I have started working on another project I put into the drawer for some time. It is a follow up to SoC, and details the events of the survivors and the basic outline for the next story.

In it, I have old characters, some new, and some who we've heard from/of, but never seen. For instance, in SoC, we get epigraphs from Kyle Daly, but in the second story, I give him scenes and a life. The other is the Emperor. All I have on him is he's a friend of Jack Wells, and wants peace. I haven't decided upon a  name yet; I'm still considering what name would be appropriate for him.

New characters introduced are a broken Mar'ahli, two female prisoners who have a love for weapons, the Emperor's son, an exiled Hydronkker, and a lithe Azzaery assassin. I don't have names yet, but I am having fun writing their descriptions and stats down. Hopefully, I should break out of this spell and get back on that book.