I've written a story about four kids who think their old next door neighbor and her son killed a girl thirty years earlier. However, when they start to investigate, unfortunate events start happening to them. A lot of the mystery evolves around a foggy forest nearby so I named it:
The Mysteries of Surreptitious Forest
A wonderful person who took the time to review my script thought the title wasn't all that good. Can you please help me find a name?
I've come up with these options:
The Mysteries of the Misty Forest
An Old Lady, a Shovel, and the Misty Forest
A Suspicious Old Lady
and...
The Suspicious Old Lady Next Door
Please help, you can come up with any suggestions of your own. You can find the full synopsis at
http://studios.amazon.com/scripts/19633
Thank you
Hmm... I love brainstorming titles. Because it seems like the bulk of the story really revolves around what's happening in the forest, I think the title should reflect that. Also, while this is a kids story, it sounds like it's intended for slightly older children (tweens) and since kids that age are becoming more sophisticated and are hyper-vigilant about being talked "down to," the title should not sound like a kid's movie in anyway, it should sound like the title for an adult's film. That's why I'd suggest against "misty forest," as that sounds reflective of a trope in younger childrens' stories, or "mysterious" or "suspicious" title as those sound more reflective of a Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys' Mystery.
Ideas:
Don't Go Into the Woods
Darkening Woods
The Forest Path
The Girl in the Forest
The Voice in the Woods
The Voice in the Trees*
Dark Glen
*Voice as a symbol of the lost girl, not a literal voice.
Whispers in the Mist
oh it's a kids movie
Creepy Old Lady Next Door
Nice tale as a back story to a friendship. In a way (not connected to plot at all) it rreminds of Bridge to Terebithia.
As for the title : GLOAMING
It has nothing to do with forests and kidnappers but it's pregnant with mist, dusk, gloom. And it's a single word, easy for kids to remember. Think TANGLED.
A Participant says:
Shovel In The Misty Forest
Dark and Stormy
Mysterious Forrest
The Old Hag Next Door
The Old Hag and Scary Forrest
Fog and Trees
Deepest Darkest Secret
I would shorten Deepest Darkest Secret to just:
Deep Dark Secret
Forest of the Lost
"What goes in the forest.............stays in the forest."
The Lost Voice of Mystery Woods.
or
Mystery Woods.
"Heartwood"
(the dark dead inner part of a tree)
Of all the ones mentioned here, I like "Dark Glen", "Gloaming" and "Creepy".
I love the adjective "Surreptitious". I thinl I've never seen it in a movie title before. It is quite rare to used it, and I think that most kinds don't even know what it means. For me, it's a keeper because it double the mystery in your film.
It's like for the movie "Atonement" adapted by Hampton from Ian McEwan's novel. I had no idea what "Atonement "meant. It triggers something into you if you're a curious person. You watch the film, you make your own suggestions,and then you check. And bam! You've learnt a new word, just like that. A word you would remember because it is attached to a memory. Most kids are naturally curious and love to learn new things and words.
So, you can keep just the adjective as your title "Surreptitious", or make it an adverb "Surreptitiously".
Wow, what great suggestions! I've run this list by my ten and twelve year-olds and these are their top five favorite titles:
Don't Go Into the Woods
Deepest Darkest Secret
Whispers in the Mist
What Goes in the Forest... Stays in the Forest
Surreptitious
And they added one more: The Creeps Next Door
I guess it's down to a vote now. Please let me know which of these six titles you like the most.
{We hear footsteps running. We hear a girl's breathing, panting out of breath and terrified. We see sunlight flickering through the forest treetops.}
DON'T
(As before...}
GO
{As before, louder...}
INTO
{As before, louder still... }
THE
{As before, louder. Then SUDDENLY a CRASH. Then silence.}
WOODS
{A silk scarf drifts in the breeze through the trees. It's caught by the light piercing the treetops. The forest is silent and empty.}
A Participant says:
Buried Secrets
"Some things are best left undiscovered..."
Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for your suggestions. I was able to send individual e-mails to most of you asking for your favorite name of the following six options:
Don't Go Into the Woods
Deepest Darkest Secret
Whispers in the Mist
What Goes in the Forest... Stays in the Forest
Surreptitious
The Creeps Next Door
I tallied the votes, and Don't Go In the Woods tied with The Creeps Next Door. But thanks to Geoffrey Charles Pate (see suggestion above) I found out that Don't Go In the Woods is the name of a movie made in 2010, so the winner is The Creeps Next Door.
Now I can rename my script with confidence.
Thank you so very much for your input,
Veronica
