A week ago, I read an excellent blog post by the NC Piedmont Laureate, Heather Bell Adams. Heather explains the importance of choosing a great title and provides tips to use in title selection.
Her post prompted me to seriously reconsider the title I had chosen for my second historical novel. The original title was the name of the fantasy world that my main character and her sister had created to ward off their loneliness and sadness during the months following their father’s death. The name also symbolized the magical “bubble” of Yosemite and its residents.
However, the name of that imaginary land evokes action-adventure, fantasy, and even sci-fi genres, not historical fiction. Belatedly, I realized that many readers who dislike those genres might be turned off immediately and not give the book a second thought. What’s more, the title seemingly has nothing to do with a young woman’s journey (both internal and external), or with Yosemite, the place where she discovers herself.
As a result, I revisited old titles I had previously considered for the novel, along with new ones. I wanted something simple yet meaningful that would convey hope and promise, along with inspiration of a beautiful place: Yosemite. Ultimately, I chose The View from Half Dome, since Half Dome is the name of the mountain at Yosemite that Isabel, the protagonist, climbs with her mentor, Enid Michael, Yosemite’s first female ranger-naturalist. On the summit of that mountain, Isabel finally realizes what she must do. The clarity she gains, along with the reminder that she is part of something larger and longer lasting, gives her courage to make a difficult decision and take her next steps.
I am lucky that my publisher, Black Rose Writing, allowed me to make the title change to The View from Half Dome. The next step will be to collaborate on the cover design, which I hope to share in the next two months. Special thanks to Heather for her inspiring post!