Many readers have picked up on the theme behind the titles of my historical novel series, which all come from the lyrics to “Amazing Grace.” But it wasn’t a straight-forward path to titling them.
Originally, I intended to find the titles for the books (which originally was only one book) from the lyrics to “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” There are lots of wonderful phrases in that song—such as “Be swift my soul” and “Be jubilant my feet”—which sounded to me like calls to the Oregon Trail. Unfortunately, the song wasn’t written until 1861 (and published in 1862), and my first novel was set in 1847.
So I decided to use “Amazing Grace” instead, which was originally published in 1779 and sung frequently in the U.S. in the early 19th century. Here are the lyrics to “Amazing Grace,” as originally published:
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believ’d!Thro’ many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.-John Newton, Olney Hymns, 1779
(I’ve highlighted the phrases on which my book titles were based.)
The verse we often sing these days (starting “When we’ve been there ten thousand years”) was added later, possibly by Harriet Beecher Stowe in her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, published in 1852 (so I did not use it in my book titles, though it had apparently been a part of African American oral traditions).
For some of my novels, I had the title in mind throughout my drafting and editing. Others waited until the last minute for me to decide what fit best. Some felt natural; others were real stretches to fit the novel to the lyrics.
For example, Lead Me Home felt like a natural title for the story line of that novel. Safe Thus Far seemed appropriate for a boy’s coming of age story, when he had a lot more growing to do before he’d be an adult. But Forever Mine as the title for a book about a young couple’s romance as they traveled the Oregon Trail was more problematic—the song says God will be the singer’s forever, not a human lover. I was glad to end the series on a high note—A Life of Joy—though that title, too, might be a bit of a stretch.
Now I am done with having to pick titles from “Amazing Grace.” My next book is likely to be a stand-alone novel, so I’ll have free rein to choose its title.
Which books have you read with titles you love, and books have you read with titles you think are bad fits?
Sometimes I find my titles since the beginning or close to the beginning, other times in the process of writing (sort of mid-story or two-thirds). Seldom I find the title after writing or extremely close to the end. And seldom I change it from the first one (no matter when found) to another, but sometimes it needs changed, at least slightly… Or I use a sort of placeholder (working title) knowing I did not find yet the real one, until I do find it.
Finding a good title is an art itself. Thanks for sharing your process.
Theresa