Fauxsaurus

Annotations: The Title

Ghost Girl and the Ghost Giant

Originally, this book was simply titled Ghost Girl and the Ghost Giant1, but when I searched for that online to make sure that it wasn’t “taken,” I discovered Tonya Hurley’s ghostgirl series which solidified my desire for an overarching series title to prevent brand confusion2. As I kept working on the manuscript, I became aware of Ally Malineko’s Ghost Girl novel3 and felt it imperative to start coming up with ideas on what to call the series.

Inflection Point

My initial idea was “Inflection Point,” but because I took so long to write, that name became taken before publication in the form of Nick Cook’s series of the same name4! Very briefly, I tried to warm up to the intentional misspelling of “Inflexion Point,” but I always hated it as much, if not more, than everyone else. (My Aunt’s reaction was the final nail in that coffin.)

The Black Magic Archive

For a period of time, “The Black Magic Archive” became the series’ working title. But as much as I loved the heavy lifting it was doing via its nod to magic, modernity, and Stormlight5, I was concerned about the connotations of Black Magic. While thematically relevant (and not for the reasons you might think if you haven’t read the book), I was rather worried that it would be a nonstarter for a subset of readers who may have otherwise enjoyed the tale. So, I kept looking for ways to find common ground between supernatural fans and religious folks (as I was desperately hoping that both groups could find enjoyment in this title).

Embers of the Nephilim

Eventually, I settled on the present title as I felt the term Nephilim would be popular with both groups (and still be narratively thematic). Additionally, when thinking about the timeline in the setting more broadly, it could be expanded upon in the form of Ashes of the Nephilim for a more futuristic sequel series6. As of yet, I’m not sure how the motif works when applied in reverse as Spark or Fires of the Nephilim sound a bit odd to me, but dialing the absurdity up to eleven results in the rather hilariously sounding parody titles of Kindling or Timbers of the Nephilim.

Regardless of the series title, it’s an honor to be inducted into the Ghost Girl club. Aside from those aleady discussed, special mentions go to:

  1. Rebekah Reese’s The Girl, the Ghost, and the Giant. (Despite the similar wording & publication date, I only became aware of days before launch!)
  2. Torey Hayden’s Ghost Girl (Which appears to be a far more intense and sobering tale).
  3. Donna M. Johnson’s Memoir: Holy Ghost Girl (Appears to be an in-depth look at the unique circumstances surrounding the author’s childhood.)
  4. And as Amazon is now showing me, there are too many others to list.

Footnotes

  1. Lovingly, internally referred to by its project name: 4G, because Ghost Girl and the Ghost Giant is a mouthful! ↩

  2. And simultaneously lay the groundwork for a better umbrella term for sister series and spinoffs down the line. (Because that’s good for SEO, and coming up with good, non-taken names is hard.) ↩

  3. Which naturally has a white-haired protagonist and a lovely outline of a spectral-like giant in the background—so it’s good to know that I’m in good company! (The Standalone Complex is strong in this one idea). ↩

  4. Alas, “Great minds think alike.” (But that’s only half the quote, nonetheless, I hope that the second part of Dabridgcourt Belchier’s statement doesn’t apply here: “But fools rarely differ.”) ↩

  5. As a Sanderson fan, part of me liked how this title would have been a nice homage to Stormlight, but I felt that would have been a double-edged sword given the latter’s popularity, so even a hypothetical perception of copying the trappings of a far more successful brand undermined the perception of that title in my eyes. ↩

  6. Alas, Kyle Jorve is working on a project by that name! Why are all the good names always taken? ↩