Monday, August 22, 2011

Give Fred a Day Off, He Comes Back with Vengeance

Fred, the moniker I've given my subconscious/muse, was stumped with my "not exactly a haunted house" book. I gave him the day off last week and wrote a little on a science fiction/future noir story I've been kicking around.

And then Fred came back from vacation, sipping a piƱa colada and wearing a vintage "I Survived the Orient Express"* t-shirt. His little imaginary head was filled to the brim with ideas for the house story (heretofore only known as "the house book").

He suggested several titles, too, some with "smoke" in them, others with "fog". The house, it seems, plays with those inside, toying with their memories.

Especially memories which elicit fear, sadness, or outright paranoia.

So... The House of Smoke and Fog?

Maybe.

It sounds a bit too much like The House of Sand and Fog, a much different story altogether.

Suggestions?

*The Orient Express was the bad-ass roller coaster at Worlds of Fun, a Kansas City amusement park, when I was a boy. It's gone now, but the memory remains.

8 comments:

Christine said...

How about "The House"?
Simple, but, with the right cover art, very effective.

Maybe add a catchy byline...
"check your sanity at the door"
or something like that.

That's all I've got for today. Have a good one:)

Anthony Rapino said...

Yeah, definitely too much like *The House of Sand and Fog.* It was the first thing I thought of.

You should hire Cate to come up with a title for you. She rocks the titles! :-D

Barry Napier said...

Titles can so often be the hardest thing about a new project. I'm thinking of something with Halls or Rooms in the title. "The Halls of Smoke" or "Halls of Fog, Rooms of Smoke" but not as awkward.

Meh.

Aaron Polson said...

Christine - I've been playing with cover images already. Good point about the right cover art. Taglines are good, too...

Anthony - It's out, then. Thanks. Cate is the title diva.

Barry - I'm going to keep playing with halls and rooms, smoke and fog, and see what I can come up with. It will come.

Cate Gardner said...

For a moment I thought Fred went on the actual Orient Express and worried my muse would complain I never send him anywhere nice. Phew!

It may not be 'exactly' a haunted house book but I bet you could write the best haunted house book anyone (okay, Mr King might tie) has ever written.

Danielle Birch said...

I like the idea of halls or rooms in there too. I love that your muse has a name. Mine just gets sworn at a lot...I must be nicer to her.

Aaron Polson said...

Cate - high praise. I'll do my best to earn it.

Danielle - I'm not even sure if Fred is male or female...

Anonymous said...

Maybe "Worlds of Fun" or something equally sinister-sounding for a house that enjoys toying with its victims?