Okay, so I am still working on book two Corpse in the Crystal Ball, and I am writing, but I am still plotting as I go. Heck, I'm even naming characters as I go.
It got me thinking about today's blog: What's in a name?
I used to love naming my characters. I would dig out my old baby books and look up cool names. I would watch soap operas and mix and match names. I even take them from famous people with really cool names.
But after writing so many books, I'm finding it hard not to repeat names. Heck, I can't even remember sometimes....Gee, did I use that name in another book? Or is it just one of my kids parents names? Or did I read it somewhere?
So now I have to write the names down and even check my other stories. I'm thinking of starting a spreadsheet of names I used in each of my books so I can do a search when writing a new story. Also if I have a character of a certain nationality, then I'm looking up names that go with that nationality.
Eeek. It's insane.
It's hard enough to keep track of the town and setting details, names of roads I used, businesses, locations where I put them. Ugh. Now I have to worry about names.
So tell me...where do you come up with your names? How do you keep track of names you've already used? Do you reuse names just recycle first with a different last, etc?
Inquiring minds NEED to know!
Kari
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
17 comments:
Bring on the questions, people. This writer needs help...and inspirataion :-)
Good morning, chica. Anyone who knows me will tell you I am a spur-of-the-moment-kinda girl, but my daughter calls me a closet organizer. I think she may be right. For every one of my stories, I have a binder with pockets with all the research material, character profiles, and anything else pertaining to that story.
Then (and here comes the part that says I am still living in the dark ages and do everything by hand) I have index cards with everything pertinent on them, such as character names, names of streets if I use them, local take-out restaurants, etc. That made it so easy when I began book two. I just transferred those cards to the binder and added on.
Like you, I am forever looking up names on the Internet. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I know I am on a watch list for Homeland Security because I researched among other things, names of Al Qaeda members.
Good luck with the writing, Kari. I know you have a deadline coming up.
All right, I admit it. . .I'm obsessive about names. My ears are always open. I'm listening in grocery store line-ups, at the post office, my kids school, the t.v., magazines. . .everywhere and anywhere, always on the look-out for names.
Heck, I even read street signs, and think. . .ooh, that would be a cool name.
And I must be a closet organizer too. I have spread sheets with the names I use in each book. Otherwise, I can't keep them all straight.
But, just think, Kari. Maybe someday you'll have an assistant to keep it all straight for you. Wouldn't that be great? (:
Kari! I can't believe you did this to me. How did you know that my blog for tomorrow was on naming characters?? Now I have to be thinking about a new topic. I love you anyway!
I list all 26 letters of the alphabet down one side of a page. As I name my characters, I fill in the name next to the letter. That way I don't have any repeats for the beginning letter. I also pay attention to names that can sound alike but not start with the same letter (Katherine and Caty, for example). I have trouble reading books that have similar sounding names- hard to keep it straight.
Now, ideas for my posting tomorrow as you've stolen my topic? Love you, girl.
Thanks Liz, and yes I do have a deadline coming up. May 1st...eek.
I am very organized and I do have lists of names I use in a story, but I tend to keep them all on pieces of paper. My office is a mess! I really need to develop a system or use a spreadsheet so I can just print them off. Maybe even one big spreadsheet with all my books on them so I can compare. Looking them all up takes sooo much time. Ugh.
Love the street sign idea, E.C. I'll have to try that. Thanks for stopping by.
LOL sorry Cassy! I had to take all 4 kids to the dentist this morning and was suddenly like...OMG the blog!!!
So I thought about what I was in the middle of with my writing, and that's the topic that jumped out at me :-)
PS...love the writing down the alphabet idea, Cassy. How clever and convenient.
I've been thinking of using a spreadsheet also for names. Not only listing the name, first and last, seperately but the story the names are in.
Writing shorts and fulls I go through names fast.
I am always collecting names that sound interesting to me. I keep them in a Word doc, and just add to them. I look at the credits in TV shows and movies, I look at spam email--there are good names all over the place!
I hear ya, Lindsay. So hard to keep track of them all and man do I go through them fast. A spreadsheet is sounding more and more like the way to go.
LOL Donna....I never thought to check out my spam emails. What a riot. I bet you really do find some gems in there :-)
Kari, I know exactly what you mean. I have a excel spread sheet with my dames. And then half the time I forget to put them in.
As for inspiration, I go with the nationality of the characters sometimes. I Google Irish or Italian names and sur names.
Good luck.
I have found that naming the H&H to be the hardest. I like to use a name that the reader will easily remember and identify with. The bad guy and victims are another story. I tend to use names of people that annoy me, aka. piss me off, and the more they do the worse the bad guy they are or the more horrible the death for them.
It's always fun killing of your enemies.
Don't worry ladies, you're safe.
For now.
Funny I just realized (Lindsay pointed it out) that I am blogging about names today also over on http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/today-we-have-mary-martinez-as-guest-blogger/
It's my 7th day of my blog tour. Yes a shameless plug! LOL
Ah... great minds think alike :)
I keep a Character Sheet for each book and list every name I use in alphabetical order by first name and another list in alpha order by last name. Started that after I had four characters in Hollywood Hoodoo with "L" names (including the protagonist!) and had to change them. The active cast in the novel has a character profile written of their life. I draw the line at drop-ins.
Now when I create a new character, the first thing I look for is a free letter in the alphabet!
Here's how I play my name game: I'll pick a favorite movie then go to its IMDb page and mix and match character, cast, and crew names. Kind of fun!
Very cool, Rochelle! What a great idea for picking names. This is fun.
Post a Comment