The kids are back to school, and my writing schedule is already on track and in full swing! Today, I opened Scrivener and returned to story #5 of Deadly Sins II. As I wrote, I rummaged through notes I’d taken during the summer. And, I found a list of character names. Story #5 includes a few drug dealers and other high-level criminals. So, a few months ago, I asked my Facebook friends for suggestions. Several responded with some fabulous name combinations.
I was looking for creative and edgy, but not names that would make you, the reader, automatically believe the character was a particular race or ethnicity. The funny thing is, I discovered that I was making an assumption. Perhaps more than one. In the end, I decided that I could easily give a character a very ethnic type of name, but not have them be a part of that particular race or ethnic group.
That’s what’s in a name. When we hear certain names, we automatically think certain things about that person, or in this case, character. I think this is one reason why I laughed when I started watching True Blood. Vampire Bill? Really? If he’d gone by his given name – William – then I could have rolled with that. A vampire named William is sophisticated. Vampire Bill? Not so much. I liked the surprise that the author’s choice of names gave me.
What are some of your favorite character’s names?
KDM