This question is thanks to JoAnn Ross, who got me thinking about the importance of names, not just of people, but of places and stores and streets and… well, whatever.
How do you name your characters? The town or the street they live on? Do you check a baby name book or a website that tells you what’s popular or what the name means? Do you check to see if you have replicated the name of a real place? Do you ever have to change your names part way through?
I’m in the middle of a book where the town I’m setting part of the story in is a real place, but I’ve realized – 2/3rds of the way through – that I’m going to have to change the name because many of the things I’m having happen there, didn’t. Bah.
Tell us about your naming experience.
We’d love to hear from you.
Kate
I love the art of naming things. In my current WIP I named the heroine Tina – but her real name is Justina – because she’s looking for personal justice in her relationship with Frank. His name is ironic, because he fails to tell Tina important things, like why he’s so involved with his computer, which Tina refers to as Sybil the Cyber-mistress.
The town name is Harper Junction. I checked to be sure no such name existed, but went for a combination of familiar name types in rural North Carolina for pseudo-accuracy. I liked the Junction part because the book revolves around relationship building, people meeting each other in the middle – everybody giving a little.
My favorite business names in Harper Junction are Magic Wardrobe Antiques and Jupiter Cafe. The story involves a spiritual awakening and welcoming community, all orbiting around the arrival of two sisters, Tina and Susan. So the celestial and magical references made sense to me.
It’s fun sharing this with you in this fashion. Thanks for the opportunity.
I go a little crazy unless the name is right. I recently introduced a character is my book who’s a trickster archetype. I had a name, but it didn’t fit. Then I tried Tom, because I knew a Tom who was kind of a trickster. But “Tom” isn’t a trickster name, at least not to me. (See how I go a little crazy — and this is a minor character.)
I checked name sites on the computer and look at a book of baby names. None of them help. Finally the right name just came to me.
Denise, really like your characters’ names and the Harper Junction town name.