Untitled

I am a person who is meticulous, when I name something.  Not necessarily meticulous when I iron something or when I sew something, but I am absolutely exact when I name something.  

My characters have certain names, for certain reasons.  And, if for some reason, they don't develop in the right way because their name isn't allowing for the right character traits to emerge, I change the name.  Just ask Rebecca...er...Clara from my first novel.  (That's the novel that sits in the drawer and will probably never see the light of day.)  But, I've digressed.

Names mean something.  Titles mean something.  They provide a pivot mark around which the narrative moves.    

In the past, some of my titles have changed names, wearing one for a while until I decide I might like another in the process of creation.  Death and Life is the perfect name for one of my novels, but the title only came about after several changes, after I really narrowed my center pivot down to one point. 

But, even if it is temporary, there is always a title.  Until now.  I have never gone this long without a title.  It's been weeks - nay months nearly that I have been molding this story and there is no title.  The actual working manuscript is headed by the title, "Untitled".  It bothers me.  Tremendously.  But, I am not sure when I might be able to change that.  I've spent hours chewing on titles, trying one out and then another, quickly discarding them before they ever reach the page.

My fastidious naming nature has pinned me to a pause.  How does the story go on, when I cannot find the modern pivot point?  The true tragedy of this whole crisis is that this story already has a name.  But, it didn't come from me.  Emmeline, what is the one whispered word of your soul?