Title help needed, if you'd be so kind

[lomonaaeren]

The trilogy I'm writing now originally had the titles 'A Potion Named Desire,' 'An Intellectual Discontent,' and 'A More Worldly Man' for its individual parts. However, then I chose the series title 'An Intellectual Love Affair,' which means I want to change the second story's title, so as not to get them mixed up.

Problems:

1) I have fuck-all idea what title I want to use now.
2) ...That's it, really.

I still like the word 'Discontent,' but have no idea what it should be paired with. I've never had so much trouble titling a story. Any ideas? The middle story of the series is about Harry and Draco marketing a powerful potion, the Ministry getting on their asses about said powerful potion, and Harry beginning to realize that he's more attracted to Draco than the kind of nice, quiet witch he'd ordinarily be interested in looking for.

Comments

[silver-ariel.livejournal.com]

The story is about this potion... what about using a synonym for potion? The first word that came to mind was "alchemy":
al·che·my (al?k?-me) noun

1. A medieval chemical philosophy having as its asserted aims the transmutation of base metals into gold, the discovery of the panacea, and the preparation of the elixir of longevity.
2. A seemingly magical power or process of transmuting: “He wondered by what alchemy it was changed, so that what sickened him one hour, maddened him with hunger the next”

I haven't yet started "A Potion Named Desire", so I don't know if the potions Harry and Draco are involved in have to do with "transmuting" anything, but it was an idea. If so, something like "An Alchemical Discontent" to me seems like sort of a dual-meaning title, referring both to the issue with the potion, and also referring to physical, chemical discontent within Harry, as sort of a metaphor for his budding attraction to Draco.

If you don't like "alchemy", then maybe some other word that can double as a reference to both the potion and Harry's discontent would work really well. Unfortunately, my dictionary software isn't very helpful, and my mind isn't working very well at this late (early) hour. But maybe it will help you come up with something. *shrugs*

Good luck.

[neji-chan.livejournal.com]

I suck at titles, so I won't even attempt to think of one, but I think silver_ariel's idea is good. Plus, I like how it sounds :P

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

Actually, 'An Alchemical Discontent' is an excellent title, and likely the one I'll use. I'm making use of the symbols from alchemy in the story, so it would make sense.

Thank you so much!

[silver-ariel.livejournal.com]

Really? Awesome! So glad I could help! :D

[shukuun.livejournal.com]

Hmm, what about something along the lines of 'Discontent of Desire'?

That's the only thing I can come up with at the moment, but if I have any other ideas I'll throw them your way. =) Good luck with choosing a title!

[shukuun.livejournal.com]

Hmm, here are some other ones that I'll throw out there. :P

- A Sapient Discontent
- Discerning Discontent
- A Discontented Sale
- Discontented Exchange

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

I've about settled on 'An Alchemical Discontent,' but thank you for the others! I like the word 'Discerning,' and will probably use it in another story title.

[lunadragon.livejournal.com]

um, I'll just throw out some ideas, based on the summary you've given for the second story. I won't try to explain my logic, because it wouldn't work correctly anyways.

-The Heart of Discontent
-Underlying Discontent
-Laced with Discontent
-Cognitive Dissonance

and, a phrase that I end up using far too often in my poetry and writing, but for some inexplicable reason I feel compelled to put down here for you now,

-Revolution's Fingertips

I love the phrase and for some reason it's what popped into my head when I reread the summary. well, that's all I got! hope to have helped! =)

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

Thanks, you did. I've chosen 'An Alchemical Discontent' as fitting best with the themes of the story, but I'm keeping 'Cognitive Dissonance' in reserve.

[hpstrangelove.livejournal.com]

It may be to close, but my first thought was 'Intelligent Discontent'.

I also came up with:

'Brilliant Discontent' (although Brilliant I think is used as an exclamation in British slang)

'Clever Discontent'

'Thoughtful Discontent'

'Pensive Discontent' (although in the HP world it may make people think it's related to a pensieve)

'Learned Discontent' (maybe my second choice if Intelligent is too close to Intellectual)

These are all based on what I see as equivalents to the word Intellectual.

