
How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?Visit Kathleen Barber's website.
I usually really struggle with titles, but the title for Both Things Are True came to me not long after I started writing the book and just felt right. I don't want to share too much of the context because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but one of the characters says "both things are true" during a particularly emotionally charged moment in the book. It's a revelation for my protagonist, helping her realize that what she thought was black-and-white is actually more nuanced. It was important to me that the title reflected that growth (and the specific context in which it's said), although I don't expect readers to understand until they hit that portion of the novel. That said, I think the title both fits genre conventions and hints that there's a truth my protagonist has to learn, so I believe it gives readers an accurate representation of what's to come in the book.
What's in a name?
The protagonist of Both Things Are True is named Vanessa Summers. I chose Vanessa because...[read on]
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--Marshal Zeringue