Now based on the description of what takes place...Mesmerizing Discontent, Seductive Discontent (my favorite), Enchanting Discontent, Enthralling Discontent (my second favorite),
Captivating Discontent

Don't know if any of this helps - probably too many choices, but I really like making up titles like this.

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the suggestions! I enjoy making up titles as well, though far too many of them end up too similar to one another.

[weis07.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I don't know how "discontent" fits there. Maybe "Striving for beautiful mind"?

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

Mostly because Harry is discontented that his secure little hiding-hole with Hermione and Draco from the rigors of the world is being broken up.

[serena423.livejournal.com]

(LONG time lurker...first time poster.....)

What about a play on a Shakesperian line: Winter's Discontent


P.S.- Your stories are amazining. Not only are your plot lines well thought out and paced, but the sheer amount of words you produce nearly daily is staggering. I'm a published author myself, and can't even come up with as much as you do, or even as much good writing as you do!

And...fangirl off!

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

I did consider that, but unfortunately the story doesn't really have a winter theme (most of the action will take place during the summer, if not all of it). Thank you for the suggestion, though!

And thank you very much!

[jamafanta.livejournal.com]

I had the same idea as serena423. Depending on which applies better, either "Summer of Discontent" (meaning at the height of complications), or "Winter of Discontent" (meaning that troubled times are almost over). Since this is the middle of the trilogy, maybe the first would work better.

Or, from Ella Wheeler Wilcox:
"The splendid discontent of God With Chaos, made the world;
And from the discontent of man The world's best progress springs”

You could call it Splendid Discontent.

I haven't started this series yet, either. I've found I get a little... obsessive, about checking for updates. For my own peace of mind, I've stopped reading your stories until you post the epilogue. It's only because you're so damn good!

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

I've gone with 'An Alchemical Discontent.' But I think I'll be calling a future story Splendor.

Thank you!

[mizelissa.livejournal.com]

Brewing Discontent
Dicontent Brews
Discontent Brewing
The Brew of Our Discontent (like "This is the winter of our discontent")
So Goes the Alchemist
The Alchemy of Discontent

just some quickies. . .

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I really adore 'So Goes the Alchemist,' but I'll be going with 'An Alchemical Discontent' as fitting better with the other titles.

[sorringmay.livejournal.com]

I'm going to guess that you had a reason for the title of the second set to named that and would want to keep it something close to, perhaps using a synonym for Intellectual would work best since the title is already rather captivating.

Maybe keep it simple and change it to 'A Profound Discontent' or 'A Comprehensive Discontentment'

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

Yes. I've chosen 'An Alchemical Discontent,' to make it more distinctive and fit with the themes of the story, but your instinct is good! :)

[tya-lee.livejournal.com]

I'm just going to throw in my two cents.

What about Affairs of Discontent? It just sort of popped into my head.

Btw, avid reader! love your works! All amazing!

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've chosen 'An Alchemical Discontent,' but Affairs of _____ is a title I'll definitely be using at some point in the future.

And thank you so much!

[gilith-ramaloce.livejournal.com]

Reading through the other's suggestions I like quite a few of them, but here are my own.

A Realization of Discontentment
A Discernment of Discontent
An Insight of Discontent/ An Insightful Discontent
A Perception of Discontent
A Reasoning Discontent/ A Reasoning of Discontent/ A Reasoning With Discontent
A Justifiable Discontent/ A Justification of Discontent
A Rationalization of Discontent
A Dissonance of Discontent

I couldn't seem to get my brain to attach to any other idea then that the second story is one of learning and relizations. So those are the words it thought to look up. Either that or the mind connection isn't going as well, Harry's unhappy with the way his thoughts are going.

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

That pretty much is the second story, yeah: Harry realizing he wants Draco as more than just a business partner, and his attempts to deal with that (especially as Draco just got a girlfriend). Thanks for the suggestions!

[(Anonymous)]

a theorectical discontent?

[lomonaaeren.livejournal.com]

That has merit, but at this point, the story is mostly about practicalities (they've brewed the potion).